Duke Energy's Hurricane Helene recovery restores power to more than 1.1 million in South and North Carolina; downed trees, blocked roadways, damaged and destroyed power equipment impeding efforts in the S.C. Upstate region and N.C. mountains
Duke Energy's Hurricane Helene recovery restores power to more than 1.1 million in South and North Carolina; downed trees, blocked roadways, damaged and destroyed power equipment impeding efforts in the S.C. Upstate region and N.C. mountains |
[29-September-2024] |
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy restored power to more than 1.1 million Carolinas customers impacted by Helene, less than 48 hours after the storm devastated parts of the region. About 904,000 customers – 508,000 in South Carolina and 396,000 in North Carolina – remain without power. Nearly all these outages are in the western portions of each state. Nearly all customers outside of upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina should have power restored at some point today. Restoring service to the majority customers in the upstate of South Carolina and the North Carolina mountains is expected by Friday, except for areas that are inaccessible, are dependent on infrastructure that has been destroyed or are unable to receive service. As crews continue to assess the situation, updates will be provided to customers regarding the status of their power restoration. These are continually updated and can be found on Duke Energy's Outage Maps tool. Customers also can enroll in Outage Alerts to get information about area outages and restoration efforts via text message, voice message or email. "Based on what we can see on the ground, from helicopter and by drone, there are lots of areas across the South Carolina Upstate and North Carolina mountains where we're going to have to completely rebuild parts of our system, not just repair it," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy storm director for the Carolinas. "And there are stretches of damage that we still can't even assess due to mudslides, flooding and blocked roads. "Our teams of lineworkers and other storm responders will continue to work with local and state officials to gain access to the hardest-hit areas so we can do what our customers and communities expect from us – safely and swiftly get their power up and running." Workforce and restoration updates As of 6 p.m. Sunday, Duke Energy has restored power to more than 1.1 million Carolinas customers impacted by Helene. This includes more than almost 328,000 in South Carolina and 803,000 customers in North Carolina. Approximately 904,000 customers – 508,000 in South Carolina and 396,000 in North Carolina – remain without power. Nearly all these outages are in the western portions of each state. South Carolina restoration updates Duke Energy continues working with state local officials to reach areas where accessibility has been a challenge. Crews are using every resource available – including helicopters, drones and track vehicles – to assess damages and continue restoration. Grid integrity remained stable throughout the storm, so Duke Energy is ready to continue bringing power back on quickly as damaged and destroyed transmission infrastructure is repaired and restored. North Carolina restoration updates Duke Energy is maintaining its focus on restoring power in a sequence that enables power restoration to public health and safety facilities and to the greatest number of customers as safely and quickly as possible. Crews worked in partnership with local and state emergency response agencies to assess damage and restore power to Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C. The company serves more than 4.5 million customers in the Carolinas, including 3.7 million in North Carolina and 835,500 in South Carolina. Limited access to extensive damage Power restoration work in the hardest-hit areas is projected to take several days or longer. Many areas in communities without power remain inaccessible to utility crews due to closed or blocked roadways, downed trees and mudslides. Power restoration process There may be times workers must temporarily deenergize power lines during the repair process in order to get all customers in an area restored. Visit duke-energy.com/Outages/Restoring-Your-Power to learn more about how Duke Energy restores power after major storms. Flood and meter box damage A property owner with a damaged meter box or one that is pulled away from the structure will need to enlist an electrician to reattach the meter box and/or provide a permanent fix. This is inclusive of customers currently with and without power. 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. Generator safety Catawba-Wateree River Basin update Duke Energy will continue to carefully control flows through our river basins over the next several days. Lake levels will be adjusted lower during this time as they move toward normal lake level targets. Duke Energy 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: 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energys-hurricane-helene-recovery-restores-power-to-more-than-1-1-million-in-south-and-north-carolina-downed-trees-blocked-roadways-damaged-and-destroyed-power-equipment-impeding-efforts-in-the-sc-upstate-region-and-nc-302261927.html SOURCE Duke Energy | ||
Company Codes: NYSE:DUK |