CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is moving additional crews to the hardest hit areas as ice and high winds roll through its Carolinas service territory.
The company has been preparing its response since early this week to ensure employees and contractors could begin restoration work as soon as the outages started to occur.
For the most up-to-date information, Duke Energy offers a map online at www.duke-energy.com/storm that includes the number of outages across the state, estimate times of restoration and crew status, if available.
Updates are also provided on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DukeEnergyStorm and www.facebook.com/DukeEnergyStorm.
Crews are leaving this morning from locations mostly unaffected by the storm to help out in areas with widespread outages, including Greensboro, Burlington, High Point, Chapel Hill, Sanford, Lewisville, Durham, Henderson County and Kernersville.
"We have seen outages in the Carolinas due to freezing rain and ice in the early morning," said Jeff Corbett, senior vice president of Duke Energy's Carolinas Delivery Operations. "We'd like to thank our customers in advance for their patience as we work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power."
Duke Energy urges customers to be prepared:
- Check your supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods, medicines, etc.
- Ensure a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or NOAA weather radio is on hand.
- Do not attempt to heat your home with a gas grill or by bringing a generator inside. Only operate such equipment outdoors in well-ventilated areas. Follow manufacturer instructions.
- Check on family members, friends and neighbors who have special medical needs or who are elderly to ensure they have necessary emergency supplies. Encourage them to determine now what action they would take in the event of an extended power outage.
Customers who experience an outage should call Duke Energy's automated outage-reporting systems for their respective utility:
- Duke Energy Carolinas: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
- Duke Energy Progress: 1-800-419-6356
Customers may also report an outage or view current outages online at www.duke-energy.com/storms.
Safety
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. 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.
Restoring power
Restoring power after an ice storm can be challenging as travel conditions are poor. Before power can be restored, 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 is restored as quickly as possible. Essential services such as hospitals and emergency responders have priority.
If you lose power, please turn off as many appliances and electronics as possible. This will help with restoration efforts as it will reduce the immediate demand on the power lines when power is restored.
Once your power is restored, wait a few minutes before turning your equipment back on.
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.
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SOURCE Duke Energy