Duke Energy is closely watching weather forecasts as severe weather is expected to hit its service areas in Indiana today. With the potential for damaging winds and flooding, the company is urging customers to stay prepared.
"A critical part of being safe in severe weather is being prepared," stated Clint Carnahan, the company's general manager of emergency preparedness. "We do regular storm planning throughout the year, and we want our customers to be prepared as well so they can react quickly during a storm."
To prepare, Duke Energy advises residents to ensure mobile phones are charged and have supplies of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, nonperishable foods, and medications available. The company also suggests making arrangements for those with special needs or who use electric-powered life support equipment, in case of an extended power outage.
Customers who face outages can report them by texting "OUT" to 57801, using the Duke Energy mobile app, visiting duke-energy.com/outages, or calling 800.POWERON (800.343.3525). Updates on restoration efforts are available through Outage Alerts, and the interactive outage map on Duke Energy's website provides detailed outage and restoration information.
For safety, Duke Energy warns against staying near downed electrical lines and advises not to replace fuses or touch circuit breakers with wet hands or on damp surfaces. Additional safety tips before, during, and after a storm are available on the company's website.
Duke Energy Indiana provides about 6,300 megawatts of electric capacity to approximately 910,000 customers across 23,000 square miles, making it the largest electric supplier in Indiana. Parent company Duke Energy, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, serves millions of customers across six states and is investing in major grid upgrades and cleaner energy solutions.
Further information can be found at duke-energy.com and Duke Energy News Center.