Duke Energy restores power to nearly 90% of Carolinas customers who lost electricity due to Tropical Storm Zeta

Rhea-AI Summary

Duke Energy announced that as of 5 p.m. ET on October 31, 2020, it restored power to nearly 90% of over 500,000 customers affected by Tropical Storm Zeta in North and South Carolina. The company aims to restore power to the remaining 61,000 customers by 11 p.m. ET on Monday, with many being restored sooner. Nearly 6,500 workers are engaged in the restoration effort, which involves challenging repairs. Customers can report outages via multiple channels, including a mobile app and text messaging.

Positive

• Restored power to nearly 90% of affected customers.
• Expecting to complete restoration for remaining customers by Monday evening.
• Engaged nearly 6,500 workers for efficient repair efforts.

Negative

• Approximately 61,000 customers still without power post-storm.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy as of 5 p.m. ET today had restored power to nearly 90 percent of the company's more than 500,000 North Carolina and South Carolina customers who lost electricity Thursday at the height of Tropical Storm Zeta.

The company expects to restore power to almost all of the remaining 61,000 customers – 38,000 in North Carolina and 23,000 in South Carolina – by 11 p.m. ET Monday, though many will be restored sooner.

Duke Energy is providing storm information – including estimated power restoration times for specific counties – at https://www.dukeenergyupdates.com/zeta.

The company encourages customers who remain without power to check the online outage map (at link above) and enter an address to find the most up-to-date estimated restoration time for that location.

Nearly 6,500 workers are continuing to make repairs through the weekend.

Duke Energy crews based in the Carolinas, the Midwest and Florida are involved in the power restoration effort, as well as crews from other utility companies in the Southeast and Northeast.

"We greatly appreciate our customers' ongoing patience during this multi-day power restoration process," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's Carolinas incident commander. "Our crews are entering the final phase of restoration, which includes some of the most challenging and lengthy repairs to replace broken utility poles and restring power lines in hard-to-access and often remote areas."

A small number of additional power outages are possible Sunday in the Carolinas as high winds associated with an unrelated weather system move through the region, Hollifield said.

Hardest hit counties

North Carolina's hardest hit counties included: Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Henderson, Iredell, Lincoln, Macon, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stokes, Swain, Transylvania, Vance and Yadkin.

South Carolina's hardest hit counties included: Anderson, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and York.

Power restoration process

Duke Energy focuses on safely restoring power in a sequence that enables power restoration to public health and safety facilities, and to the greatest number of customers, as quickly as possible. Click here for information on how Duke Energy restores power.

Avoid fallen power lines

The company reminds the public to stay away from fallen or damaged power lines – as they might still be energized and dangerous. Citizens should report downed power lines to Duke Energy immediately. Click here for a video demonstration and to read more about safety around power lines.

Report power outages

Customers who experience a power outage can report using any of the following methods:

• Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
• Use the Duke Energy mobile app (download the Duke Energy App on your smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play).
• Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
• Call Duke Energy's automated outage-reporting system:
• Duke Energy Carolinas: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
• Duke Energy Progress: 800.419.6356 

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 29,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities and 2,300 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Media contact: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy

FAQ

What percentage of customers has Duke Energy restored power to after Tropical Storm Zeta?

Duke Energy has restored power to nearly 90% of over 500,000 customers.

How many customers in North and South Carolina are still without power after the storm?

Approximately 61,000 customers remain without power.

When does Duke Energy expect to restore power to all customers affected by Tropical Storm Zeta?

Duke Energy expects to restore power to almost all remaining customers by 11 p.m. ET on Monday.

How many workers are involved in the power restoration effort by Duke Energy?

Nearly 6,500 workers are engaged in the power restoration process.

Where can customers report power outages to Duke Energy?

Customers can report outages via the Duke Energy website, mobile app, or by texting OUT to 57801.