ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall, Duke Energy Florida says it will release estimated restoration times for all customers affected by the storm on the afternoon of Friday, October 11th.

“We know that Floridians affected by Hurricane Milton are eager to begin the recovery process,” said Todd Fountain, storm director for Duke Energy Florida. “We are working tirelessly to assess the damage caused by this storm and confirm estimated recovery times as quickly as possible. Therefore, we hope that providing this information and communicating regularly with our customers will enable them to plan accordingly.”

Duke Energy is focused on restoring power as safely and quickly as possible, in a sequence that starts with public health and safety while considering how to reach the greatest number of customers. It is important to note that customers who have experienced extensive damage or flooding may require additional time to recover and some should be prepared for extended outages. Updates will be communicated to customers as soon as possible.

Flooding and damage to meter box

For customers whose home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot restore power until the electrical system is inspected by a licensed electrician. In the event of damage, an electrician must carry out repairs and obtain confirmation from the local building control authority before power can be restored.

If the meter box is unplugged from a customer's home or RV service pole and power is not received, the homeowner is responsible for contacting an electrician to reattach the meter box and/or provide a permanent repair. In some cases, the county may require an electrical inspection before Duke Energy can resume operations. An electrician can advise customers on next steps.

Downed power lines are dangerous

Duke Energy reminds customers and the public to stay away from downed or sagging power lines and to remember that all power lines – as well as trees, branches or anything in contact with power lines – are energized and dangerous.

If a power line falls over your vehicle, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediately life-threatening situation, try jumping away from the car and landing on both feet. Be careful not to let any part of your body touch the car when your feet touch the ground.

Customers using generators

If you are using a generator at home to provide electricity until your power is restored, please be aware of utility employees and turn off the generator if employees are near you. The electrical load on the power lines can be dangerous for repair work. The excess electricity produced by a generator can be traced back to the power lines and could seriously injure a lineman who may be working on a power line believing it to be de-energized.

Power outages can be reported in the following ways:

• Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop or mobile device.
  
• Use the Duke Energy mobile app (download from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play).
  
• Text 57801 (standard text and data rates may apply).
  
• Call the Automatic Outage Notification System at 800.228.8485.

Customers who are unable to receive power due to damage to the meter base, fuse box or customer's own electrical wiring should contact their local municipality for assistance. Inspections may be required after repairs are completed.

For the most up-to-date information on power outages, visit Duke Energy's outage map or by registering for outage alerts.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity and provides power to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000 square mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky and have a combined energy capacity of 54,800 megawatts. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is leading an ambitious transition to clean energy, emphasizing reliability, affordability and accessibility as the company works toward achieving 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 power generation, including expanded energy storage, renewable energy, natural gas and nuclear power.

For more information, visit 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 driving our energy transition.

Contact: Ana Gibbs
24 hours: 800.559.3853