RALEIGH, N.C. — Utility crews are continuing to work Sunday to restore power to about 80,000 customers who remain without power after the freezing rain event. The event toppled trees and power lines in counties along the Virginia border and in the Triad area.
“Utility workers are out in force, working to get everyone’s power restored as quickly as possible,” said Governor Roy Cooper.
Power outages peaked late Saturday morning with about 194,000 customers without power statewide, the situation has been improving significantly since then, according to a press release from the Office of Governor Roy Cooper.
The release also issued reminders on how to stay safe as crews work hard to have power restored.
It urged that people operate generators and grills outside, and away from their homes to prevent deadly carbon monoxide fumes to accumulate. It also encouraged using battery-powered lights instead of candles or other open flames and staying away from downed power lines and reporting them to your utility company.
Several roads remained closed Sunday morning due to downed trees and power lines. Some of the major closures were US 158 and NC 150 near Summerfield in Guilford County and US 220 Business near Stoneville in Rockingham County. You can visit DriveNC.gov for the latest details on road closings and other traffic hazards.
Additional reminders via the release included when arriving at an intersection where traffic signals are out. It advised that you treat it as a four-way stop sign intersection. Drivers are urged to stop and look in all directions. Vehicles should proceed in the order they arrived at the intersection.
According to the release, NCDOT crews have used 360 workers, 275 trucks and graders, and more than 1,000 tons of salt and sand in deicing operations for this weather event.
State Troopers have advised reducing speed and increasing following distance on wet and slick roads. Patches of black ice are possible Monday morning in areas where temperatures drop below freezing overnight and wet roads re-freeze.
The release ended stating that additional rain is expected across much of the state Sunday afternoon and so flood warnings are in effect for areas along portions of the Neuse, Haw, Lumber, Cape Fear, and Tar Rivers in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
You can visit FIMAN.nc.gov for the latest information on flood conditions from the state’s network of more than 500 river, stream, and coastal gauges.