ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida is reporting
approximately 850,000 power outages, as of 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, after Hurricane Milton hit
Florida as a Category 3 storm
overnight. As customers can safely return home, the company expects
outage numbers to continue to increase. Duke Energy Florida is
conducting damage assessment as weather and road conditions allow
and will soon begin what is anticipated to be a lengthy restoration
process.
"Hurricane Milton barreled through our state with a devastating
intensity, leaving behind a trail of destruction that we, and many
Floridians, can't yet fully comprehend," said Todd Fountain,
Duke Energy Florida storm director. "Our crews will continue to
assess the damage to our infrastructure and equipment, which is a
critical first step in the overall power restoration process. As
with any storm of this magnitude, we encourage our customers to
prepare for extended outages, and we thank them for their
patience."
Duke Energy Florida 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
restore the greatest number of customers as safely and as soon as
possible.
The company also reminds customers of the following safety
tips:
- Consider all power lines – and trees, limbs or anything in
contact with power lines – energized and dangerous.
- Stay away from downed power lines and areas that may be hiding
lines, such as floodwater and debris.
- If a power line falls across a car that 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, do your best 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.
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