Duke Energy prepares for severe weather expected in Florida; encourages customers to plan ahead

• Duke Energy Florida line and tree crews ready to respond
• Customers encouraged to prepare in advance of severe weather

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is monitoring and preparing for a severe weather system expected to move through Florida Tuesday, which may cause widespread power outages.

"Forecasts show the potential for strong, gusty winds and severe storms throughout many parts of Duke Energy Florida's service territory," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "Our crews are prepared to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. We urge customers to follow the instructions of Florida emergency management officials and have a plan in place in case they experience an extended outage."

Below are some tips to help customers be ready:

Before the storm

Have a plan in place for what you will do if you lose power. Keep a storm emergency supply kit handy. A typical kit might include medicines, water, nonperishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm hits.

Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with special needs – to a safe, alternative location in case an extended power outage occurs.

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.

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.

After the storm

Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs or anything in contact with lines.

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.

If you are driving and come across a utility crew working along the road to repair power, move over or slow down to keep crews and yourself safe.

Outage reporting

After a storm hits, restoring power as safely and quickly as possible is our top priority, while keeping our customers informed. 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.POWERON (800.769.3766).
• Visit our interactive outage map to find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.

Visit our Storm Center to learn how to remain safe during all phases of a storm, including info on how Duke Energy restores power. Make sure to follow the instructions and warnings of emergency management officials in your area.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. 

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

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SOURCE Duke Energy