Duke Energy reported that more than 18,000 customers in North and South Carolina remain without power as of Sunday afternoon due to Winter Storm Fern. The storm has brought freezing rain and sleet to the region, causing trees, branches, and power lines to fall.
According to Duke Energy, low temperatures are causing ice to accumulate on tree limbs and power lines. This could result in additional outages even after the precipitation stops. The company expects cold weather conditions to continue throughout the week.
By 4 p.m. on Sunday, January 25, Duke Energy had restored electricity to 24,864 customers across both states. Crews are continuing to assess damage and restore service where possible. The company has also used self-healing technology that allows remote rerouting of power around damaged equipment.
In areas where road conditions remain hazardous, Duke Energy will deploy line workers, damage assessors, and tree crews as soon as it is safe for them to access affected infrastructure.
At the same time on Sunday afternoon, 18,016 customers were still without electricity—14,802 in North Carolina and 3,214 in South Carolina. Updated forecasts suggest that outage numbers may rise steadily through Sunday night. Duke Energy warns that some outages could last several days and will release estimated restoration times as assessments are completed.
Duke Energy serves about 4.7 million electric customers in North Carolina (3.8 million) and South Carolina (nearly 860,000).
Rick Canavan, Duke Energy’s storm director, said: “Winter Storm Fern continues to create dangerous conditions across the Carolinas, and we expect outage numbers will increase as ice continues bringing down trees and power lines.” He added: “Ice damage can continue long after a storm passes. Even when skies clear up, ice can make falling tree branches up to 30 times heavier—and much more likely to break power lines or poles.” Canavan noted: “We have teams positioned throughout the region; some are already restoring power while others stand ready until conditions allow.” He continued: “Once it’s safe enough for our employees on the ground many will be assessing damage and restoring service at the same time—not sequentially—so customers should see further progress as soon as crews can safely reach affected areas.”
The company urges residents not to approach fallen or leaning power lines and advises using generators according to manufacturer instructions.
Duke Energy has deployed over 18,000 line workers, vegetation specialists, damage assessors and support staff for this event. Restoration efforts follow a staged approach designed for safety; major transmission lines are repaired first before work moves on to smaller neighborhood circuits or individual sites. Emergency facilities receive priority throughout this process.
The absence of utility trucks in a neighborhood does not mean work is not underway; crews may be repairing substations or transmission lines upstream that must be fixed before local service can resume.
To support restoration efforts—including assessment with helicopters or drones—additional out-of-state crews may arrive by Tuesday if needed.
Customers with electricity are encouraged by Duke Energy to conserve energy during this period of colder-than-normal temperatures by lowering thermostat settings where comfortable; keeping air filters clean; opening curtains during sunny days for natural heating; closing them at night; and running ceiling fans clockwise in winter months so warm air circulates downward.
