Duke Energy working to restore power to customers impacted by Hermine

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,300 personnel are working quickly and safely to restore power to 26,000 remaining North Carolina and South Carolina customers impacted by Hermine.

As of 9 a.m., more than 128,000 customers had been restored since the storm began. More than 154,000 total customers experienced an outage following the storm, and the peak number of outages experience at one time was at 7 a.m. today with more than 41,000 customers experiencing an outage.

"Our crews are working hard this Labor Day weekend to ensure we restore power to our customers quickly and safely and we are making significant progress," said Bobby Simpson, Duke Energy's storm director. "We appreciate our customers' patience as we work to get all of customers service restored."

Hardest hit areas include Dillon, Sumter, Lee and Darlington counties in South Carolina and Robeson and Sampson counties in North Carolina.

More than 400 technicians and their equipment have responded to the eastern part of North Carolina and South Carolina to assist with restoration efforts, supplementing crews based in the region.

Restoration times
Duke Energy estimates that 95% of affected customers will be restored by tonight, and  remaining customers are expected to have power by 5 p.m. tomorrow. Homes and business that have damage to their meter box from the storm may need repairs and inspection before service can be restored. Meter box damage information: https://www.duke-energy.com/north-carolina/outages/meter-damage.asp.

There are three ways for customers to get the most up-to-date restoration / outage information and to report outages:

Online – Customers can report outages and access the online map from a computer or mobile device. Once on the map, customers should zoom in to their specific locations and hover over the outage indicator nearest their home. A message box will appear showing total customers affected, status and an estimated time of restoration, if available: http://outagemap.duke-energy.com/ncsc/default.html

Text – Customers can receive automatic alerts and outage updates via text, phone or email. Text  REG to 57801 to register or sign up online: http://www.duke-energy.com/north-carolina/outages/outage-alerts.asp

Phone – Customers who are without power can report outages and get up-to-date restoration times by calling the company's automated outage-reporting system: 800-769-3766 (800-PowerOn).

We also provide updated information on our social media channels to keep customers informed should significant outages occur as a result of the storm.

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

A web page dedicated to information about Hermine is available: www.duke-energy.com/hermine.  

Restoring power
Restoring power after a storm can be challenging, as travel conditions are poor. Before power can be restored, crews first assess damage and determine which crews, 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.

Be safe
Please give utility repair crews plenty of space on the road as you drive by. Also, please be watchful for downed or sagging power lines. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy.

If a power line falls across a car that 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 that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUxWaWti7P0

If you use a generator at home to provide power until your service is restored, please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be dangerous for crews making repairs. The excess electricity created by a generator can feed back onto the electric lines, severely injuring a line technician who might be working on a power line, believing it to be de-energized.

About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. 

The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.

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Contact: Media Relations
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DukeEnergy

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SOURCE Duke Energy

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