CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tropical Storm
Zeta's powerful winds raced through North
Carolina and South Carolina
today, cutting power to more than 500,000 Duke Energy customers at
the height of the storm – more than 10 percent of the company's
total customers in the two-state region.
More than 2,600 of Duke Energy's Carolinas-based repair workers
began what is expected to be a multi-day power restoration
process.
Duke Energy also is moving to the Carolinas more than 650 of its
Midwest- and Florida-based repair
workers to assist. In addition, the company has requested
supplemental repair crews from other electric utility companies
through the Southeastern Electric Exchange.
As of 5 p.m., 369,000 customers –
264,000 in North Carolina and
105,000 in South Carolina –
remained without power.
Duke Energy will provide estimated power restoration times for
specific counties – once those estimates have been determined – at
duke-energy.com/outages/current-outages.
Customers who are registered for Duke Energy text alerts will
receive a text once an estimated restoration time is established
for their location. (Sign up to receive outage alerts.)
In addition to making repairs, Duke Energy crews are surveying
the extent of damage to utility poles and power lines. Damage
assessment is an important part of the power restoration process as
it helps determine where the company will deploy its workers,
equipment and other resources.
"I want to thank our customers for their patience and
understanding as our crews work to safely restore power as quickly
as possible, while also adhering to COVID-related safe work
practices," said Jason Hollifield,
Duke Energy's Carolinas incident commander. "We know this is a
particularly difficult time for our customers to lose power, as
many are working from home and attending school remotely due to the
pandemic."
Hardest hit counties
North Carolina's hardest hit
counties include: Catawba,
Chatham, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Henderson, Iredell, Lincoln, Macon, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stokes, Swain, Transylvania, Vance and Yadkin.
South Carolina's hardest hit
counties include: Anderson,
Cherokee, Chesterfield, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and York.
Power restoration process
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. Click here for information on how Duke Energy restores
power.
How to report power outages
Customers who experience a power outage can report using any of
the following methods:
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile
device.
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app (download the Duke Energy App on
your smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play).
- Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may
apply).
- Call Duke Energy's automated outage-reporting system:
-
- Duke Energy Carolinas: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
- Duke Energy Progress: 800.419.6356
How to protect refrigerated food during power outages
For customers who lose power and have full refrigerators and
freezers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends
the following:
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible
to maintain the cold temperature.
- A refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours if it is
unopened. If the power will be out for more than four hours, use
coolers to keep refrigerated food cold.
- A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48
hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains
closed.
The FDA offers additional tips for proper food handling and
storage before, during and after a power outage at
www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-and-water-safety-during-power-outages-and-floods.
Important safety tips
Duke Energy encourages customers to have a plan in place if they
experience a power outage. Below are tips to help you and your
family stay safe.
- Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable
time later. The kit should include everything an individual or
family would need for at least two weeks, especially medicines,
water, non-perishable foods and other supplies that might be hard
to find after a storm strikes. Your emergency kit should also
include items that can help protect you and others from COVID-19,
such as hand sanitizer, bar or liquid soap, and face coverings
aligned with CDC guidance.
- Keep a portable radio or TV, or NOAA weather radio on hand to
monitor weather forecasts and important 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 portable chargers and
make sure they are fully charged as well.
- Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with
special needs – to a safe, alternative location in case an extended
power outage occurs or evacuation is required. When checking on
neighbors and friends, be sure to follow social distancing
recommendations (staying at least 6 feet from others) and other CDC
recommendations to protect yourself and others.
- 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.
- If you need to go to a disaster shelter, follow CDC
recommendations for staying safe and healthy in a public disaster
shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More tips on what to do before, during and after a storm can be
found at duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/storm-safety. A
checklist serves as a helpful guide, but it's critical before,
during and after a storm to follow the instructions and warnings of
emergency management officials in your area.
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 29,000
people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts
through its regulated utilities and 2,300 megawatts through its
nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-crews-restore-power-assess-damage-across-carolinas-following-fast-moving-tropical-storm-zeta-301163523.html
SOURCE Duke Energy