Company estimates 95 percent of outages will be restored by midnight Monday
CINCINNATI, OH. – Duke Energy is urging Ohio and Kentucky customers to be prepared for a multi-day power restoration effort in the wake of Friday’s violent weather. While crews have made significant progress assessing storm damage and restoring service, the hardest repair work lies ahead.
“Friday’s violent storms caused extensive damage to the power delivery system downing trees, power lines and utility poles,” said Jim Stanley, Duke Energy’s senior vice president of power delivery. “The vast majority of the outages are in small isolated pockets. In some cases, crews are moving from house to house to restore customers, and that will take time. All available personnel are working to get the power back on as quickly and safely as possible.”
In addition field teams have been called in from Duke Energy’s Carolinas service area and other utilities to assist in restoring its Midwest customers.
The company estimates that approximately 95 percent of the outages will be restored by midnight Monday. The remaining customers should have electric service restored by midnight Tuesday. Storm restoration efforts in the company’s Indiana service territory, which was not as hard hit, will be completed by midnight Sunday.
Estimated times of restoration indicate when the majority of outages in specific locations are anticipated to be restored. Many customers will be back in service sooner than the estimated times. There also may be scattered, isolated outages remaining beyond these times depending on the nature of the damage.
As of 2:30 p.m., approximately 60,000 customers remained without power in the company’s Ohio and Kentucky service area, down from a peak of 178,000 outages shortly after the Friday storms. Approximately 1,000 of those outages remain in Kentucky.
For area-specific outage information in Ohio and Kentucky, visit http://www.duke-energy.com/ohio/outages/current.asp.
Additional storm-related information and restoration updates can also be accessed online at: http://www.duke-energy.com, via Twitter at http://twitter.com/DukeEnergyStorm and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DukeEnergyStorm.
Safety remains critically important during restoration efforts
• Please slow down or move over if you see Duke Energy crews or emergency management crews working along the side the road. You can help make sure the folks working to restore power finish the job and get home to their families safely.
• Avoid downed power lines. They should be considered energized and dangerous.
The quickest way for customers in Ohio and Kentucky to report power outages or check on the estimated time of restoration for their area is by calling 1-800-543-5599. Outages reported on this line are routed automatically to those responsible for responding to them.
Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky’s operations provide electric service to approximately 830,000 customers and natural gas service to approximately 500,000 customers.
Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., its regulated utility operations serve 4 million electric customers in the Carolinas, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and a half-million natural gas customers in Ohio and Kentucky. It’s Commercial Power and International Energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States. A Fortune 500 company, Duke Energy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information is available at: www.duke-energy.com.
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