Power crews restore most power in the Triangle; less than 4K without electricity statewide
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hurricane Ian is gone but it has left behind many toppled trees, downed power lines leaving hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians in the dark. The biggest counties hit include Wake and Durham counties.
Power crews are continue working to restore power in the area. Crews have come from as far as Canada to help in the effort and expect work to continue throughout the night.
Update: As of Sunday evening, outages in Wake County are down to 8, in Durham there are 3 outages and in Orange Co. there are 8 outages. Statewide, less than 4,000 are still waiting for electricity to be restored.
"Wake county led the whole state by far. And then obviously points east of here, so you get into Johnston, other counties, we saw a lot of impacts because they saw the longest exposure to the wind, it was kind of going a lot during the day," said Jeff Brooks with Duke Energy. "Even though the numbers have come down to in the 30,000 range now, we still got 900 plus individual outages that have to be repaired."
The storm is now a post-tropical cyclone and most of its rain has left the state. Some breezy conditions will continue through the weekend.
Thousands across the state are still without power as of early Saturday afternoon. The number of outages hit more than 370,000 Friday.
Most of the outages are in: Wake, Cumberland, Durham and Orange Counties. They're asking customers and businesses to be patient.
With the power outages many traffic lights in central North Carolina are not working. If you must drive please take your time, be careful and remember intersections with no working stop lights should be treated as a 4-way stop.
ABC11 CHOPPER FLIES OVER STORM DAMAGE:
Biden signed an emergency declaration Saturday, which frees up aid for FEMA to assist North Carolina in the wake of Ian.
Where are the power outages? Here are some maps you can check for locations of current outages
If you live in Duke Energy coverage area, check this map
Check here for real-time outage numbers from electric cooperatives across North Carolina.
Stay safe! Don't do this
- Stay away from downed wires and report the location immediately.
- Always assume any downed wire is live.
- Avoid making contact with branches or debris that may be in contact with downed power lines.
- If you see a fallen power line or safety hazard involving our equipment, call your power company or call 911 immediately.
- Do not touch a power line or anything in contact with it and keep others away until help arrives.
- Never, ever use a generator indoors.
- Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home.
- Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage.
- Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
- The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours.
- A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary.
What to do after power is restored
Anyone with branches and trees down is going to want to get it cleaned up. Power companies warn that you or anyone working for you should use caution when clearing fallen tree limbs and debris from your yard after a storm. Always assume the downed line is live.
Be mindful of debris with sharp edges, glass or nails
Wear gloves and closed shoes
Don't walk in standing water
Food in the fridge or freezer
- Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 F (4 C) for 2 hours or more or that has an unusual odor, color, or texture. When in doubt, throw it out!
- If food in the freezer is colder than 40 F and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it.
- Contact your doctor if you're concerned about medications having spoiled.
- Restock your emergency kit with fresh batteries, canned foods and other supplies.
Download the ABC11 App to stay on top of breaking weather stories and weather-related news.
