Duke Energy outages down to more than 300,000 customers; 1.2 million already restored

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy crews are fully focused on restoring power to the remaining 300,000 customers who lost electricity when Hurricane Florence rolled through the Carolinas.

As of 1 p.m. ET Monday, the company has experienced a total of 1.5 million outages throughout the storm event. Duke Energy has restored power to roughly 1.2 million.

Many of the remaining impacted customers are located in tough-to-access coastal areas that experienced historic flooding, multiple road closures and significant structural damage. The latest outage numbers can be found here.

"With many of the main and secondary roads closed, getting additional crews to the impacted areas has been a challenge," said Howard Fowler, Duke Energy incident commander. "We want all our customers in the hard-hit areas to know more help is coming to assist the crews already working in these areas."

Overall, Duke Energy has dispatched more than 20,000 personnel to restore power across the Carolinas ? the company's largest storm response in the region ever.

Estimated power restoration times

To give customers as much information as possible, Duke Energy has established 12 separate areas for restoration across the Carolinas to provide targeted updates. A map showing these areas is being continuously updated. See the latest map for updates.

In addition, Duke Energy will send impacted customers updated information via text messages.

The company conducted some limited aerial inspections in some of the hard-hit areas late Sunday. However, improving weather conditions will aid assessments today. Still, full power restoration may take weeks, rather than days, due to the widespread damage and flooding.

Reporting outages and storm update:

• Visit www.dukeenergyupdates.com 
• Texting "OUT" to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
• Call the automated outage-reporting system at 800-769-3766 for Duke Energy Carolinas customers; 800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress customers.
• For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy).

Stay away from fallen or sagging power lines

• Stay away from fallen and sagging power lines. Keep children, pets and others away from power lines.
• Consider all power lines ? as well as trees, branches and anything else in contact with power lines ? energized and dangerous.
• Use extreme caution when traversing damaged and flooded areas. Energized power lines could be hidden by debris and flood waters.

High-water safety reminders

• The Duke Energy hydro operations team continues to aggressively move water through its river systems to reduce impacts as much as possible. Please stay alert to changing conditions, as significant rainfall will lead to even higher lake levels.
• High water conditions can create navigational hazards. Please use caution and adhere to the advice of local emergency management officials before going on area lakes and rivers.
• For updated lake level information, go to duke-energy.com/community/lakes or call Duke Energy's lake neighbor information phone line at 800-829-Lake (5253) (Duke Energy Carolinas lakes) and 800.899.4435 (Duke Energy Progress lakes). 

Safety information for extended power outages

• Never use a generator indoors. Always follow manufacturer instructions.
• Keep at least one battery-powered flashlight where it can be located easily in the dark.
• Listen for storm information on a battery-powered radio
• Keep an extra supply of fresh batteries.
• Never use outdoor grills in the house.

Medical needs

Families who have special medical needs should continue to closely monitor their situations and call 911 if the situation becomes life-threatening.  

Duke Energy

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts.

The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states ? North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states ? North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.

More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy