Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, December 1, 2011
(PLAINFIELD) - A winter storm that barreled through Indiana late Tuesday contributed to more than 40,000 power outages for Duke Energy customers.
By noon Wednesday, 7,500 customers remain without service.
"We're seeing significant structural damage to the power delivery system with a number of broken poles and downed lines in the hardest hit areas, including Kokomo, Huntington, Rochester and Wabash," said Doug Esamann, president, Duke Energy Indiana. "We have every available field crew working to restore power and we're bringing others in to assist, but the work is progressing slowly because of the nature of the damage. It could be early tomorrow before customers in some of the hardest hit areas have power restored."
Estimated times of restoration for customers in the hardest hit areas, include: Rochester, Huntington, Wabash Duke hopes to have power restored around Midnight or 1 a.m. today. Kokomo should have power by 7 a.m. today.
Service for customers in other areas served by Duke Energy had service restored late Wednesday. SafetyWith temperatures forecasted by the National Weather Service to be in the low 20s for most of Indiana, Duke Energy encourages customers to plan ahead and make alternative arrangements if they live in those hardest hit areas and have family members or others in their homes who are elderly, ill or susceptible to extreme temperatures.
Restoration ProcessDuke Energy's restoration process focuses on a method that will return power to the greatest number of customers as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible. If your neighbors have electricity and you don't, that could mean you are on a different electrical line that still needs to be repaired.
Customers may report power outages by calling 1-800-343-3525.
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