DUKE POWER CREWS WORKING THROUGH THE NIGHT TO RESTORE POWER OUTAGES

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke Power will work through the night to restore power outages and make damage assessments. Although rugged terrain and flooded roads present challenges, the company will continue to try and access hard to reach areas to repair damaged equipment and restore electric service. Today, Duke Power has restored 75,000 customer outages. As of 9 p.m., approximately 100,000 outages remain; outages peaked around 175,000. 

The company has 1,500 Duke Power personnel working its hardest hit areas which include the Western counties of North and South Carolina.
During a Power Outage

• Consider moving yourself and your family -- especially those with special needs -- to an alternate location during an extended outage.
• Listen to local media for status reports from Duke Power about affected areas and restoration activities. 
• Don't leave electric ranges on during a power outage. This may prevent possible damage from a fire to your home in case you are away when the power is restored
• 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.
• Be sure to turn off your heating and air conditioning systems and consider unplugging sensitive electronic appliances such as TVs, VCRs, microwave ovens and home computers, etc., during a power outage. This will protect your appliances against unpreventable voltage fluctuations that may occur as a result of a circuit overload when the power is restored. Be sure to wait 5 to 10 minutes before turning on appliances and heating systems when power is restored.

Always remember to stay away from downed or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near a power line (i.e., trees or tree limbs, cars, ladders).

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.

Estimated Times of Restoration By County

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.

Lake Information
While parts of the service area have seen significant rainfall, our facilities are operating as designed to manage the movement of water through the lakes and rivers. Our dams are inspected routinely by Duke Power and the Federal Regulatory Commission. During this latest event, many of our dams were inspected several times due to the amount of rainfall received. These inspections verified the integrity of the dams.

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:

THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE PROVIDED AT 7 A.M. ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 18, 2004. THIS UPDATE WILL INCLUDE AN UPDATE ON CUSTOMER OUTAGES BY COUNTY.

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.                        

Contact:	Duke Power Media Relations
Phone:	704-382-8333
24-Hour Phone:	704-382-8333
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