ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida's west coast, Duke Energy Florida is
urging its customers to prepare for this catastrophic storm and a
lengthy power restoration process that will result in extended
outages.
The company is readying 16,000 resources to respond to over 1
million power outages across its service territory as soon as
weather and other conditions allow. These crews are convening at
The Villages, Suwannee Valley
Farmers Market and Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers, staging sites that
are positioned along the outside of Hurricane Milton's projected
path, but as close to the impacted areas as possible. (Click here
for video footage from the staging sites.)
"Duke Energy Florida asks that our customers prepare now –
before it's too late – for exceptionally high storm surge, strong
winds and heavy rainfall that will cause extensive damage, not only
to their homes and businesses, but to our equipment and
infrastructure as well," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy
Florida storm director. "While our crews are ready to begin the
power restoration process as soon as it's safe, we want to manage
our customers' expectations and ensure they are planning for
extended outages."
Before Hurricane Milton hits, customers should contact Duke
Energy Florida to make sure their information is up to date and
their communication preferences are noted.
Customers are also advised to practice the safety
protocols below during the storm:
- Follow the guidance and instructions of your state and local
emergency management officials.
- In case of strong winds, stay away from windows and doors, even
if they are covered. Seek shelter in a small interior room, closet
or hallway on the lowest floor.
- If rising water threatens your home – or if you evacuate your
home – turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse
box.
- Disconnect or turn off any nonessential electrical equipment
that may start automatically when power is restored to avoid
overloading circuits.
- Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands,
or while standing on a wet or damp surface.
- Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Just six
inches of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot of
moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
- Do not open freezers or refrigerators more than necessary.
Opening these appliances will allow food to thaw quicker. For more
information, see the FDA's food safety guidelines.
Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it
the following ways:
- Visiting duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile
device;
- Using the Duke Energy mobile app (download from a smartphone
via Apple Store or Google Play);
- Texting OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may
apply); or
- Calling the automated outage reporting system at
800.228.8485.
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
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-florida-urges-customers-to-prepare-for-hurricane-milton-and-extended-power-outages-302271536.html
SOURCE Duke Energy