Duke Energy Florida Is Ready For 2026 Hurricane Season Following Continued Grid Hardening Investment

As the 2026 hurricane season begins today, Duke Energy Florida is reinforcing its commitment to reliability and storm response following continued investments in grid hardening efforts.

Insights from past storms

After a challenging 2024 hurricane season which brought hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton to Duke Energy service areas, the company has continued proactive efforts to strengthen its infrastructure and enhance response capabilities.

“We prepare for storm season year-round,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “The lessons we learned in 2024 drove meaningful enhancements to the grid, so that today we are stronger, more resilient and ready to respond to any storms this season may bring.”

Enhancing resiliency and reliability

Duke Energy Florida has invested in a range of upgrades, including:

• Stronger poles: About 60% of wooden transmission poles have been upgraded over the last 5 years to stronger materials.
   
• Underground wires: Approximately 50% of the distribution system is underground, protected from the elements and making the lines easier to get to if outages do occur.
   
• Self-healing capabilities: Out of more than 2 million customers, approximately 82% are served by self-healing technology which automatically detects outages and re-routes power to the lines.
   
• Storm prep grants: Duke Energy Foundation recently announced $155,000 in grant awards to local organizations in support of storm preparedness efforts across its Florida service territories.

In addition, each Duke Energy team member has a storm role to transition to in advance of a hurricane. To prepare teams for their storm role, the company activates Storm Drills every spring, ensuring team members are fully equipped to support customers and response crews before, during and after a hurricane.

Resources for customers

While the grid is stronger, Duke Energy Florida encourages customers and businesses to take steps now to prepare:

• Sign up online for phone & email alerts: Or text REG to 57801 for text alerts to stay informed if the power goes out
• Make a plan: Before the storm, have a plan to move your family. Have essentials such as nonperishable food, water and cash on hand
   
• Find out where the nearest shelter is: Know the route to get there and prepare your supplies. Make arrangements for pets as many shelters may not allow animals

For additional tips and resources, including a list of items to gather for an emergency kit, please visit Duke Energy’s Storm Center.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. 

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 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.