Duke Energy urges Carolinas customers to prepare for powerful Hurricane Dorian

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today urged North Carolina and South Carolina customers to monitor and prepare for Hurricane Dorian – now a category 5 storm currently expected to impact the region Wednesday through Friday.

"Hurricane Dorian is bringing strong winds and heavy rains that could result in downed power lines and significant outages," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's incident commander for the Carolinas. "Our line technicians, call center reps and other personnel are gearing up to respond, and we encourage our customers to prepare as well."

(Video of Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy incident commander for the Carolinas, discussing storm – https://www.dukeenergyupdates.com/)

Duke Energy crews are ready to respond as soon as the storm passes through the region and line technicians and other workers can safely begin repairs to restore electricity.

Restoring power after a storm can be extremely challenging for utility repair crews, as travel and work conditions can be impacted by high winds and widespread flooding – making repair work lengthy and difficult.

As part of power restoration, Duke Energy teams first must assess the extent of damage – which can take 24 hours or more – to determine which crews, equipment and supplies will be needed before repairs can begin.

In advance of the hurricane, customers should stay tuned to local news for the latest advisories from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, as well as state and local emergency management officials.

For a hurricane kit checklist and important safety information, visit www.ready.gov.

Tips on what to do before, during and after a storm can be found at duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/storm-safety.

Duke Energy also urges customers to follow instructions and warnings issued by local emergency management officials before, during and after a storm.

Safety recommendations

• Stay away from fallen or sagging power lines, and keep children and pets away from power lines as well. Consider all power lines – as well as trees, limbs or anything in contact with power lines – energized and dangerous.
• Report all power line hazards using the following phone numbers:
• 800-769-3766 for Duke Energy Carolinas customers.
  800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress customers.
• 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.
• Click here for a video demonstration and to read more about safety around power lines.
• In advance of a storm, 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 and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm strikes.
• Review insurance policies, and include extra copies of the policies and other important documents in your emergency supply kit (ideally in a waterproof container).
• Maintain a supply of water and nonperishable food.
• Keep a portable radio or TV, or a 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 the storm 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.
• Pet owners can make arrangements to stay at evacuation shelters that accept pets, or at pet-friendly hotels or friends' or family members' homes.

How to report power outages

Before the storm hits, customers should note how to report power outages. Customers who experience an outage during the storm can report it by:

• Visiting duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device
• Texting OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply)
• Calling the automated outage-reporting system at 800-769-3766 for Duke Energy Carolinas customers and 800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress customers.

For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy).

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Duke Energy