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The company’s meteorologists continue to monitor the storm
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Duke Energy Florida is mobilizing approximately 10,000 first responders as it prepares for more than 1 million power outages associated with damage from Hurricane Milton.
The National Hurricane Center expects Milton to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane. On the west coast of Florida there is a risk of life-threatening storm surge, strong winds and torrential rain that will affect the area well before the storm.
The impact of a major hurricane could cause widespread equipment damage and prolong the duration of power outages for our customers. Hurricane Milton is expected to cause damage to homes and businesses, making structures unsafe for power to be restored.
“Based on its current track, Hurricane Milton will impact the most populated areas of our service territory,” said Todd Fountain, storm director for Duke Energy Florida. “Despite extensive system improvements and rigorous tree trimming, “High winds and flooding may cause power outages. Customers should expect significant damage and make immediate preparations for long-term power outages.”
Duke Energy is shipping equipment from Duke Energy operations in the Midwest, in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
Response personnel include power line technicians, vegetation workers, damage assessors and support personnel.
Trucks will begin arriving tomorrow at The Villages, Suwannee Valley Farmers Market and Richie Brothers Auction. Staging locations are located outside of Milton’s projected path, but as close as possible to the affected areas. Crews are prepared to begin power restoration as soon as weather permits.
Once conditions are safe for travel, workers will immediately deploy to make repairs and restore power as safely and quickly as possible.
Duke Energy meteorologists continue to monitor the movement of Hurricane Milton and are producing up-to-the-minute forecasts to help the company plan and prepare.
Safety information
Duke Energy encourages customers to have a response plan for extended power outages following hurricanes or other severe weather events. Here are some tips:
Floods and electrical safety
- If rising water threatens your home – or if you are to be evacuated from your home – turn off the power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
- Electrical current passes easily through water, so you should stay away from downed power lines and electrical cables. Do not drive your car over downed power lines and do not stand near such lines.
- Never change a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands or while standing on a damp or wet surface.
- Customers whose infrastructure cannot be electrified at this time due to damage to the meter base, circuit breaker panel or property electrical wiring should contact their local municipalities for advice. Inspections may be required after repairs are completed.
For more tips on how to prepare for storm season, and how Duke Energy can help, visit:duke-energy.com/StormTips
Power outage report
Before the storm hits, customers should contact us to ensure their contact information is up to date and their communication preferences are taken into account so they receive proactive information about the status of a power outage they may experience. experiment.
Customers who experience a power outage during a storm can report it in the following ways:
- Enter duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or via a mobile device.
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app. Download the Duke Energy App from the Apple Store or Google Play stores using a smartphone.
- Text OUT to 57801 (which may incur standard text and data charges).
- Call the automated power outage reporting system at 800.228.8485.
There is also a cuts map interactive feature in which customers can view up-to-date data on power outages, such as the total number of system-wide outages and expected restoration times.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of power capacity and supplies 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, North Carolina, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its utility companies supply electricity to approximately 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively have a capacity of 54,800 megawatts of their own power. Its natural gas companies serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious transition to clean energy and keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as it works to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions in its natural gas businesses by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions in the electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major power grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including increased energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear power.
There is more information at duke-energy.com y a Duke Energy News Center. Siga a Duke Energy one X, LinkedIn, Instagram y Facebook; also go to the site illumination to see stories about the people and innovations driving our energy transition.
Contact: Ana Gibbs
24 hours: 800.559.3853
