CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy meteorologists are estimating power outages in the Carolinas from approaching Hurricane Florence could be between 1-3 million customers.
"The magnitude of the storm is beyond what we have seen in years," said Howard Fowler, Duke Energy's incident commandor. "With the storm expected to linger, power restoration work could take weeks instead of days."
More than 20,000 people are in place to restore power ? the largest resource mobilization ever for Duke Energy. More than 8,000 Carolinas-based workers are being joined by 1,700 workers from Duke Energy Midwest and 1,200 from Duke Energy Florida to respond to this storm. And with 9,400 additional resources coming from other utilities to help.
"Despite our workforce, customers should continue to make plans for their homes and facilities," said Fowler. "It's important for people to know this is no ordinary storm and customers could be without power for a very long time ? not days, but weeks."
The governors of North Carolina and South Carolina have declared states of emergency in advance of the hurricane.
Restoring power after a massive storm can be extremely challenging for utility repair crews, as travel and work conditions can be impacted by high winds and widespread flooding ? making repair work lengthy and difficult.
"This will be a challenging time for our customers," added Fowler. "As the storm approaches, we want them to remain safe and we appreciate their patience as Duke Energy works to restore damage."
Storm updates and videos from Duke Energy can be found here:
www.dukeenergyupdates.com
The latest video from Duke Energy can be found here:
https://youtu.be/I9eH8mpznvM
Important reminders
The following tips can help you and your family stay safe if the power goes out:
Customers should stay tuned to local news for the latest advisories from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center (NHC), as well as state and local emergency management officials.
For a "Hurricane Kit Checklist," and important safety information visit ready.gov. In addition, tips on what to do before, during and after a storm can be found at duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/storm-safety. A checklist serves as a helpful guide, but it's critical before, during and after a storm to follow the instructions and warnings of emergency management officials in your area.
Click here for a video demonstration and to read more about safety around power lines.
Outage reporting
Before the storm hits, customers should note how to report power outages. Customers who experience an outage during the storm can report it by:
For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy).
High water
In anticipation of the forecast of potential significant rainfall from Hurricane Florence, Duke Energy continues to lower lake levels by moving water along all river basins and operating our available hydro units.
The designs of the company's dams and current water levels determine the best way to move water at any given time.
If we receive significant rainfall, lake levels will rise much more quickly due to runoff.
High-water safety reminders
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 is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing its energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves.
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.
A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2018 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' 2018 "America's Best Employers" list.
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
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