Duke Energy prepares for severe weather; urges customers to prepare

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is preparing for potential severe weather expected to bring high winds and heavy rain to portions of the Carolinas Wednesday.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20040414/DUKEENERGYLOGO )

Crews across the Carolinas are preparing vehicles and materials to respond to outages that may occur as a result of the storm. Additional resources from within the Duke Energy system are also available to assist local crews as needed.

If the power goes out
The fastest way to report an outage is to call our automated outage-reporting system:

Duke Energy Carolinas customers: 800-769-3766 (800-POWERON)
Progress Energy Carolinas customers: 800-419-6356

Customers may also report outages online using their smart phone. Progress Energy Carolinas customers must register their account prior to the storm in order to report outages online or from a mobile device.

During and immediately following larger storms, restoration times may be difficult to predict. Duke Energy encourages customers in affected areas to be prepared if an outage occurs. Customers with special needs who experience an outage should be prepared to seek alternate shelter until service is restored.

Safety
Duke Energy advises customers to take the following precautions:

• Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy and your local police department. 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.
• Never use a generator indoors. Always follow manufacturer instructions.
• Charge mobile phones in advance of the storm.
• Keep at least one battery-powered flashlight where it can be located easily in the dark. Listen for storm information on a battery-powered radio. Keep an extra supply of fresh batteries.
• Make sure any indoor heaters, such as wood stoves or kerosene heaters have adequate ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Likewise, make sure the flue of your fireplace is working properly. Never use outdoor grills in the house.

Stay ahead of the storm with information from our storm site
Customers can track outages and see other storm information on our website:

• Duke Energy Carolinas:  www.duke-energy.com 
• Progress Energy Carolinas:  www.progress-energy.com/storm

Duke Energy utilities also uses social media channels to keep customers informed should significant outages occur as a result of the storm:

• Duke Energy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DukeEnergyStorm
• Duke Energy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DukeEnergyStorm
• Progress Energy Carolinas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ProgEnergyNC_SC
• Progress Energy Carolinas on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgressEnergyCarolinas

Restoring power
After severe weather, Duke Energy takes specific steps to restore power. Crews first assess damage and determine what 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 responders have priority.

About Duke Energy
Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with more than $100 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.1 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and  Midwest. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com. 

SOURCE Duke Energy