In Indiana, Duke Energy makes progress on power restorations in Kokomo

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  • 11,900 Kokomo customers remain without power as of late Thursday afternoon, down from a peak of 31,000 Wednesday evening

  • More than 41,000 customers restored to service since the storm hit

  • Company donates $25,000 to Howard County United Way

PLAINFIELD, Ind. – More than half of Duke Energy’s customers in Kokomo were affected by power outages from the tornadoes that stormed through Indiana Wednesday. As of late afternoon Thursday, approximately 11,900 remained without power. The company has restored service to more than 41,000 since the storm hit.  

“The tornadoes that ripped through Indiana left a trail of damage to our system, primarily in Kokomo,” said Chris Lange, Duke Energy’s storm incident commander. “We have a small army of more than 400 line workers plus additional support personnel focused on Kokomo. We’re seeing significant damage, including poles and power lines that are totally gone, requiring us to completely to rebuild the lines. We will be working around the clock to restore power. Our goal is to have all customers who can receive power restored by 6 p.m. on Saturday, although most will be restored to service earlier.”

The company is also contributing $25,000 to the Howard County United Way to help with relief efforts.

“In the last 24 hours, I’ve seen firsthand how Kokomo pulls together in a crisis,” said Kevin Johnston, Duke Energy’s Kokomo community relations manager. “We are partners in this response.”

Any customer who has not yet reported an outage should call 1.800.343.3525.

Please be safe

Much of the damage to power equipment involves downed utility poles and power lines. Duke Energy reminds customers to stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all power lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with power lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy. Click here for more tips on how to stay safe around power lines.

In addition, please remember Indiana’s “move over” law, which requires drivers to make way for emergency responders – like utility workers. On roads with only one traffic lane in each direction, drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop.

About Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana’s operations provide about 7,500 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 810,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it the state’s largest electric supplier.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com

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