Duke Energy has successfully restored power to over 41,000 customers following severe storms that swept through southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky. The storms, which hit last night, resulted in more than 48,000 power outages across the region. As of 10:15 a.m. ET, approximately 7,000 customers were still without power.
The restoration efforts involved power line technicians, tree trimmers, damage assessors, and other support personnel who have been assessing damage and working on restoring outages. Wind gusts reached up to 65 miles per hour in some areas, causing significant damage to trees, power lines, and poles.
Estimated restoration times will be posted on Duke Energy's website once they are determined for specific areas. Customers registered for Duke Energy text outage alerts will receive notifications when an estimated restoration time is available for their location.
Clint Carnahan, general manager of emergency preparedness at Duke Energy stated: “I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as our crews work quickly and safely to restore power.”
During the restoration process, Duke Energy prioritizes repairing large power lines and infrastructure that can return service to the most customers efficiently. Essential services such as hospitals and water facilities are also prioritized before crews address individual neighborhoods and homes.
Customers experiencing a power outage can report it via several methods: visiting duke-energy.com on a computer or mobile device; using the Duke Energy mobile app; texting OUT to 57801; or calling Duke Energy’s automated outage reporting system at 1.800.343.3525.
Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky serves electric service to 910,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers within a 3,000-square-mile area in Ohio and Kentucky. It also provides natural gas service to 560,000 customers in a similar region.
Duke Energy is one of America's largest energy holding companies with its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., serving millions of electric utility customers across several states including North Carolina and Florida among others. The company is focused on transitioning towards cleaner energy while maintaining customer reliability through investments in grid upgrades and renewable energy sources.
For more information about Duke Energy's services or storm safety tips visit their official website or follow them on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.