Thousands of Duke Energy customers still without power

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Duke Energy representatives are apologizing to customers as thousands still don’t have power following Hurricane Irma.

"Customers are frustrated, and we apologize for that,” said company spokesman Jeff Brooks on Monday afternoon.

Customers throughout Central Florida were given an estimate of late Sunday night to have their power restored, but that deadline came and went with thousands still in the dark Monday morning. Brooks said as of Monday afternoon at about 2:30 p.m. about 15,000 customers in Seminole County and 20,000 in Orange County were still down.

"We're not happy either with the way these estimates have turned out. We're disappointed in some of the things we've had to communicate,” said Brooks.

Brooks said technical issues throughout the last week as well as unforeseen challenges on some jobs have caused the estimates to get pushed back and back.

As of Monday afternoon he said the company was confident that most of the customers in the area would be back up and running by late Tuesday night at the latest.

As of about 5pm Monday many customers throughout Altamonte Springs and Apopka were returning home to find their power already returning, though several are still left waiting.

State Representative Bob Cortez and the Seminole County Delegation have asked representatives from Duke Energy to meet them Tuesday morning to discuss the power situation.

Governor Rick Scott’s office said Monday morning that about 391,000 customers across the state’s power companies are still without power from the hurricane.