Progress Energy Florida Continues Restoration Efforts in North Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Progress Energy Florida crews continue to work in North Florida to restore power outages caused by Hurricane Dennis' heavy flooding, winds and rain. The company expects to have service restored by midnight Tuesday to all customers capable of receiving power in the North Florida area. In some areas, access to power facilities is severely limited by flooding.

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"Dennis caused significant flooding and downed trees and power lines, particularly in our North Coastal service area," said David McDonald, Progress Energy's system storm manager. "We staged additional line and tree crews in the heavily damaged areas, and are working around the clock to get our customers back on."

Since midnight Friday, July 8, Progress Energy personnel across the company's 35-county service territory have restored nearly 100,000 customers to service. As of noon today, about 8,200 customers remain without power. The company expects restoration to be complete by:

Franklin County - Monday, July 11, 6 p.m. Gulf County - Tuesday, July 12, noon Jefferson County - Monday July 11, midnight Wakulla County - Tuesday, July 12, midnight

Customers should call 1-800-228-8485 to report an outage. Customers may want to consider moving themselves and their family - especially those with special needs - to an alternate location during extended outages.

Dennis caused widespread flooding throughout North Florida. Progress Energy crews are working in all counties to restore outages, but flooding in some locations is hampering restoration. Residents in flooded areas should ensure their safety by following flood safety guidelines as they move in and around the area:

* More than half of drowning deaths during flooding occur in automobiles. Never attempt to drive through moving water. Most cars can be swept away in less 2 feet of water of moving water (18-24 inches) - trucks and SUVs are only slightly better. Most flooding deaths occur at night and in automobiles. * If a home or business floods from a hurricane, Progress Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system is inspected. Customers will need to contact their local electrical inspector to schedule an inspection. * If rising water threatens your home, turn off the power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box before water enters your home. Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands, or while standing on a wet or damp surface. Have an electrician inspect your system before turning the power back on after flooding.

Customers who have experienced electrical damage to their home - such as damage to a weatherhead or meter base - and are in need a reputable electrician, may contact Progress Energy for referral through its Electrical Contractor Network (ECN). Interested customers should call 1-888-999-8856 and select option #4. Each contractor dispatched must:

* Pass a professional and personal background check * Meet insurance requirements * Be licensed * Carry a photo ID in the field, and * Be safety trained.

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy , provides electricity and related services to more than 1.5 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing over 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at: http://www.progress-energy.com/.