At least 11,000 without power as strong winds continue to lash NC mountains
More than 11,000 customers are without power Monday morning as strong winds continue to threaten Western North Carolina.
A wind advisory is in effect through 1 p.m. Monday for Asheville and other mountain communities, the National Weather Service said. Gusts of up to 50 mph are expected to lash the region, potentially uprooting trees in areas where the ground is already saturated, according to forecasters.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the weather service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
Statewide, about 11,700 were without electricity as of 10:45 a.m. Monday. Counties with the most outages — including McDowell and Polk — were in the western part of the state, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
The outages come after Tropical Storm Zeta on Thursday unleashed rain and powerful winds, causing more than a half-million customers to lose power across the Carolinas, McClatchy News reported.
The latest threat started Sunday night, when “high winds swept through areas still recovering from tropical storm Zeta and caused additional structural damage,” electricity provider Duke Energy said on its website. “Crews will continue restoring power to those that have been without service for multiple days, while also addressing the latest damage.”
The weather service as of 9 a.m. Monday said winds speeds were getting lower.
