Staff Reports
Duke Energy is preparing for Tropical Storm Idalia’s arrival in the Tampa Bay region, mobilizing about 4,500 power pros, including line technicians, vegetation workers, damage assessors and support personnel to the area.
Idalia is currently expected to make landfall north of Tampa Bay sometime early Wednesday, and the utility company said it was closely monitoring the storm’s track.
“Duke Energy is actively monitoring Idalia’s path, intensity and timing, and staging resources in safe locations to respond to outages as soon as it’s safe to do so,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “As we prepare to respond, it’s important our customers take this storm seriously and ensure their homes and families are prepared.”
Duke recommends customers build a hurricane kit (the Florida Division of Emergency Management has a checklist for those who need it) and make alternative shelter plans, if needed. Customers who rely on medical equipment should have a backup power source and a plan in place to get to a medical facility in the event of a prolonged outage.
The company is also urging customers to steer clear of any downed or sagging power lines. If a line falls across a car you’re in. If you must get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
After the storm passes, Duke said it will prioritize repairs to larger power lines that will restore power to the greatest number of customers. The company maintains an interactive outage map and will also provide regular updates to customers and communities through emails, text messages, outbound phone calls and social media.
