Duke Energy preparing for high winds in Carolinas on Sunday and Monday; company encourages customers to prepare as well

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A strong weather event will push through North Carolina and South Carolina beginning Sunday afternoon and continuing into Monday, bringing with it high winds and a strong potential for power outages.

Duke Energy is monitoring the storm's path and taking steps to prepare, while also continuing to adhere to coronavirus-related protective measures and social distancing guidelines in place for power line crews and tree crews, and other employees supporting the storm response effort.

"We know how important electricity is to customers at a time when so many are home all day, every day," said Duke Energy Carolinas storm director Jason Hollifield. "Add to that, this is an important holiday weekend and sacred time for many people. We will work to respond to power outages as quickly as they occur, recognizing we must also ensure the safety of our crews and the communities we serve through proper social distancing practices and other protective measures. We appreciate our customers' patience and support as we work to serve all of our customers in the Carolinas."

Important safety reminders

With high winds, come the threat of downed trees and, potentially, downed power lines. We encourage customers to plan now for what they will do if they experience an extended power outage:

• Customers should stay tuned to local news for the latest weather advisories, as well as state and local emergency management officials.
• If you rely on electricity for medical needs, please consider now what actions you will take in the event of an extended power outage. With statewide "stay-at-home" orders in place, you may need to alter your emergency plans.
  
• If you see a downed power line, always assume it is energized and stay away. Report downed lines to Duke Energy immediately. Click here for a video demonstration and to read more about safety around power lines.
• Never bring a generator indoors. Generators should be operated only outdoors, and only in well-ventilated areas. Manufacturer instructions should be followed. 

Duke Energy protective measures

We are working hard to help ensure you have reliable power during this challenging time and will work to restore any outages that occur from this storm as quickly and safely as possible. We are focused on helping protect our employees, contractors and the communities we serve.

• Please avoid approaching Duke Energy crews in the field or entering their work zone as they restore power. If you do need to speak with someone, be advised that employees will maintain at least six feet of separation.
• Please adhere to stay-at-home orders and help our crews avoid distraction by supporting social distancing guidelines as they work.
• If it is necessary to leave home, customers should move over or slow down if they see utility crews or other first responders working along roads. It's not only the law, but also helps protect our crews who are working to help restore power to customers.
• Additionally, employees do not travel, climb or work when sustained winds reach 39 miles per hour. When the storm passes and wind speeds drop below 39 miles per hour making it safe for travel, crews will begin damage assessment and repairs.

Tips for protecting refrigerated food during a power outage

We know that many customers may have stored up their refrigerators and freezers as part of their stay-at-home plans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends the following tips:

• Have appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer. The freezer temperature should be at or below 0° F, and the refrigerator should be at or below 40° F.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
• The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
• A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
  
• Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours.

The FDA offers additional tips for proper food handling and storage before, during and after a power outage – https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-and-water-safety-during-power-outages-and-floods

Outage reporting

Customers who experience an outage during the storm can report it by:

• Visiting duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device

• Texting OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply)

• Calling the automated outage-reporting system at 800-769-3766 for Duke Energy Carolinas customers and 800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress customers.
  

For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter and Facebook.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Duke Energy