ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than 24 hours after
Hurricane Milton made landfall, Duke Energy Florida is announcing
estimated times of restoration will be issued for all customers
impacted by the storm on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 11.
"We know Floridians impacted by Hurricane Milton are eager to
begin the recovery process," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy
Florida storm director. "We are working tirelessly to assess the
damage caused by this storm and confirm estimated times of
restoration as soon as possible, so it's our hope that providing
this information and communicating regularly with our customers
will allow them to plan accordingly."
Duke Energy focuses on restoring power as safely and quickly as
possible and in a sequence that begins with public health and
safety facilities, while also considering how to impact the
greatest number of customers. It is important to note that
customers who experienced extensive damage or flooding may require
additional time for restoration and some should be prepared for
extended outages. Updates will be communicated to customers as soon
as possible.
Flood and meter box damage
For customers whose home or business is flooded, Duke Energy
cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been
inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an
electrician will need to make repairs and obtain verification from
the local building inspection authority before power can be
restored.
If the meter box is pulled away from a customer's house or
mobile home service pole and power is not being received, the
homeowner is responsible for contacting an electrician to reattach
the meter box and/or provide a permanent fix. In some instances, an
electrical inspection may be required by the county before Duke
Energy can reconnect service. An electrician can advise customers
on next steps.
Downed power lines are hazardous
Duke Energy reminds customers and the public to stay away from
downed power lines that have fallen or are sagging, and to consider
all power lines – and trees, limbs or anything in contact with
power lines – energized and dangerous.
If a power line falls across a vehicle you are in, stay in the
car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other
immediate life-threatening situation, try to jump clear of the car
and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is
touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
Customers using generators
If you use a generator at home to provide power until your
service is restored, please watch for utility crews and turn the
generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on
the power lines can be dangerous for crews making repairs. The
excess electricity created by a generator can feed back onto the
electric lines, severely injuring a line technician who might be
working on a power line, believing it to be de-energized.
Power outages can be reported in the following ways:
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile
device.
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app (download from a smartphone via
Apple Store or Google Play).
- Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may
apply).
- Call the automated outage reporting system at
800.228.8485.
Customers who cannot receive power as a result of damage to the
property's meter base, breaker panel or customer-owned electrical
wiring should contact their local municipalities for guidance.
Inspections may be required after repairs are
complete.
The most up-to-date information about power outages can be
accessed on Duke Energy's Outage Map or by enrolling
in Outage Alerts.
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