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The company shares important security tips, ways to report and receive outage updates and notifications
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – September is National Preparedness Month and with peak hurricane season upon us, Duke Energy Florida is reminding customers to stay alert and continue to take steps to prepare for major storms and other emergencies.
“Duke Energy focuses on year-round preparedness to minimize the impact of storms and ensure the safety of our customers, communities and crews,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “We work hard to improve reliability for our customers, harden the network against severe weather and provide timely information when outages occur. However, it is vital that customers do what they can now to protect their families, homes and businesses when a major storm hits.”
Duke Energy encourages customers to have a plan to respond to an extended power outage following a hurricane or other severe weather. Below are some tips to help keep you and your family safe if the power is out.
Keep these items handy
Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable time later. The kit should include everything an individual or family will need for at least two weeks, especially medicine, water, nonperishable food, and other supplies that may be hard to find after a storm.
If someone in your home has special needs or relies on powered medical equipment, determine now what you would do in the event of an extended power outage (eg, relocate the family member or have a generator available reserve).
Stay safe
- If you see a downed power line or safety hazard involving our equipment, call Duke Energy at 800.POWERON (800.769.3766) or call 911 immediately. Do not touch a power line or anything in contact with it and keep others away until help arrives.
- Stay away from downed or hanging power lines. Consider all live power lines, as well as trees, limbs, or anything in contact with the lines.
- If a power line falls on a car 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 out of the car and land with both feet. Make sure no part of your body touches the machine when your feet touch the ground.
Stay connected
Before a storm hits, customers should ensure their contact information is up-to-date and their communication preferences are noted on their account so they can receive proactive updates from Duke Energy on the status of a power outage.
Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and phone numbers are handy in case you need to check on family or friends in other places or call emergency response agencies.
Outage reporting
Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it in the following ways:
- Use the Duke Energy Mobile App – Download the Duke Energy app from a smartphone through the Apple Store or Google Play.
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
- Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data rates may apply).
- Call the automated outage reporting system for Duke Energy Florida: 800.228.8485.
There is also an interactive outage map where customers can find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of system-wide outages and estimated restoration time.
Restoration of power
If you experience a power outage after severe weather, it’s likely that many other customers will be out as well. When there are widespread power outages, Duke Energy follows a restoration process that first focuses on assessing the damage, then prioritizing repairs that will restore power to the greatest number of customers as safely, quickly as possible and efficiently. Emphasis is placed on vital public health and safety facilities such as hospitals, law enforcement, fire departments and water treatment facilities. This video explains the process.
For more tips on how to prepare for storm season and how Duke Energy can help, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips.
For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy). A checklist serves as a useful guide, but it’s important before, during and after a storm 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 10,300 megawatts of power capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is one of America’s largest energy companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and together own 50,000 megawatts of power capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.
Duke Energy is implementing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% reduction in carbon from electricity generation by 2030 and net emissions carbon zero by 2050. The 2050 net zero targets also include scope 2 and certain scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major improvements to the electricity grid and energy storage, as well as exploring technologies of zero-emission energy production, such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear ones.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Companies” and Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers.” More information can be found at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center features news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy Lighting features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy at I tweetLinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media Hotline: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS
