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    • When will Duke Energy restore power to Western NC after Helene?
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    When will Duke Energy restore power to Western NC after Helene?

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    (This story has been updated with new outage information)

    At the Buncombe County press conference on the morning of October 8, County Manager Avril Pinder discussed progress in restoring power to Duke Energy, the largest electric utility in the state of North Carolina.

    As of 9 a.m. Oct. 8, more than 59,000 Duke Energy customers in Buncombe County were still without power, a significant decrease from the 149,000 without power immediately after Tropical Storm Helene. That number fell to fewer than 46,000 as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9th.

    Duke Energy crews continue to work around the clock to restore power in Buncombe County, Pinder said, prioritizing the hardest-hit communities as they rebuild. The biggest challenges are downed trees and washed-out roads, limiting access to power lines.

    More: Helene in Western North Carolina: Everything you need to know, from help to recovery efforts

    When will power be restored in Western North Carolina?

    There is currently no set date for power restoration. Duke Energy says on its website that it hopes to complete the work sometime next week, but warns that it could take longer depending on the specific outage.

    A new map on Duke’s website distinguishes between complex repair zones and disaster recovery zones, potentially giving a clue as to which areas can be repaired more quickly.

    The complex repair zones highlighted in yellow experienced significant damage such as broken poles, downed cables or problems with road connectivity, making work on them difficult. The disaster areas highlighted in red for reconstruction suffered significant damage and require new poles, lines, electrical equipment and infrastructure. While these projects can take a long time, Duke is currently developing temporary restoration solutions.

    Power outages in every county

    Here is the total number of Duke Energy customers without power in counties still heavily affected (as of Wednesday, Oct. 9, 5 p.m.):

    • Avery: 268 (20% of all Avery County Duke Energy customers). Additionally, Mountain Electric Cooperative reports that approximately 4,800 members are without power.
    • Buncombe: 45,786 (31%)
    • Henderson: 4,920 (7%)
    • McDowell: 1,189 (6%). Additionally, all 85 French Broad EMC members are without power.
    • Mitchell: 2,891 (52%). Additionally, 3,436 (60%) of French Broad EMC members are without power.
    • Rutherford: 2,956 (10%)
    • Transylvania: 488 (3%). Additionally, 441 (6%) Haywood EMC members are without power.
    • Yancey: 248 (38%). Additionally, 5,262 (38%) French Broad EMC members are without power.
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    Caradoc Wyn
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