Historic flooding and heavy winds resulting from Hurricane Helene have caused significant damage to utility infrastructure across North Carolina, particularly the electric system. Nearly a million customers have been left without electric service, and many are without other services such as water and sewer. As a result of the damage caused by the storm and the challenges associated with repairing and rebuilding the electric system, restoration of service will likely be a multi-day effort in many areas.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission recognizes the severity of the situation and is in close communication with utilities across the state as they work toward the safe and rapid restoration of essential services, as well as the restoration of service to all customers. The priority of all involved is the safety and well-being of North Carolinians.

Lineworkers, tree trimmers, and damage assessors were staged in advance of the storm in areas of North Carolina expected to be most impacted and have been working since the storm hit. Additionally, thousands of additional utility service men and women have been called in to North Carolina to assist with the monumental effort that lies ahead. Crews are and have been working around the clock to restore utility service safely and efficiently. These efforts will continue until service is restored to all customers.

To ensure your safety, please avoid contact with any downed utility lines. It is possible as the utility systems are being restored that the line may be an energized electric line.

You may access the latest information on outages, service restoration, and service alerts from these utilities:

• Duke Energy — www.dukeenergyupdates.com
• NC Electric Cooperatives — https://outages.ncelectriccooperatives.com/outages/maps
• Enbridge Gas — https://www.dominionenergy.com/north-carolina-gas/updates/tropical-storm-helene
• Piedmont Natural Gas — https://www.piedmontng.com/home
• Carolina Water Service of North Carolina — https://www.myutility.us/carolinawater/alerts
• Aqua North Carolina — https://www.aquawater.com/ (Disruption Map)

Official state response and recovery information can be found at https://www.ncdps.gov/helene.