More than 2,000 customers across the Triangle woke up in the dark on Friday as a round of strong storms muscled through central North Carolina. The biggest trouble spot was in north Raleigh around Falls of Neuse Road and Ravenscroft Drive, while Durham dealt with scattered outages after trees and limbs crashed into utility equipment.
Outage numbers and restoration estimates
According to Duke Energy, the company’s outage map showed roughly 1,816 customers affected in the north Raleigh cluster, with an estimated restoration time of about 10:15 a.m. In Durham, the outage initially hit around 820 customers, then dropped to roughly 351 by 8:45 a.m. Crews there were aiming to have service back by about 10 a.m., based on the utility’s posted estimates.
Storm system and forecasts
As reported by The Washington Post, the outages coincided with the inland push of Tropical Storm Arthur’s remnants, hauling in deep tropical moisture along with a threat of damaging gusts, frequent lightning and localized flooding. Forecasters also highlighted a low risk of brief tornadoes with some of the stronger cells, a setup that lines up with the fallen-tree damage that took out power lines in parts of the Triangle.
Travel and safety impacts
Raleigh police told reporters that traffic signals were out along Falls of Neuse Road from Ravenscroft Drive to Sandy Forks Road. Drivers were reminded to treat dark signals as four-way stops while crews worked to restore power and fix the lights. CBS17 labeled Friday an alert day as public-safety agencies kept an eye on downed trees and scattered outages in neighborhoods across the region.
If your power is out, Duke Energy is asking customers to report outages through its online outage map or by phone. Municipal advisories also note that you can text OUT to 57801 or call 800-419-6356 to report an outage. Officials warn residents to steer clear of downed power lines, stay at least 30 feet away from any snapped pole or sparking wire, and call 911 if there is an immediate hazard…