Thousands without power in Durham amid Duke Energy outage. Here’s who’s impacted
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The outage began just after 2 a.m. when a tree hit a transmission line.
- More than 26,000 Duke Energy customers lost power; about 6,000 remain dark.
- North Carolina Central University moved classes online and closed most campus facilities.
Thousands of Durham residents are without power on Wednesday morning after a tree fell onto a transmission line, according to Duke Energy.
The outage began just after 2 a.m. and initially impacted more than 26,000 Duke Energy customers across Durham County, a spokesperson for the energy company said. Power was restored for more than 20,000 customers by about 4:30 a.m., with about 6,000 Durham customers still without electricity.
The outage spans across south Durham, stretching from North Carolina Central University down to the intersection of Fayetteville Street and Ebon Road. It extends from Old Chapel Road in the west to Riddle Road in the east, according to Duke Energy.
The energy company had initially estimated power would be restored just after 8 a.m., but that timeline was pushed to 1 p.m. as of Wednesday morning, with Duke Energy crews hoping to restore power to customers throughout the morning given temperatures soaring into the 90s, according to the spokesperson.
No action is required of customers, but residents are encouraged to take steps to keep their homes cool, like keeping blinds closed, as crews work to restore their power, the spokesperson said.
North Carolina Central University said it would hold classes remotely on Wednesday due to the outage, with most campus facilities also remaining closed.
This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Thousands without power in Durham amid Duke Energy outage. Here’s who’s impacted."
