Duke Energy is preparing for the upcoming hurricane season and supports communities across South Carolina by announcing more than $500,000 in microgrants to help increase their ability to help residents prepare for and recover from the effects of these weather events.

"The key to successful emergency preparedness and recovery after a major storm begins and ends at the local level," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina state president. "Households and businesses across the state in recent years have endured a number of significant and costly storms. Helping our communities prepare for and recover from these events takes significant resources and these grants will help give our fellow first responders the tools and training they need to tackle whatever Mother Nature throws our way."

Duke Energy's Emergency Preparedness and Storm Resiliency Grant Program was designed to help organizations with roles in emergency preparedness increase their resiliency to these events through advanced preparation, planning, equipment, and training.

The program was first announced in March at the annual gathering of the state's emergency managers in Myrtle Beach, and grantees were notified of their successful requests for funding mid-May. Applicants could request funds up to $20,000. Nonprofits and governmental entities across all regions of the state were eligible to apply.

"The American Red Cross is honored to partner with Duke Energy to build resilience in the Pee Dee region through community preparedness programs. This grant will power outreach initiatives, equipping local families with essential skills so that they may respond whenever disaster strikes," said Michael Hesbach, executive director for the Eastern Chapter of the American Red Cross of South Carolina. "Prepared communities are resilient communities. Knowing how to act in an emergency, big or small, empowers individuals to better protect their homes and loved ones."