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.

It is important to note, however, that adverse weather conditions continue to impede restoration in the impacted areas. Moreover, customers who experienced extensive damage or flooding may require additional time for restoration and some should be prepared for extended outages. Updates will be communicated to customers as soon as possible.

"Several areas of the state were severely devastated by this storm, so it's safe to say power restoration is going to be a multi-day event. Even as flooding recedes, the debris left behind is also proving to be a significant challenge," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We appreciate our customers' patience and thank our emergency management officials and first responders for all their hard work."

Flood and meter box damage 

For customers whose home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make repairs and obtain verification from the local building inspection authority before power can be restored.

If the meter box is pulled away from a customer's house or mobile home service pole and power is not being received, the homeowner is responsible for contacting an electrician to reattach the meter box and/or provide a permanent fix. In some instances, an electrical inspection may be required by the county before Duke Energy can reconnect service. An electrician can advise customers on next steps.

Downed power lines are hazardous 

Duke Energy reminds customers and the public to stay away from downed power lines that have fallen or are sagging, and to consider all power lines – and trees, limbs or anything in contact with power lines – energized and dangerous.

If a power line falls across a vehicle you are in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, try 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.

Customers using generators

If you use a generator at home to provide power until your service is restored, please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be dangerous for crews making repairs. The excess electricity created by a generator can feed back onto the electric lines, severely injuring a line technician who might be working on a power line, believing it to be de-energized.

Outages can be reported online, through the Duke Energy mobile app or by calling 800.228.8485.

The most up-to-date information about restoration efforts can be accessed by enrolling in Outage Alerts.

For more information and resources, please visit dukeenergyupdates.com/Florida.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. 

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition. 

Contact: Ana Gibbs

24-Hour: 800.559.3853 

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SOURCE Duke Energy