- Company meteorologists closely monitoring the storm
- Crews preparing for potential impacts
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As Duke Energy meteorologists track Tropical Storm
Milton, the company urges customers to take immediate action and
prepare for the approaching storm.
The National Hurricane Center expects Milton to strengthen into
a major hurricane producing potentially extremely hazardous weather
conditions to portions of the company's Florida service area. Regardless of the
hurricane's intensity, there is a risk of life-threating storm
surge for the west coast of Florida and heavy rainfall that
will affect the area well ahead of the storm.
The impact of a major hurricane to our infrastructure could
result in widespread equipment damage causing extended outage
durations for our customers. Strong winds and storm surge could
also damage homes and businesses making structures unsafe to
re-energize.
"Tropical Storm Milton's current path poses a major threat to
communities along the state's west coast," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm
director. "We want to assure our customers our team is ready to
respond. We will be mobilizing our mutual assistance crews from
across the country to help with power restoration."
Line technicians and workers are checking equipment, supplies
and inventories to ensure adequate materials are available to make
repairs and restore power outages.
In advance of the storm, Duke Energy places crews near areas
that will likely be affected by the system, allowing for the most
rapid response after a storm passes through.
"While our communities recover from Hurricane Helene, it's
important our customers remain informed, vigilant and prepared as
Milton approaches Florida's
coast," said Melissa Seixas, Duke
Energy Florida president. "It's critical our customers stay updated
on information from emergency management. Safety is the priority
before, during and after the storm."
Safety information
Duke Energy encourages customers to have a plan in place to
respond to an extended power outage after a hurricane or other
severe weather. Below are some tips:
Before the storm
- Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable
time later. The kit should include everything an individual or
family would need for at least two weeks, especially medicines,
water, nonperishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to
find after a storm hits.
- Keep a portable radio or TV or a NOAA weather radio on hand to
monitor weather forecasts and important information from state and
local officials.
- Charge cellphones, computers and other electronic devices in
advance of storms to stay connected to important safety and
response information. Consider purchasing portable chargers and
make sure they are fully charged as well.
- Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with
special needs – to a safe, alternative location in case an extended
power outage occurs, or evacuation is required.
- Pet owners should arrange to stay at evacuation shelters that
accept pets; friends' or family members' homes; or pet-friendly
hotels.
For more tips on how to prepare for storm season, and how Duke
Energy can help, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips.
Outage reporting
While residents of coastal areas are
most at risk of being affected by hurricanes, such storms also can
bring damaging high winds and rain inland. Before the storm hits,
customers should contact us to make sure their contact information
is up to date and their communication preferences are noted, so
they receive proactive outreach on the status on a power outage
they may experience.
Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it
the following ways:
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile
device.
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy app
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.
There is also an interactive outage map where
customers can find up-to-date information on power outages,
including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated
times of restoration.
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