- Workers are responding to power outages as weather conditions
allow; nearly 42,000 restored so far
- Crews will be staged at 7 locations across Florida as Helene nears landfall
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Helene approaches
Florida, Duke Energy has already
begun restoring customers impacted by the storm. As of 5:00 pm, Duke Energy had nearly 47,000 customers
without power in Florida. So far,
nearly 42,000 customers have been restored.
Duke Energy is prepared to respond to additional impacts from
the storm as it continues its path north. The company has 8,000
crews ready to respond, including those at the following staging
locations across the state:
- Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport
- Jefferson County Greyhound Track
- Perry-Foley Airport
- St. Pete College – Tarpon Springs
- Suwannee Valley Farmers Market
- The Villages
- Tropicana Field
"We have already restored power while conditions have allowed us
to do so. However, we have not seen the worst of this storm yet. We
anticipate landfall will bring the most significant damage to our
infrastructure in the Panhandle and Big Bend area that will likely
cause extended outage durations," said Todd
Fountain, Duke Energy Storm Director. "Please continue to
prioritize your safety first."
Helene is anticipated to make landfall as a major hurricane with
catastrophic damage later this evening. Safety is the top priority
for Duke Energy customers and workers. Duke Energy urges customers
to prepare for extended outage periods in areas that receive major
damage. To report a power outage, text OUT to 57801, call
800.228.8485 or report online or through the mobile app. Customers
can also find safety tips by
visiting dukeenergyupdates.com.
Restoring power after a storm can be extremely challenging, as
travel and work conditions may be impacted by high winds and
widespread flooding. For safety purposes, Duke Energy line
technicians cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when
winds are excessive. However, as the storm passes and wind speeds
drop below 40 miles per hour, crews will quickly begin damage
assessment and repairs, allowing them to determine estimated power
restoration times.
The company will provide regular updates to customers and
communities through emails, text messages, phone calls, social
media and its website.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300
megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million
residential, commercial and industrial customers across a
13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric
utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities
serve 1.7 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition,
keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the
forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions
from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions
from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in
major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including
expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and
nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke
Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy
on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for
stories about the people and innovations powering our energy
transition.
Contact: Ana Gibbs
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy