ST. PETERSBURG - With Florida in the path of Hurricane Isaias, Duke Energy Florida is preparing for potential power outages and is encouraging customers to do the same.
Hurricane Isaias is forecast to reach the Southeast coast of Florida on Saturday, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall and the potential for flooding. Duke Energy customers in central and eastern Florida may experience weather-related outages.
'We understand now more than ever that our customers are depending upon us to provide safe and reliable power,' said Jason Cutliffe, Duke Energy's storm director for Florida. 'With COVID-19, customers are spending more time at home and even brief outages can be concerning. Our team is ready to respond as quickly and safely as possible to minimize the effects to our customers. We'll also adjust our plans in the event the path of the storm shifts or changes.'
During non-pandemic times, restoring power after a storm can be difficult for utility repair crews, as travel and work conditions can be affected by high winds and widespread flooding. In addition to these concerns, Duke Energy's detailed storm response plan has incorporated CDC recommendations for COVID compliance and social distancing measures to help keep our customers and communities safe.
Crews are wearing face coverings when the job allows and have modified work practices to reduce interactions. Customers are asked to remain outside of marked work zones and refrain from approaching crews working to restore outages during storms.
Outage alerts, reporting power outages
Before the storm hits, customers can sign up to receive outage alerts and should make sure their contact information is up to date and select their communication preferences.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns a diverse generation mix of natural gas, coal and renewables, providing about 10,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.8 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. 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.
Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 'World's Most Admired Companies' list, and Forbes' 2019 'America's Best Employers' list. 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.
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DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION 
