Duke Energy officials give an update on power outages, repairs
IT CONTINUES TO GET COLDER THIS
IS THE THIRD THAT WE HAVE SEEN.
OR THE LIKELY WILL SEE MORE
THAN THAT.
>> YES, WE HAVE SEEN THE TREE
LIMBS AND THIS CAN BRING DOWNED
POWER LINES.
LET'S GO TO TO MARK.
HE HAS BEEN TALKING TO DUKE
ENERGY TO TELL US ABOUT THOSE
POWER OUTAGES SITUATIONS.
MARKET?
>> YOU TALK ABOUT HEARING THOSE
LIVE SHOTS ON THE NEWSCASTER.
WE GOT TO THINKING, IT SEEMS
LIKE THERE ARE MORE OF THESE
ISSUES POPPING UP, WHAT A
NIGHTMARE SITUATION WITH THE
SNOW CONTINUED TO COME DOWN IN
THOSE FREEZING TEMPERATURES
STATEWIDE DUKE ENERGY THE
OUTAGE MAP IS SHOWING WHERE THE
OUTAGES ARE.
A LOT OF THEM OUT TO THE WEST,
THE MAJORITY OF THE SEA, MORE
THAN 12,000 CUSTOMERS RIGHT
HERE IN OUR AREA.
PRIMARILY AND SOUTHERN WAKE AND
SOUTHERN DURHAM COUNTY. ON THE
PHONE RIGHT NOW IS A SPOKES
PERSON FROM DUKE ENERGY.
MEREDITH, TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT
THE CREWS ARE EXPERIENCING AT A
LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE POWER
LINES THAT ARE COMING DOWN IN
THE TREES AS WELL.
>> THANKS, MARK BOYLE.
A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN
TERMS OF THE POWER OUTAGES NOW
FROM TREES, LIMBS THAT HAVE
BEEN WEIGHTED DOWN AS SNOW AND
POTENTIALLY FREEZING RAIN.
THIS IS CAUSING THE LIMBS TO
BREAK AND THIS CERTAINLY CAN
CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE.
>> IT IS NOT A THREE-HOUR OUTAGE
, WHERE IT TAKES CREWS OF THREE
HOURS OR SO TO BRING IT UP TO
SPEED FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO
ARE PUT IN THE DARK THERE.
ARE THEY UP AGAINST SOME ISSUES
THIS EVENING TRYING TO GET OUT
THERE WITH THE ROAD CONDITIONS
AS BAD AS THEY ARE?
>> CERTAINLY OUR CREWS ARE OUT
WORKING AS WE SPEAK.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO
GET EVERYBODY'S LIGHTS BACK ON
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
CERTAINLY HAS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
WORSEN, THIS COULD POTENTIALLY
SLOW THEIR ABILITY TO RESPOND.
BUT WE WILL BE WORKING SAFELY,
AS LONG AS WE CAN TO GET THE
LIGHTS BACK ON.
>> WE'RE LOOKING LIKE A RIGHT
NOW AT ONE OF THOSE POWER LINES
THAT ARE DOWN.
I GUESS WHAT OF THE QUESTIONS
IS, THE ICING OF THOSE LINES,
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS
HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT,
CONCERNED ABOUT GOING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS?
IN ADDITION TO THE WET TREE
LINES AND THE WET POWER LINES.
>> CERTAINLY ICE IS A MUCH
BIGGER THREAT TO OUR POWER
LINES THAN SNOW.
THEY DOWN THE LINES MUCH MORE
QUICKLY.
THIS NO, THIS IS ALWAYS A
THREAT WITH THIS TYPE OF
WEATHER.
AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP
OVERNIGHT. THE ICE BEGINS TO
ACCUMULATE ON THOSE LINES.
AND MORE OUTAGES.
>> MEREDITH, FROM DUKE ENERGY,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THIS IS
EVENING.
AND OTHER LIVE PICTURE BEFORE
WE GO.
THIS IS THE DURHAM FREEWAY, THE
SNOW IS STILL COMING DOWN.
CERTAINLY IT IS ACCUMULATING