Raleigh, N.C. —
- Electric cooperatives reporting 60,000 outages as of 4:30 p.m.; numbers expected to rise.
- Crews will begin restoration efforts as soon as conditions are safe, navigating flooded terrain and clearing trees before making system repairs.
- Cooperatives remind members that downed lines can be covered by debris; stay vigilant.
RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 8, 2016, 4:30 p.m.) – North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives are collectively reporting 60,000 power outages as of 4:30 p.m. Hurricane Matthew is forecasted to be closest to our state around 8 p.m., and the cooperatives anticipate that outages will climb as the storm moves closer.
The outages are widespread, and the counties experiencing the most significant outages are: Orange, Harnett, Scotland, Cumberland, Moore, Bladen and Richmond.
Electric cooperative line crews, including those who are locally based as well as support crews from western parts of North Carolina and Virginia, will be out in force as soon as conditions are safe, which is likely to coincide with first morning light. They will navigate flooded terrain and downed trees, as well as clear trees and debris before they can begin to make system repairs. Restoration efforts will continue until power has been restored to all cooperative members, and this effort is expected to last several days.
Saturated grounds and flooding are creating an unstable environment for trees, and when coupled with Matthew’s winds, falling trees are bringing down power lines. The electric cooperatives urge North Carolinians to NEVER touch a downed power line, and remember that sometimes debris can cover fallen lines, making them difficult to spot. Be vigilant.
North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives collectively serve approximately 2.5 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties.Six electric cooperatives serve 16 North Carolina beaches, and many more serve hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in other parts of eastern North Carolina.