Duke Energy warns customers to expect multi-day outages following Helene

SATURDAY UPDATE: Duke Energy released an update regarding the mass power outage caused by Hurricane Helene.

The company said “nearly all customers outside of the western parts of the Carolinas should have power restored by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 29.”

Many outages are estimated to hopefully be fixed before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

(WSPA) – Power outages caused by Hurricane Helene could leave people without power for multiple days, according to Duke Energy.

According to a Friday update from Duke Energy, more than 1 million homes and businesses were without power, even after crews managed to restore power to more than 380,000 people on Friday.

Duke Energy said the outages could take days to repair, particularly in parts of the Upstate and Western North Carolina, where the storm washed out roads and downed transmission lines.

Multiple municipal and state energy cooperative groups, including Broad River Electric and Laurens Electric, said they were also being impacted by downed transmission lines on Friday.

According to Duke Energy, more than 11,000 line workers, damage assessors and others are working to restore power to impacted areas.

According to the National Weather Service, multiple parts of the Upstate and a large portion of Western North Carolina remains under a flood warning as rivers continue to rise and crest over the next few days.

Even as conditions improve, officials urge caution when navigating the area.

So far at least 11 people have been killed since the storm passed over the area. At least six have been killed by fallen trees.

911 lines are down in Spartanburg County for an indefinite amount of time.

Until lines are restored, please call 864-596-2076 for emergencies in Spartanburg County.

911 phone lines were down in Union County, according to Union County Emergency Management.

911 phone lines were also down in Cherokee County, according to a call sent out to residents. If you have an emergency, you are asked to call 864-487-2747.

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners implemented a curfew from 9 p.m. – 7 a.m. beginning on Friday. The board said the decision was been made to ensure the safety and well-being of the community following the storm.

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