Duke Energy Florida prepares for peak hurricane season, urges customers to do the same

• Company shares important safety tips, ways to report and receive outage updates and notifications

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- September is National Preparedness Month and with peak hurricane season upon us, Duke Energy Florida is reminding customers to stay vigilant and continue taking steps to prepare for major storms and other emergencies.

"Duke Energy focuses on preparedness all year long 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, strengthen the grid against severe weather and provide timely information when outages do occur. However, it is vital that customers do what they can now to protect their families, homes and businesses when a major storm strikes."

Duke Energy encourages customers to have a plan in place to respond to an extended power outage after a hurricane or other severe weather. Below are some tips to help keep you and your family safe if the power goes out.

Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable time later. The kit should include everything an individual or family would need for at least two weeks, especially medicines, water, nonperishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm hits.

If someone in your home has special needs or relies on electric-powered medical equipment, determine now the actions you'd take in the event of an extended power outage (i.e., relocate your family member or have a backup generator available).

• If you see a fallen 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 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 another 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 touches the car when your feet touch the ground.

Before a storm hits, customers should make sure their contact information is up to date and their communication preferences are noted in their account so they can receive proactive updates from Duke Energy on the status of a power outage.

Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged and phone numbers are handy in case you need to check on family or friends in other locations or call emergency response agencies.

Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it the following ways:

• Use the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.
• Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
• Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges 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 outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.

If you experience a power outage after severe weather, it's likely many other customers are out too. When there are widespread power outages, Duke Energy follows a restoration process that first focuses on damage assessment, then prioritizes repairs that will return power to the greatest number of customers as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible. 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 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.

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,300 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 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. 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 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America'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                                                   
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

SOURCE Duke Energy