Duke Energy crews in OH/KY restore power overnight to more than 60,000 customers from impacts of Hurricane Helene

• Customers can stay informed by texting REG to 57801

CINCINNATI, OH. - Duke Energy has restored power to more than 60,000 customers who were affected by the high winds that moved through the Greater Cincinnati area Friday, causing more than 140,000 power outages. Approximately 71,000 remain out of service as of 9 AM.

The storm initially caused outages in seventeen counties due to the high winds ranging between 50-70 miles per hour.

As workers continue performing damage assessments, Duke Energy plans to communicate additional information regarding restoration times to customers through Outage Alerts and the Outage Map.

Crews have been making repairs while assessment is still underway to determine the full scope of damage. Duke Energy will provide estimated power restoration times once there is more information from damage assessment. Extended outages are possible, however, in the hardest hit areas. The company is responding to broken poles, trees in power lines and spans of wire down. Duke is also bringing off system resources - over 400 personnel - to support our restoration efforts.

"This was a significant storm event that affected much of the Eastern United States and our area of the Midwest. We are moving personnel and resources to the areas of our service territory in Ohio and Kentucky that have seen the greatest impacts from Hurricane Helene," said Duke Energy OH/KY President Amy Spiller.

"Our top priority is always to restore service safely and rapidly, and we appreciate our customers' patience while we respond to a rapidly-evolving situation. This has been a particularly challenging storm for national and global forecasts to predict. We now have a full complement of crews out in the field that are working tirelessly to restore power."

Power restoration process

During power restoration, the company's priority is to repair large power lines and other infrastructure that will return power to the greatest number of customers as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible. Crews then can work on repairs affecting individual neighborhoods and homes. Click here for information on how Duke Energy restores power.

How to report power outages

Customers who experience a power outage can report using any of the following methods:

• Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
  
• Use the Duke Energy mobile app (download the Duke Energy App on your smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play).
  
• Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
  
• Call Duke Energy's automated outage reporting system at 1.800.343.3525.

Customers can receive text, phone or email alerts with power outage updates. Learn how to sign up at outage alerts. Customers can stay informed by texting REG to 57801.

Important safety tips

Duke Energy urges customers to avoid all downed power lines and assume they are energized. Downed lines should be reported to Duke Energy at 800.228.8485.

If a power line falls across a vehicle that you're in, stay in the vehicle. If you MUST get out of the vehicle due to an immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the vehicle and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the vehicle when your feet touch the ground.

More tips on what to do before, during and after a storm can be found at duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/storm-safety.

Duke Energy OH/KY

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 900,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 550,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Contact: John Juech
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @John_Juech

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