Duke Energy focuses on damage assessments and outage restoration in the Carolinas

News provided by

Feb 17, 2015, 12:42 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has more than 4,800 personnel focused on outage restoration across the Carolinas.

The workforce includes line workers, tree crews, damage assessors and other support personnel.

Crews from across the company's service areas are also being moved to assist with restoration in the hardest hit areas in North Carolina and South Carolina.

"Damage assessment and power restoration are underway and we're making good progress," said Brett Carter, senior vice president of Duke Energy's Carolinas Delivery Operations. "We appreciate our customers' patience and encourage everyone to remain safe as we work to restore outages as quickly and safely as possible."

Customers can get an update on their specific outage by viewing the current outage map, calling Duke Energy or opting in to receive a text message.

The company expects to have storm-related outages restored by 11 p.m. on Wednesday. However, most customers will be restored sooner. There may be isolated, scattered outages remaining beyond this time, depending on individual cases.

Restoring power

Restoring power after an ice storm can be challenging, as travel conditions are hazardous. Before power can be restored, crews first assess damage and determine what personnel, equipment and supplies will be needed to make repairs. Because of this, customers may see damage assessors patrolling their neighborhoods before crews arrive to begin work.

Crews prioritize work to ensure the largest number of customers are restored as quickly as possible. Essential services, such as hospitals and emergency response facilities, are the first priority.

If you lose power, please turn off as many appliances and electronics as possible. This helps with restoration efforts because it reduces the immediate demand on power lines when power is restored.

Once your power is restored, please wait a few minutes before turning your equipment back on.

Customers who experience an outage during the storm should call the automated outage-reporting systems for their respective utility:

Duke Energy Carolinas: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
Duke Energy Progress: 1-800-419-6356

Customers can also report an outage or view current outages online at www.duke-energy.com/storms.

Duke Energy also provides updates on its social media channels to keep customers informed about outages.

Duke Energy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DukeEnergy
Duke Energy on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DukeEnergy

Safety

Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all power lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with power lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy and your local police department. If a power line falls across a car you're 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 no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.

24-hour media line: 800.559.3853

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130322/CL81938LOGO

SOURCE Duke Energy