Duke Energy announced on March 15 that it is preparing for damaging high winds and possible tornadic activity expected throughout Monday in the Carolinas, warning of an increased risk of downed trees and power lines.
The company said these weather conditions could lead to power outages and urged customers to take precautions. Duke Energy storm director Rick Canavan said, “Strong wind gusts can bring down trees and power lines and cause outages, and our line and tree crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service as outages occur.” He added, “We’re closely monitoring weather conditions, and we encourage customers to prepare now, stay weather‑aware, and always avoid downed power lines.”
Duke Energy advised customers to make a plan by charging phones, gathering flashlights with extra batteries, downloading or updating the Duke Energy app, confirming account login information, signing up for outage alerts, and knowing how to report an outage. The company also reminded residents to prioritize safety by staying away from downed power lines or storm debris and using generators properly.
The utility highlighted recent grid improvements such as upgraded poles and wires, undergrounding outage-prone lines, and adding smart technology that can reroute power automatically. Despite these upgrades, Duke Energy cautioned that severe weather may still cause extended outages. Restoration efforts may be delayed in some areas due to blocked roads or hazardous travel conditions. For safety reasons, crews cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds reach 30 miles per hour or higher.
Duke Energy serves 8.6 million electric customers across six states including North Carolina and South Carolina. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades along with cleaner energy generation sources such as natural gas, nuclear energy, renewables, and energy storage.
Customers seeking more information can visit duke-energy.com or follow the company’s social media channels for updates.
