Duke Energy reports thousands of power outages in the Carolinas - WYFF4 Greenville

AHEAD NEXT WEEK. COMING UP. ALL RIGHT. IT IS ALMOST CHRISTMAS, BUT THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THIS CHRISTMAS EVE. I’M RASHAD WILLIAMS. BUT FIRST, WE START WITH THE RECENT POWER OUTAGES THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE CAROLINAS. SINCE YESTERDAY, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT POWER IN THE DARK. AND WE’RE BEING TOLD POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED IN MOST AREAS. NOW, ACCORDING TO DUKE ENERGY, TAKE A LOOK HERE. THERE ARE NOW AROUND 10,000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER IN NORTH CAROLINA AND AROUND 300 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER IN SOUTH CAROLINA. AND A DRASTIC DROP FROM EARLIER TODAY WHEN THOUSANDS WERE WITHOUT POWER IN THE PALMETTO STATE. SO WE SPOKE TO ONE WOMAN IN GREENVILLE COUNTY WHOSE POWER WAS OUT FOR HOURS TODAY. OH, WE ARE THREE PLUM CLOSE. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO STAY UP AND RECOVER LOBES, EXTRA COVERS, WHATEVER, WHATEVER MIGHT BE. AND HAVING TO CHARGE OUR PHONES AND STUFF IN THE CAR. HOPEFULLY HER POWER IS BACK ON. SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN THE UPSTATE ALSO EXPERIENCED OUTAGES. WE SPOKE WITH CUSTOMERS WHO WERE DEALING WITH THE INCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO GET SOME LAST MINUTE SHOPPING DONE FOR CHRISTMAS. THESE STORES FACE A LOT OF DIFFICULTY BECAUSE THE DOORS CAN’T EVEN OPEN UP BECAUSE THERE ARE ELECTRICAL. AND HOPEFULLY SHE WAS ABLE TO GET HER SHOPPING DONE. BUT DUKE ENERGY IS CALLING THIS AN UNPRECEDENTED EVENT FROM EXTREME COLD AND ENERGY DEMAND. IN A STATEMENT, OFFICIALS FOR DUKE ENERGY SAID, QUOTE, THE COMPANY WAS FORCED TO INTERRUPT SERVICE TO ABOUT 500,000 CUSTOMERS TO MAINTAIN THE ENERGY GRID AND PREVENT FURTHER DISRUPTIONS. POWER IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTORED AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED TODAY. WE SPOKE WITH RYAN MOSHER AT DUKE ENERGY FOR SOME CLARIFICATION. HE SAYS SATURDAY OUTAGES WERE BOTH A RESULT OF FRIDAY’S WEATHER EVENTS, PLUS THE SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS BY DUKE ENERGY, WHICH WERE A DEMAND AND CAPACITY ISSUE TO PROTECT THE GRID. WE HAVE A HIGH DEMAND ON ENERGY AS WE HAD GOING INTO THIS MORNING. IF YOU DON’T, IT CAN DAMAGE EQUIPMENT. SO IF YOU ALLOW IT TO GO UNFETTERED AND UNCONTROLLED, YOU CREATE ISSUES THAT DON’T EXIST. AND SO WE HAVE TO STEP IN AND MANUALLY ELIMINATE THAT THAT POTENTIAL DAMAGE THAT WAY. YOU KNOW, FOLKS EXPERIENCE A SHORT, TEMPORARY POWER OUTAGE. AND I KNOW THAT’S IMPACTFUL FOR EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS EXTREMELY COLD. YOU’RE GOING INTO A HOLIDAY WEEKEND. BUT IT’S BETTER TO HAVE SEVERAL HOURS OUT THAN PERHAPS A DAY OR TWO OUT BECAUSE LETTING THE SYSTEM CONTINUE AS IT WAS WOULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD NEED REPAIR. AND YOU NEED TO KNOW, HE GOES ON TO SAY, THIS COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE MORNING IF DEMAND CONTINUES TO BE HIGH. SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO CONSERVE AS MUCH POWER AS YOU CAN. WE ALSO ASKED THE QUESTION HOW THE INTERRUPTED AREAS WERE CHOSEN. AND DUKE ENERGY SAYS IT WAS COMPLETELY RANDOM TO BALANCE ENERGY BETWEEN AREAS WITH AND WITHOUT POWER. AND WITH THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES. DUKE ENERGY IS ALSO ASKING CUSTOMERS TO VOLUNTARILY REDUCE ELECTRIC USAGE. SO SOME TIPS THAT THEY’VE GIVEN US TO PASS ALONG TO YOU SELECT THE LOW IS COMFORTABLE THERMOSTAT SETTING AND BUMP IT DOWN SEVERAL DEGREES WHENEVER POSSIBLE. AVOID USING LARGE APPLIANCES LIKE DISHWASHERS, OVENS AND DRYERS. CHARGE ELECTRIC CARS OVERNIGHT. AND IF YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC WATE