KEYNOTE – Two Hurricanes in 13 Days: Duke’s Outage Communications Transformation After Helene and Milton

In late September and early October 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck Duke Energy’s service territory within just 13 days, affecting nearly 2 million customers in Florida and causing widespread outages across the Carolinas. This keynote session will discuss how the company translated lessons from these historic events into major improvements in storm communication and outage management.

The session will highlight enhancements to outage maps, multi-tiered messaging controls, and standardized communications across channels. Sims will also discuss strategies for managing routine customer communications during major events while delivering clear, consistent outage information to affected communities. These innovations strengthen Duke Energy’s ability to communicate effectively during large-scale emergencies.

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Presenter: Taryn Sims, Vice President of Customer Experience & Engagement, Duke Energy

Taryn leads enterprise customer strategy, insights, and engagement. She oversees voice of customer metrics, segmentation, marketing and communications, and the technology that enables coordinated, scalable outreach. Her team partners across the business to translate customer insight into channel strategy, platform modernization, and operating models that strengthen trust and performance. She also directs customer communications during storms and outages. With more than 20 years of experience, she has held leadership roles across customer experience, media relations, and strategy, including positions at Safety-Kleen and Ahold Delhaize.

 

 

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