140,000 without power in North Carolina as tropical storm-force winds roar through
More than 140,000 homes and businesses across North Carolina were without power Friday morning after strong storms moved across the state.
Mecklenburg County had the most outages as of 11 a.m. Friday, with almost 20,000 customers without power, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
Wake County had more than 15,000 outages, and Durham and Orange counties combined had another 15,000, according to the state.
Powerful storms blasted the Charlotte region and the Triangle on Thursday. Tropical storm-force winds remain Friday morning, as forecasters say gusts could reach 50 mph.
The number of outages across the state almost doubled between 7 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Friday as a cold front pushed high winds across the state. The number of customers without power in central North Carolina is beginning to drop, but more outages have spread to eastern counties.
If you lose power, you should report it to your provider, the Department of Public Safety says.
During a power outage, it’s important to disconnect appliances and electronics to prevent a power surge, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Keep generators outside and away from windows and don’t use a gas stove to heat your home. It’s also important to keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 1:53 PM with the headline "140,000 without power in North Carolina as tropical storm-force winds roar through."
