CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
has restored more than a million (924,000 in North Carolina and 180,000 in South Carolina) of the 1.36 million customers
who lost power due to Hurricane Matthew.
The company has quadrupled its resources since storm
preparations began (2,300 last week to nearly 9,000 this week).
More than 1,500 additional resources are en route today.
Utility companies sending resources include Duke Energy Midwest
and Florida, First Energy,
CenterPoint Energy and Delaware Electric Coop.
States providing additional personnel include Delaware, New
York, Nebraska,
Maine, Indiana, Florida, Oklahoma, Iowa, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Canada has also sent personnel.
There were still 235,000 customers (158,000 in North Carolina and 77,000 in South Carolina) without power this
morning.
The hardest hit counties include: Robeson, Bladen, Columbus, Pender, Duplin, Wayne, Johnston, Sampson, Harnett, Cumberland, Lenoir, Pitt,
Greene, Craven and Beaufort.
In some of these areas, flood waters remain or continue to rise.
It could be days before crews are able to access these areas to
make repairs. Additionally, customers whose homes or meter boxes
have sustained substantial damage will need to make repairs before
we are able to restore service.
"At Duke Energy, our sole focus is to safely restore power for
our customers as quickly as we can," said Lynn Good, Duke Energy chairman, president and
CEO, who surveyed Hurricane Mathew's devastation first-hand in
southern Wake County Monday.
"This is a very challenging time for all of us, and we
appreciate the patience and understanding our customers have
shown," she added. "This was an historic storm requiring a massive
restoration effort."
Good also spent time at the company's Customer Care and Storm
Response centers in Raleigh,
speaking with employees and listening to their interaction with
customers.
"People want us to know what they're going through, and we do,"
Good said. "That's why we've dedicated all available personnel to
deal with this catastrophe, and contacted other agencies throughout
much of the country and Canada to
assist."
Duke Energy focuses on restoring power in a sequence that
enables power restoration to public health and safety facilities
and to the greatest number of customers as safely and quickly as
possible, starting first with the larger transmission
lines.
Matthew caused significant damage to Duke's transmission
system:
- Nearly 60 transmission lines were knocked out of commission (32
restored)
- More than 115 substations were inoperable due to damage or
flood waters (98 restored; many of the remaining ones are
submerged)
Hurricane Matthew is the fifth worst storm to hit the combined
Duke Energy / Duke Energy Progress service area. Some liken the
storm's effects to Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hugo in 1989.
"We may continue to lose equipment due to rising flood waters,
which could cause additional outages," said Bobby Simpson, who is overseeing Duke Energy's
restoration efforts. "The good weather certainly helps our
restoration effort, but rising flood waters continue to place
additional challenges on us is some areas."
Duke Energy has posted estimated times of restoration on its
website. Customers should understand those restoration times
reflect the latest time a customer's power could be restored.
However, as crews assess specific areas, these times may be
improved.
Once crews restore power to a trouble spot, our systems indicate
all power provided by that device is on. We are using calls and
text messages to gather information to determine remaining outages
down the line. If you receive a call or text, it means we are
actively working in your area. Please respond if you are still
without power. This will assist us in restoring your power as
quickly as possible.
Duke Energy's customer service centers have supplemented their
ranks to assist customers who call to report outages and
emergencies.
Customers can report outages and electrical emergencies, such as
downed lines and poles, by calling Duke Energy's automated
outage-reporting system for their specific service area:
- Duke Energy Carolinas – 800.769.3766
- Duke Energy Progress – 800.419.6356
Customers can text OUT to 57801 to report an outage from their
mobile phone. Be sure to use the mobile phone associated with the
customer's account.
Flooding
Ash and cooling pond dams at our Carolinas' facilities continue
to operate safely. Flooding continues to subside near the retired
Weatherspoon Plant in Lumberton,
N.C. The Neuse River near the H.F. Lee Plant in Goldsboro, N.C., continues to rise and is
flowing into the plant's cooling pond. The Weatherspoon Plant ash
basin and active ash basin at H.F. Lee Plant are not affected. The
company is monitoring conditions, and state regulators continue to
support operations at both plants.
Safety
Duke Energy urges everyone to be safe during this challenging
time. Please follow these important tips:
- Our employees are trained to be vigilant and constantly aware
of their surroundings.
- If, at any time, our crews believe they are in an unsafe
situation, they will postpone the work until the area is safe and
secure.
- We will continue to monitor this evolving situation with our
focus on the safety of our customers and employees.
- Anyone encountering electrical equipment after a storm, whether
it is a downed power line, a substation or a solar site, take
extreme caution and assume that the equipment is energized --
especially do not go near electrical equipment when it is immersed
in standing water. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy
or your local power provider.
- 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.
- Power lines can be hidden by debris and standing water so
please be extremely careful moving around in damaged areas.
- "Move Over and Slow Down" Law: The "move over" law requires
drivers to move over one lane when two or more lanes are available
in each direction to make way for emergency responders, tow trucks,
DOT incident management assistance patrols and roadside work crews,
such as utility crews. On roads with only one traffic lane in each
direction, drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop.
Violators could face fines.
Stay Connected -- Duke Energy offers a number of ways for
customers to get information about outages and restoration
efforts.
- Online -- www.duke-energy.com/matthew. Customers can
access outage maps and other information online from a computer or
mobile device. Once on the map, customers can zoom in to their
specific location 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
- Facebook -- www.facebook.com/dukeenergy
- Twitter – https://twitter.com/DukeEnergy
About Duke Energy
Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies
in the United States, supplies and
delivers electricity to approximately 7.4 million customers in the
Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately
24 million people. The company also distributes natural gas to more
than 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its commercial and international
businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable
energy portfolio.
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.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Media Line (24-hour): 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy