DUKE POWER RESTORES OUTAGES, CONTINUES TO ASSESS HURRICANE IVAN DAMAGE AND PROVIDES PROJECTED LAKE LEVELS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hurricane Ivan has caused customer power outages throughout the Southeast. Duke Power continues to work around the clock and has restored power to 48,800 customers. As of 4:30 p.m., Duke Power has 116,873 customer outages.

Duke Power continues to assess the damage caused by the heavy rains and strong winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan. In Western N.C. counties including the Nantahala area, impassable roads and mudslides are making it difficult to access some areas. Once we can access these areas, we will complete damage assessments and fully determine what is needed to make repairs. 

The company has 1,500 Duke Power personnel working in the hardest hit areas. We continue to work with other utilities to get additional assistance even though many of them are responding to their own customer outages at this time. Some utilities have already committed their crews to harder hit states like Alabama and Georgia.
Individuals living along lakes, rivers and other low-lying and flood prone areas should pay close attention to local media and emergency management officials for changing
weather conditions and necessary actions to protect property and plan for potential evacuation.

For updated lake level information, go to dukepower.com or call Duke Power’s Lake Neighbor Information line at 1-800-829-Lake (5253).  Customers in the Nantahala area should call 1-866-332-5253.

Below are projected lake levels as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 17, 2004:

Duke Power customers experiencing a power outage should call 1-800-POWERON; Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-866-4APAGON (1-866-427-2466).  Customers in the Nantahala area should call their local Duke Power office.

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with more than 2 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. Total system generating capability is approximately 19,900 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: www.dukepower.com .

Duke Energy is a diversified energy company with a portfolio of natural gas and electric businesses, both regulated and unregulated, and an affiliated real estate company. Duke Energy supplies, delivers and processes energy for customers in North America and selected international markets. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at:
www.duke-energy.com.                        

Duke Power System Outages as of 4:30 p.m. on September 17, 2004.

NOTE:  These are estimated restoration dates and times, which are subject to change. The majority of storm-related customer outages in these counties should be restored by this time. However, there may be scattered outages remaining.

THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE PROVIDED AT 9:30 p.m.

Contact:	Duke Power Media Relations
Phone:	704-382-8333
24-Hour Phone:	704-382-8333
e-mail:	N/A