Duke Energy urges customers to prepare for damaging high winds and possible tornadic activities across the Carolinas

PR Newswire

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 15, 2026

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , March 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is bracing for damaging high winds and possible tornadic activity throughout Monday, increasing the likelihood of downed trees and power lines.

Our view
Rick Canavan, Duke Energy storm director:

• "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."
• "We're closely monitoring weather conditions, and we encourage customers to prepare now, stay weather‑aware, and always avoid downed power lines."

What customers should do now

• Make a plan and prepare an emergency kit: Charge phones, gather flashlights and extra batteries, and review other critical actions .
• Download or update the Duke Energy app: Available on the Apple Store and Google Play .
• Confirm Duke Energy account login info: Log in via My Account or mobile app to review and update contact info and communications preferences.
• Sign up for outage alerts: Receive outage information and restoration updates by text, phone or email.
• Know how to report an outage: Submit reports online , via mobile app, by texting OUT to 57801 or calling 800.POWERON (800.769.3766).

What customers should expect

• Safety first: Stay away from downed power lines and storm debris, and use generators safely .
• Grid improvements help speed restoration: Duke Energy has upgraded poles and wires, placed outage-prone lines underground and added smart, self-healing technology that can reroute power automatically – helping reduce outages and speed restoration.
• Outages still possible: Severe weather can still cause extended outages, even with these improvements in place.
• Restoration takes time: Crews will begin assessing damage and restoring power as soon as it's safe. In some areas, blocked roads, hidden damage or hazardous travel may delay restoration.
• Crew safety: For safety, crews cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds reach 30 mph or higher, which may slow restoration in some areas.

More information

• X:@DukeEnergy , @DukeEnergyNC and @DukeEnergySC
• Facebook:facebook.com/DukeEnergy
• Instagram:instagram.com/Duke_Energy
• Current outages:duke-energy.com/OutageMap
• Storm tips:duke-energy.com/StormTips

Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at  duke-energy.com  and the  Duke Energy News Center . Follow Duke Energy on  X ,  LinkedIn ,  Instagram  and  Facebook , and visit  illumination  for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy

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