Duke Energy crews begin power restoration following Hurricane Debby, establish estimated time of restoration for Pinellas and Pasco counties

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Aug 05, 2024, 12:49 ET

3,000 workers are responding to power outages as weather conditions allow; nearly 171,000 restored so far

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of noon, Duke Energy had more than 97,800 customers without power in Florida. So far, nearly 171,000 customers have been restored.

Duke Energy crews continue to restore power as quickly and safely as possible and as weather conditions allow. Crews have worked through the night and the company anticipates restoring 95% of Pinellas and Pasco counties customers by 11:59 p.m. Monday evening, as those areas first experienced the impacts of the storm. Many customers will be restored earlier. However, adverse weather conditions continue to impact the area. Additionally, customers who experienced extensive damage or flooding may require additional time for restoration. Duke Energy continues to assess other counties and will communicate updates with customers through outage alerts and the outage map.

"While areas of the state continue to experience the impacts of Hurricane Debby, Duke Energy remains committed to restoring power as quickly as it is safe to do so," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We thank our customers for their patience, our first responders for their hard work and our neighboring utilities for their continued support in the hours and days ahead."

Restoring power after a storm can be extremely challenging, as travel and work conditions may be impacted by high winds and widespread flooding. Duke Energy customers should be prepared for extensive damage and extended power outages. Outages can be reported online, through the mobile app, by texting OUT to 57801 or by calling 800.228.8485.

For safety purposes, Duke Energy line technicians cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds are excessive. However, as the storm passes and wind speeds drop below 40 miles per hour, crews will quickly begin damage assessment and repairs, allowing them to determine estimated power restoration times. The company also will provide regular updates to customers and communities through emails, text messages, phone calls, social media and its website.

Customers are advised to continue taking precautions:

Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs, fences or anything in contact with lines.
Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and can potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path.
A generator can be very useful during a power outage but remember to always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation.
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 hazardous for crews making repairs.
If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.

Customers can receive the most up-to-date information about restoration efforts by:

Signing up online for phone and email alerts or text REG to 57801 for text alerts
Bookmarking our outage map
Downloading the mobile app for updates

Additionally, customers are encouraged to download the enhanced American Red Cross Emergency app for weather safety. The latest version of the app, sponsored by the Duke Energy Foundation, is free, 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.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

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 Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

SOURCE Duke Energy