Duke Energy announced on March 15 that it is preparing for strong winds and the possibility of tornado activity expected throughout Monday in the Carolinas, which could lead to downed trees and power lines.
The company said these weather conditions may cause power outages, and it is taking steps to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Rick Canavan, Duke Energy’s storm director, said, “Strong wind gusts can knock 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 are closely monitoring weather conditions and encourage customers to prepare now, stay alert to changing weather, and always avoid downed power lines.”
Duke Energy advised customers to make an emergency plan by charging phones, gathering flashlights with spare batteries, downloading or updating the Duke Energy app from Apple Store or Google Play, confirming account access information through ‘My Account’ or the mobile app, subscribing to outage alerts via text message, phone call or email, and knowing how to report an outage online or by calling 800.POWERON (800.769.3766).
The company emphasized safety during storms by urging people to stay away from downed power lines and storm debris. It also noted that recent upgrades—such as modernized poles and wires, undergrounding vulnerable lines, smart technology that can automatically reroute electricity—help reduce outages but do not eliminate them entirely. Restoration efforts may be delayed in some areas due to blocked roads or hazardous travel conditions. For safety reasons, crews do not perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds reach 30 mph or higher.
Duke Energy provides updates on current outages at duke-energy.com/OutageMap and offers storm tips at duke-energy.com/StormTips. The company serves about 8.6 million electric customers across several states including North Carolina and South Carolina from its headquarters in Charlotte.
Looking ahead, Duke Energy continues investing in grid improvements and cleaner energy sources while prioritizing reliability for its customers.
