Peter Schorsch
Duke Energy has mobilized more than 5,000 responders in preparation for widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Idalia.
The storm is projected to make landfall somewhere in the Big Bend area of the state late Tuesday or early Wednesday as a major hurricane.
Tropical storm-force winds will be felt for miles outside of the eye wall, forecasters predict.
“Duke Energy crews and additional workers from across the country are staged throughout Florida’s service territory,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “We appreciate the assistance from our contractor partners who will help speed power restoration, as soon as weather conditions safely allow.”
Line crews are staged in large numbers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and at The Villages just south of Ocala, the company said Tuesday afternoon.
Duke Energy will prioritize repairs to large power lines and other infrastructure that will return power to the greatest number of customers safely and efficiently, as soon as possible. The company expects to begin working immediately after the storm has passed, but reminds customers that restoration efficiency improves as damage assessment information becomes available in order to ensure the right workers and materials are dispatched to outage areas.
Customers can expect estimated power restoration times once damage assessments are complete and will provide regular updates to customers via email, text, phone calls, social media and its website.
Customers can also utilize Duke Energy’s outage map to view up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number and estimated times of recovery.
Customers can report outages to Duke Energy on its website from a computer or mobile device, or on the company’s mobile app. Customers may also text OUT to 57801 or call 1-800-228-8485.
The company also suggests customers sign up for the Duke Energy Outage Alerts and ensure all contact information is accurate and up to date by using the Manage Alerts link on the Outage Alerts page.
While Duke will work to restore power as quickly as possible to those who lose service during the storm, the company is also emphasizing safety.
Customers should ensure they have an adequate supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, nonperishable foods, medicines and other necessities such as a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or weather radio.
In the event of a power outage, customers who rely on medical equipment should have a power backup system, an action plan to get to the nearest medical facility if necessary, or make arrangements to stay at a shelter or other location that may not be affected by loss of power.
Individuals should stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging and consider all lines energized, as well as trees or limbs touching the line.
The company asks individuals to report down lines to 1-800-228-8485 or contact the local emergency services department.
In the event a power line falls across an occupant’s car, the individual should stay in the car. If they must exit the vehicle due to fire or other life-threatening situation, make every effort to jump clear of the car and ensure no part of the body is touching the car when feet land on the ground.
