Duke Energy expecting outages as winter storm bears down on Charlotte area

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Duke Energy is keeping a very close eye on neighborhoods in Charlotte where power lines are above ground, and older trees are nearby.

The concern over the next 24 hours is if ice forms it could weigh down branches and power lines, breaking them and leaving people in the dark.

Duke Energy had 3,300 crews in place Wednesday morning -- many coming from Florida and the Midwest to help.

Duke officials said their crews are ready for more outages than they saw during the last storm, when snow was the big issue.

"Some service areas can also get accumulations of ice. If that does occur then our customers should expect outages," said Duke Energy spokesperson Kristina Hill.

Officials said if you do see a downed power line, stay far away and call police. It could still have electricity running through it.

WSOC