Strong storms today ripped across central North Carolina, cutting electricity to thousands of homes and businesses and littering the region with downed trees. Duke Energy's outage tracker showed more than 6,000 customers in the dark statewide, with the worst hit areas clustered around Charlotte and Lake Norman, as crews hustled out to check downed lines and damaged equipment while the squall line marched east through the afternoon.
Outage Map Shows Clusters Around Charlotte And Lake Norman
According to WCNC, Duke Energy's live outage tracker logged more than 6,000 customers without electricity across North Carolina today, including about 2,000 in the Charlotte area and over 1,000 near Lake Norman in Iredell County. The station reported its weather team was following a line of strong thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes while utility crews tried to clear hazards. Neighborhoods in South Charlotte and parts of Cramerton each saw hundreds of customers lose power, WCNC added.
Duke Energy Says Cause Is Under Investigation
Per Duke Energy, engineers were out assessing damage and restoring service wherever conditions allowed, with some customers around Lake Norman and in Iredell County given estimated restoration times stretching into the evening. The company said the specific cause of several outages was still under investigation while crews checked equipment and made repairs.
Storms Fit A Broader Severe-Weather Pattern
National forecasters have been tracking a larger severe-weather system sliding across the eastern United States, and meteorologists warned that squall lines like Monday's can trigger damaging straight-line winds and isolated tornadoes along their route. As reported by The Associated Press, the same system fueled severe conditions in parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic on Monday, putting added strain on power grids and response crews already juggling scattered outages.
Safety Tips And Where To Get Help
If your lights are out, customers are advised to report outages and track updates through Duke Energy's online outage tools or by calling 1-800-769-3766, according to Duke Energy. Officials stress that people should stay away from downed power lines, follow generator safety guidance and avoid tying up 911 with non-emergencies. The state's ReadyNC site offers a checklist for outage safety along with information on shelters.
Tracking The Recovery
Customer counts and estimated restoration times shifted throughout the afternoon as line crews re-energized circuits and cleared debris. Aggregated tools like PowerOutage.us compile updates from utilities while local stations continue refreshing storm impacts. Officials urged residents to be patient while repair teams focus first on fixes that can bring the largest number of customers back online as quickly and safely as possible.
