Duke Energy Crews Restore Power After Wind-Driven Outages Across Buncombe County

High wind gusts toppled trees and pulled down distribution lines across western North Carolina, leaving more than 1,000 Duke Energy customers in Buncombe County without power at the start of Saturday and prompting crews to spend the day restoring service.

Buncombe and neighboring Henderson counties each began the day with more than 1,000 customers without electricity, and Lake Lure recorded about 1,000 customers out for much of the day. In Fairview, near Becky Lane, a falling tree took down major distribution lines and pulled out nearby underground lines, creating complex repairs that slowed restoration efforts. Swannanoa resident Barbara Harrison described local concern: "In this community, there's a lot of people, older people like myself, and I don't know, I guess they're in every neighborhood, but I just think that the electricity is something that needs to be kept on."

Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton said crews worked through Saturday and that the company had "significantly reduced the number of power outages in Buncombe and Henderson County." Norton added that the utility had anticipated the winds and was prepared: "We saw this wind event coming, so no one was home for the weekend. We're fully staffed." Norton also relayed an updated timeline for one hard-hit community, saying that while residents had been told power may not be restored until Sunday, "now they’re estimating they will have everything restored before midnight."

Operational constraints complicated repairs. Duke Energy reported wind gusts reached as high as 70 miles per hour in some areas, and company operations face safety limits: crews cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds reach 30 mph or higher. Rick Canavan, Duke Energy storm director, said, "We're monitoring conditions closely and will dispatch crews as soon as it's safe," and warned that "strong wind gusts can still bring down trees and cause outages." Crews also navigated snow and difficult road conditions that can hide damage and make access hazardous.

Smaller local systems fared better in parts of Buncombe County. French Broad Electric, which serves areas north of Asheville including Leicester, held up during the back-to-back storms and reported one brief outage in the Leicester community that affected 750 customers and lasted about 30 minutes. Jeff Loven, general manager and CEO of French Broad Electric, said he was thankful the system "held up well during these back-to-back storms."

Duke Energy advises customers to monitor the company outage map and sign up for text alerts for estimated restoration times. Officials also urge residents to stay away from downed power lines, use generators safely, and avoid driving in hazardous conditions. Company materials note that restoration is sequenced to restore public health and safety facilities first and then return service to the greatest number of customers as quickly and safely as possible.

For Buncombe County residents, the immediate outlook is continued restoration work and targeted safety precautions; officials say crews reduced outages Saturday and will continue to work until service is fully restored.