ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida is making substantial progress in Pinellas County's barrier islands, nearing 100% restoration in several communities post-Hurricane Helene. In the remaining barrier island communities, as well as on the mainland, the company is on track to meet or exceed estimated times of restoration – 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 for most and 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 for some – meaning restoration of storm-related outages for those who are capable of receiving power is nearly complete. 

Editor's note: Visit the Duke Energy News Center for storm director videos, downloadable B-roll and high-resolution images.

Editor's note: Visit the Duke Energy News Center for storm director videos, downloadable B-roll and high-resolution images.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 21,000 workers continue to make progress restoring power to Duke Energy customers in western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina following Helene's catastrophic damage, though major challenges remain.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida is here to help customers impacted by Hurricane Helene, offering a variety of resources and information in order to support the recovery process.

The company also continues with power restoration in areas hardest hit by the storm, including Pinellas County's barrier islands. Established estimated times of restoration – 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 for most and 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 for some – are still on track to be met. Customers can visit dukeenergyupdates.com/BarrierIslands for updates. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New b-roll and photos of Duke Energy's Helene response are now available. Visit the Duke Energy News Center for downloadable B-roll and high-resolution images.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida has issued estimated times of restoration for Pinellas County's barrier islands following Hurricane Helene. All customers in these communities who are capable of receiving power will be restored by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, with the majority restored by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4. (Click here for video footage of restoration efforts.)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Foundation announced $350,000 in donations to statewide and local nonprofit organizations that serve areas impacted by Hurricane Helene.

In collaboration with local leaders, organizations were identified that can get supplies and support to those who need it most.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy's round-the-clock power restoration efforts continue following the historic damage caused by Helene in the Carolinas. Lineworkers – with the support of tree trimmers, state department of transportation workers and countless others – continue to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers each day.

"We've never seen such widespread devastation and destruction as we're seeing in this region," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy storm director for the Carolinas. "We appreciate our local and state government partners continued help in getting us access to the hard-hit areas so we can make repairs where possible.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida continues with power restoration in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, including Madison, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

In Madison County, significant damage to the company's electrical infrastructure was caused by falling branches and downed trees. Currently, there are approximately 750 customers without power, while over 8,700 have been restored.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy workers are navigating unprecedented destruction and challenging conditions in the Upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina communities devastated by Helene.

"We're beyond grateful to the state and local government workers who have been on the job 24/7 to clear debris, reopen roadways and help those whose lives have been changed forever by this storm," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's storm director in the Carolinas. "Our thousands of lineworkers and other storm workers are gaining better access to the destruction – allowing them to remove trees, broken poles and downed power lines, log each piece of damaged electrical equipment and begin repairing and rebuilding major portions of the power grid that were simply wiped away."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, Duke Energy Florida restored power for 95% of customers across the state, meaning those who were able to receive power were restored within 72 hours of Hurricane Helene's Category 4 landfall. Crews will continue with restoration efforts in the areas hardest hit by the storm.  

"We understand power is an essential service, and that's why our crews have been working tirelessly to get the lights back on for our customers as quickly and safely as possible," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "It may take longer for customers who suffered extensive damage, but in the meantime, we will be on the ground and regularly communicating updates, helping ensure they can plan accordingly and ultimately get back on their feet."

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, Duke Energy Foundation announces a $1 million commitment to nonprofits providing vital assistance to affected communities across the Southeast.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy restored power to more than 1.1 million Carolinas customers impacted by Helene, less than 48 hours after the storm devastated parts of the region. About 904,000 customers – 508,000 in South Carolina and 396,000 in North Carolina – remain without power. Nearly all these outages are in the western portions of each state.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of 3 p.m. ET today, Duke Energy Florida's crews restored power for 687,000 customers, while 73,000 continue to experience outages as a result of Hurricane Helene.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of 5 p.m. ET today, Duke Energy Florida's crews restored power for over 600,000 customers, while nearly 150,000 continue to experience outages as a result of Hurricane Helene.

Our workforce is more than 8,000 strong, with many working through the night to get everyone's power back on. (Click here and here for aerial saw video.)

Editor's note: B-roll of flooding in Asheville is available on the Duke Energy News Center.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy workers have labored through record flooding, road closures, storm debris and more over the past 24 hours to restore power to 723,000 customers in the Carolinas.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of 5 p.m. ET today, Duke Energy Florida's crews restored power for over 407,000 customers, while nearly 285,000 continue to experience outages as a result of the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.

With 8,000 personnel, and many working through the night, the company has also established estimated times of restoration for Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas and Sumter. Approximately 95% of these customers are expected to be restored by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 29, and some customers will be restored earlier.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy lineworkers, tree trimmers and other storm support workers have begun to assess damage and restore power following Helene's historic destruction in the Carolinas. Wind damage, flooding, adverse road conditions and power outages are particularly widespread across the western portions of North Carolina and South Carolina.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida is continuing with power restoration following Hurricane Helene's landfall. As of 7:30 a.m., the company's 8,000 workers have restored power for nearly 198,000 customers, while over 402,000 are still experiencing outages.   

"Our crews worked through the night to assess the immense damage caused by Hurricane Helene and get the lights back on where conditions allowed," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We've made significant progress over the last 24 hours, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. We thank our customers for their patience, support and ongoing commitment to safety."

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Helene's projected rainfall in the Carolinas has increased significantly, raising concerns about potential flooding, particularly along the Catawba-Wateree River Basin.