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Tanner In The Morning

The Power Could Go Out In Areas Of North Carolina Here’s Why

Author Rob Tanner

Beware Christmas morning could be very cold. And that’s not just because of the weather. The power could go out in areas of North Carolina and here’s why.

Last year rolling blackouts happened in the Carolinas around Christmas. Duke Energy said it was necessary to keep the system going. A cold snap and storm that moved across the country were threatening the system.

According to an article on WSOCTV.com, it caused about 500,00 to have their power shut down.

Here is what happened. This system triggered several compounding effects:

1. Energy use was far higher than Duke Energy expected it needed to provide.

2. Power plants began to suffer weather-related failures.

3. Neighboring utilities that would normally sell Duke excess energy faced the same power squeeze, so they held onto their electricity.

 A report to South Carolina regulators, said Duke’s model for the winter storm and how much power would be needed was off. Off by a lot.  They underestimated how much power customers would need. That is why the utility decided to take this drastic action.

The power had to be shut down in some areas starting around 6 AM. The good news if the power was able to be restored by 10 AM. The sun coming up was a help. Some energy from solar eased the burden on the system.

Could this happen again? Duke has put in many corrective safeguards. To read more click here for all the information on WSOCTV.com.

5 Types Of Natural Disasters You Are At Risk Of Experiencing In North Carolina

As powerful as mankind is, there will always be one thing more powerful and outside of our control- the weather and mother nature. Heck, we can’t even accurately predict it. The sheer power of what mother nature is capable of is mindblowing from tsunamis to tornados to hurricanes. You’ve probably watched videos on the Weather Channel youtube or another platform showing these types of storms. And it can be fascinating. But one thing is for sure I don’t want to be in the path of mother nature when she’s at her peak. And I’m thankful to live in North Carolina where the threat of these types of weather-related events is smaller than many other areas of the country. But that doesn’t mean we don’t face natural disasters in North Carolina.

At least we don’t live in tornado alley. Natural disasters though can and will happen everywhere including North Carolina. Below you’ll find information about 5 of the most common natural disasters in our state. And the most common one, well it may not be exactly what you think. It’s more of a subset of the type of storm most commonly associated with North Carolina. Keep reading to see what they are. Want information on keeping yourself safe during weather-related storms? Get info at ReadyNC.gov.

  • Flooding

    Would you have guessed the most common natural disaster in North Carolina is flooding? Coastal areas as well as other low-lying levels are at the highest risk of flooding. And NC has well over 3,000 miles of coastline. This along with the frequency of another type of natural disaster on this list, hurricanes and tropical storms, means the state is at a high risk for flooding. But it’s not limited to just coastal areas, with the amount of rivers and streams in the state rainfall and storm surge can cause flooding around any body of water.

  • Tornados

    While not the most common, and certainly not as common as in the midwest, tornados are possible in North Carolina. When I lived in Raleigh a few years ago, a tornado touched down about a mile from where I was living at the time. Sitting in the basement listening to the live stream of the news named roads right by us was one of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced. And I sincerely hope that is the closest I ever have to come to living through a tornado. These violent, deadly storms can pop up almost out of nowhere typically during thunderstorms. The Asheville Citizen-Times has a list of tornados by year in NC, and we have seen as many as 50 in one year (2020). So far in 2023, we have seen 2 tornados.

     

  • Hurricanes

    Hurricanes are the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of natural disasters in North Carolina, even living 3-4 hours from the coast. If you’ve resided in the area for any time, you can probably name multiple storms that have hit the coast and even Charlotte throughout the years. While I was not alive at the time of Hurricane Hugo my parents told me about not having power for 2 weeks after the storm, in fact, my aunt and uncle’s wedding had to be rescheduled because of the hurricane. Hurricanes bring with them an array of dangers including flooding and storm surges as previously mentioned, dangerous winds, capable of destroying buildings, and the threat of tornados. And with 3,330+ miles of shoreline, there is always a chance a storm makes landfall in North Carolina, or slightly south in South Carolina still causing damage in our state.

  • Droughts/Heat Waves

    While I’m certainly no stranger to record heat waves I don’t often think of them as natural disasters. Though these events can be dangerous and even life-threatening. They also can pose issues with the food supply.

  • Wildfires

    Droughts and heat waves can also make the risks of wildfires more significant.  The drier brush and greenery the higher likelihood that it can catch fire and spread quickly. Luckily NOrth Carolina is not at as high of a risk of wildfires as states like California, which continuously deal with massive fires. But they do happen from time to time as we have seen in recent months.

     

Country 103.7’s funniest guy in town is none other than Rob Tanner with Tanner in the Morning! Rob Tanner has been the host of WSOC-FM's Tanner in the Morning Show in Charlotte, NC for 20 years. The show was named the 2018 ACM Major Market Personalities of the Year. He is well-versed in all topics in country music. Tanner also is a sports junkie who writes about any Carolina sports team, and he and his wife Missy spend most of their down exploring theme parks. He writes Disney insider content.

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