-Information courtesy Tanya Evans, District Manager, Duke Energy
Based on NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft observations, Hurricane Florence is now a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. Further intensification will occur over the next 24-36 hours and the forecast calls for Florence to remain a category 4 hurricane until landfall. We anticipate significant widespread outages from a storm of this magnitude based on current projected tracks. Historical data and our company experience show that complete restoration from a major hurricane could take multiple days to several weeks depending on the extent of the actual damage, resources available and conditions following the storm such as flooding.
Speaking of resources, Duke Energy has a detailed storm response plan, which is based on information from our meteorologist, and power restoration crews are now preparing to travel. We are also procuring materials and supplies and staffing plans are underway. Additionally, each power plant has a storm prep checklist that helps ensure we take the appropriate protective actions. At our coal ash plants, we have already been taking steps to prepare our ash basin and cooling pond sites for Hurricane Florence.
As we review our plan and safety protocols, it’s important to note that our crews cannot restore power in bucket trucks during high winds. Heavy rains could lead to flooding which further impacts damage assessment and restoration. Duke Energy is encouraging customers to be prepared for multi-day outages as Hurricane Florence rapidly intensifies and pushes towards the North Carolina coast.
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and long-term care businesses should be prepared with their own, individual facility emergency plans and to take the necessary actions to ensure the safety of their patients in the event that they are without power. Again, if the forecast holds true, this will likely be a multi-day – possibly multi-week – restoration effort, and we will not be able to include them in a priority restoration plan.
We have several options for our customers to stay informed and report an outage:
* Access outage maps online at www.duke-energy.com/outages
* Customers can text OUT to 58801 to report an outage from their mobile phone. Be sure to use the mobile phone associated with your account.
* 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 (www.facebook.com/duke.energy).