ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Many people across the state continue to go without power in their homes due to the aftermath of Hurricane Ian across the southwestern Florida region.
However, Duke Energy Florida said it is working to get its customer's power restored and the company has done exactly that.
More than 930,000 customers across the state have had their power restored as of 2 p.m. Sunday, the company said in a news release.
“Duke Energy Florida continues to press ahead and restore outages throughout our territory. Our customers have been patient, but they are anxious to have power restored,” Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director, said in a statement.
“There are hard-hit areas that will require more extensive work. But we are not stopping until all customers are restored.”
There are reportedly still 77,000 customers that have not got their power restored, but Duke Energy is working to have 90 percent of customers in all counties restored by Sunday at midnight.
The company said it will be focusing on customers in areas that were most impacted by the storm, including Highlands, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia counties.
Workers are still facing the challenge of local flooding in the central and eastern counties of the state although weather conditions have improved, the news release mentioned.
Customers who experience a power outage can report it by visiting Duke Energy's website, using the Duke Energy mobile app, texting OUT to 57801, or calling the automated outage-reporting system at 800-228-8485.
Duke Energy provided an outage map for customers to locate the latest information on power outages. Click here to view it.
People who come across debris on the road or downed power lines are urged to follow these safety recommendations provided by the electric company:
Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs, fences, or anything in contact with lines.
If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST exit the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
A generator can be very useful during a power outage, but remember to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure safe and proper operation.
Please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be hazardous for crews making repairs.
Operate your generator outside. Never operate it inside a building or garage.
Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires. Don't drive over – and don't stand near – downed power lines
For more information on Duke Energy power outages, click here.