After hours in dark, power restored to hundreds of east Charlotte homes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After being in the dark and cold for more than 12 hours, Duke Energy crews got power back on for 240 homes Wednesday morning in east Charlotte.

Crews had been working on the lines behind a home on Trysting Road, near WT Harris Boulevard since power went out around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

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Duke Energy said a tree fell and damaged their equipment. Channel 9 spoke with a neighbor who said he heard it.

“I was watching TV and I heard a surge,” said Mike Douglas. “Then I heard a pop. I said, ‘Oh shucks, I know it’s a transformer.”

Neighbors like Douglas had to endure overnight temperatures outside that fell into the 20s. Once the sun came out, he said it was warmer outside than it was in his home.

Another neighbor showed Channel 9 the wood she had been burning in her fireplace to stay warm. And another resident told us the power outage ruined his Tuesday chicken and squash dinner.

“It was just coming out of the oven and we were checking to make sure it was the right temperature,” said Ron O’Rear. “The squash wasn’t quite ready yet. All of a sudden, the lights flickered. Didn’t look good. Came back on. Then two minutes later everything went black.”

O’Rear said his wife took all their frozen meat to work because they were worried it would thaw out and spoil.

Crews were able to restore power to everyone before noon.

Cox Media Group