Duke Energy mobilizes 10,000 workers in the Carolinas, urges customer safety ahead of Helene

• Customers advised to prepare for heavy rain, wind and possible power outages
• Company moving water through its river system and lowering lake levels
• The Duke Energy Foundation grants $50,000 to the American Red Cross to support disaster response and relief efforts

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is finalizing its preparations for Helene in the Carolinas. This includes strategically staging more than 10,000 lineworkers, tree trimmers and other storm support personnel. The company is also asking customers to ready themselves for severe rain and tropical-storm-force gusts, which could lead to power outages.

"Our workers will be ready to begin assessing damage and restoring power as soon as the storm passes and conditions are safe," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's storm director in the Carolinas. "In the meantime, we continue to monitor weather conditions and encourage customers to have a plan in place in case they experience an outage."

Safety information
Customers can visit duke-energy.com/StormTips for tools and resources they can use to stay safe before, during and after a storm. The website also has information on how Duke Energy restores power, generator safety, flooding and electrical safety and more.

In addition, Duke Energy recommends customers review these preparedness tips:

• Create or update an emergency supply kit that includes everything an individual or family would need – especially medicines, water, nonperishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm hits.
• Keep a portable radio or TV or a NOAA weather radio on hand to monitor weather forecasts and vital information from state and local officials.
• Charge cellphones, computers and other electronic devices in advance of storms to stay connected to important safety and response information. Consider purchasing and charging portable battery chargers.
• Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with special needs – to safe, alternative locations in case extended power outages occur or evacuation is required.
• Pet owners should arrange to stay at evacuation shelters that accept pets, friends' or family members' homes or pet-friendly hotels.
• Everyone should always stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging – and consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs, fences or anything in contact with lines. Downed lines are hard to see in the rain and standing water. Anyone who encounters large pools of standing water should stop, back up and choose another path.

Reporting a power outage
Duke Energy advises customers to enroll in Outage Alerts to get information about area outages and restoration efforts via text message, voice message or email. In addition, customers can report power outages via the Duke Energy app or website, by texting OUT to 57801 or by calling 800.POWERON (800.769.3766).

High-water reminders
The company is actively moving water through its river system and lowering lake levels in the Carolinas ahead of the anticipated heavy rainfall. Flooding, however, is still possible due to unpredictable rainfall amounts.

Duke Energy encourages individuals who live along lakes and rivers and in flood-prone areas to pay close attention to local media and weather forecasts for changes in weather conditions and rising water levels. In addition, local emergency management officials – working in close coordination with Duke Energy – may issue notifications to those who may be directly impacted by high-water conditions.

Real-time lake level information is available at duke-energy.com/lakes, by calling 800.829.LAKE (5253) and via the Duke Energy Lake View mobile app, which is available from the App Store and Google Play.

Red Cross Emergency app, donation for disaster response and relief
The Duke Energy Foundation announced a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to support disaster response and relief efforts in advance of the storm.

This is in addition to the Foundation's previous $100,000 grant to upgrade the organization's Emergency app. The free weather safety app is available in both English and Spanish and offers a variety of features including emergency checklists, interactive maps of open shelters and the ability to monitor multiple locations for weather alerts.

Over the past five years, Duke Energy and its Foundation have donated more than $2.8 million to the American Red Cross in support of disaster relief and $19.5 million in emergency preparedness and response efforts across the Southeast and Midwest. This includes $6.2 million in North Carolina and $3.3 million in South Carolina.

Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

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SOURCE Duke Energy