Duke Energy Ohio Continues to Make Progress in Electric Service Restoration Efforts

Duke Energy continues to make steady progress in restoring power to Ohio and Kentucky customers following significant icing on power lines, trees and highways from a winter storm that struck the region on Tuesday.

As of 5:30 p.m. today, Duke Energy reported 29,242 outages remaining in its Ohio and Kentucky service area, down from a peak of 49,498 outages reported at 10 a.m. today.

The counties in Ohio and Kentucky with the greatest number of outages are:

* Clermont County, OH
* Kenton County, KY
* Hamilton County, OH

A total of 800 field crew members from Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina are assisting with restoration to the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana outages, which includes more than 150 crew members from other utilities. These field crews are working to restore power in a safe and efficient manner. In total, Duke Energy has about 2,500 field crew members working in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana in response to the storm.

“Our crews are working in some extreme conditions as a result of the ice and snow. Temperatures are expected dip well into the teens tonight, which will make working and traveling even more difficult,” said Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky President Julie Janson.

“We have downed lines and broken poles in Ohio and Kentucky. These will take time to repair before we can restore power. We appreciate our customers’ patience during this significant outage,” said Janson.

Restoration will take several more days due to the significant damage. Customers who have special medical needs or who have family members with special medical needs should make appropriate arrangements until their power is restored.

Shelters have been set up in the following Ohio and Kentucky locations:

* Cincinnati Recreation Commission- 1715 Republic St.- Phone - 513-381-1893
* Cold Weather Shelter of N. Kentucky.- 634 Scott St., Covington, KY - Phone - 859-291-4555
* Warming Station at Bethel, OH in Clermont County, 149 Northeast Street. Phone - 513-734-4444

Contact the United Way information line at 2-1-1 for health and human service assistance.

Duke Energy cautions people to stay away from downed power lines and anything touching those lines. Anyone who sees a downed line should assume it’s energized, avoid it and report it by calling 1-800-543-5599.

Customers are encouraged to report power outages by calling 800-543-5599. Additional storm tips and outage information can be found on the Duke Energy web at http://www.duke-energy.com/. Customers can also get storm news updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DukeEnergyStorm.

Safety remains critically important during restoration efforts. Customers are encouraged to follow these guidelines:

* Take care around fallen trees and debris and avoid downed power lines.
* Home meter boxes and weather heads, the point where the service line is attached to the house, should be checked for damage. If the meter box is damaged or the weather head has pulled away from the structure, a licensed electrician should be called to make repairs so that Duke Energy crews can provide service. For additional information: http://www.duke-energy.com/ohio/outages/meter-damage.asp
* Portable electric generators should be used with caution and ventilated appropriately. Duke Energy recommends that appliances be plugged directly into the generator. A licensed electrician should be used if the customer is considering wiring the generator to their house.
* Customers using generators are asked to watch for crews working in their neighborhood and to shut down their generators to prevent the backflow of electricity to power lines, which could seriously injure Duke Energy workers.

Customers can assist in restoration operations by turning off lights and as many appliances and electronics as possible including heating systems. This will reduce the potential for circuit overloads when power is restored.