A mid-morning power outage threw parts of east and southeast Durham off rhythm Wednesday, cutting electricity to several thousand customers and leaving key traffic lights dark. Commuters crawled through busy intersections while utility and city crews scrambled to get everything humming again.
Outage Footprint and Restoration Timeline
According to ABC11, roughly 3,000 customers were affected, with the outage stretching from Riddle Road to Liberty Street. Portions of East Lawson Street, South Alston Avenue, Angier Avenue and North Elizabeth Street near police headquarters were all hit. The Duke Energy outage map showed crews tracking the incident, and officials initially targeted 10:15 a.m. for full restoration.
City Services and Delays
City Hall did not escape the ripple effects. Durham officials delayed the building’s opening to 11 a.m. while crews worked on power restoration and staff verified that municipal systems were safe and ready to go, WRAL reported. The extra time was meant to make sure building operations and public-safety infrastructure were fully functional before doors opened to the public.
Traffic Safety
With signals out at multiple intersections, Durham police reminded drivers that any crossing with dark or flashing lights should be treated as a four-way stop. Officers urged patience and caution, warning commuters to expect delays and build in extra travel time while crews worked to bring signals back online, according to ABC11.
Why This Matters
The latest outage follows a larger early July event, Toppled Tree Blackout, which left about 25,000 customers without power and triggered widespread repairs. Local coverage at the time showed crews replacing damaged transformers and clearing downed lines, a reminder of how vulnerable overhead infrastructure can be during summer storms. Residents still out of power in that earlier incident were asked to report outages through Duke Energy's outage portal or by calling 1-800-769-3766, with the company’s outage map listing estimated restoration times.
