With the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season kicking off last Sunday, Duke Energy has announced the dispersal of $163,000 in grants to twelve organizations to help Floridians prepare for the storms and other emergencies.
According to Duke Energy, the hurricane grants will help place Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in high-traffic areas and provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to residents. The grants will also be used to fund community education, support storm kits for seniors, increase weather monitoring technology, and procure additional materials for emergency sheltering.
“Although we are now entering the official start of storm season, community resilience and preparedness is a year-round effort,” Duke Energy Florida State President Melissa Seixas said.
“We are grateful for the ongoing collaboration and commitment of our first responders, emergency management officials and community agencies to prepare, plan and engage our communities," Seixas added. "Being prepared is our best defense.”
Recipients of the grants included the American Heart Association ($50,000), Orange County Office of Emergency Management ($20,000), Suncoast Young People Theatre Inc. ($17,500), Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Family Services Inc. ($12,500), Winter Garden Heritage Foundation ($10,000), Hernando County Emergency Management ($10,000), Seminole County Board of County Commissioners ($10,000), and the Town of Inglis ($10,000).
Other recipients of the grants were:
- Franklin County Board of County Commissioners - $8,000
- Wakulla County Sheriff's Office – $5,000
- Lake County Board of County Commissioners – $5,000
- City of Davenport – $5,000
The funds will also likely be critical for hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the season is set to produce 13-19 total named storms, 6-10 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes.
The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants to support disaster preparedness efforts since 2019. Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, supplies electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers through a 13,000-square-mile service area in the state, with an energy capacity of 12,500 megawatts.
You can also view storm preparedness tips by clicking here.
