Duke Energy Braces for Impact from Hurricane Isaias’ Remnants in the Carolinas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In anticipation of Hurricane Isaias, Duke Energy is mobilizing its repair teams and resources to address potential power disruptions and severe weather conditions in the Carolinas this coming weekend.

Forecasts suggest that while the storm’s center will move west of the area, the eastern part of the system is likely to bring significant rainfall and strong winds to both North Carolina and South Carolina on Saturday and Sunday. Duke Energy officials pointed out that the western half of the Carolinas, notably the North Carolina mountains and South Carolina’s Upstate, is at the highest risk for outages. Joe Huff, the storm director at Duke Energy, stated, “We’re monitoring conditions closely and getting our crews and equipment ready to respond as soon as it’s safe.” Preparations include equipment checks and staging of materials. The company also mentioned that recent upgrades to the grid, such as burying at-risk power lines and deploying smart technology, will help in quickly rerouting electricity and reducing the chance of large-scale blackouts.

Residents in the areas predicted to be affected are advised to prepare emergency kits, ensure their mobile devices are charged, and check their utility accounts for contact options regarding automated notifications. Outages can be reported either online, through the mobile app, or by calling 800-769-3766.