North Carolina became the latest state to suffer the effects of then-Tropical Storm Ian on Friday, with one of the most impactful results being widespread power outages.
Due to high winds and heavy rain from the storm, power lines became damaged and outages occurred for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, with a peak around 336,000 reported Friday night. As of Saturday morning, thousands of Orange, Durham and Chatham county residents are still awaiting repairs and restoration.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Durham County had the third-most reported outages from the storm with nearly 26,000. Orange County reports having the fifth-most as of Saturday, with more than 16,000 residents without power. Chatham County, which is the least populous of the trio, reported around 3,101 without power — with many around the towns of Pittsboro and Siler City going dark on Friday afternoon.
Current statewide power outage total as of 7:20 am is 331,824, with the highest concentration in Wake, Guilford, Durham, Forsyth and Orange counties. To take a look at the power outages by county go to https://t.co/UAQuJA14lt. pic.twitter.com/YObSRMo0Lq
— NC Emergency Management (@NCEmergency) October 1, 2022
In Orange County, Chapel Hill suffered significantly more outages and power issues compared to the nearby Carrboro. As of Saturday, there were a trio of roads closed due to fallen trees or power lines, with the most prominent being South Columbia Street near Westwood Drive. Several traffic signals were still without power from Duke Energy, including Fordham Boulevard at South Columbia Street and Fordham at Manning Drive — two intersections expected to be well-traveled on Saturday as UNC football fans arrive for an afternoon game.
The Town of Chapel Hill reminded motorists and others using the road to treat dark traffic signals are four-way stops. Whoever is first to arrive at the intersection is the first to go, with ties going to the vehicle to the right. Straight-traveling motorists go before those turning and those on turning right go before those turning left.
The town government requested residents who see storm damage to report it either to its specific webpage or to call 911.
.@DukeEnergy is responding to power outages.
For minor debris along roads, public sidewalks, and public greenways, use this link to report: https://t.co/nfZUV7GqxB
Visit https://t.co/NUKPRZuKvx for a list of road closures & traffic signals without power. pic.twitter.com/PEtsWuuGUG
— Town of Chapel Hill | A Place for Everyone (@chapelhillgov) October 1, 2022
Hillsborough also suffered intense and prolonged outages on Friday into Saturday morning. The town shared a release saying cleanup crews are in the process of removing fallen trees from several roads. The local government encouraged residents to call 911 to report any remaining flooding and to contact the Orange County government to report non-emergency storm damage and debris.
As of 9 a.m. Saturday morning, Duke Energy is not providing estimated times of restoration for residents experiencing outages. Up-to-date outage information from Duke Energy can be found on the company’s Outage Map. To report an outage, visit this Duke Energy web page or call 800.769.3766.
Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.
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