Severe storms knock out power for thousands in Triangle area: updates
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Storms left at least 3,000 without power in the Triangle; ~11,000 statewide.
- Duke Energy reports 3,700+ outages in Wake County; ~11,000 statewide.
- Severe thunderstorm watch until 5 p.m., with isolated tornadoes, hail and 70 mph gusts.
Storms passing through the Triangle Thursday left at least 3,000 people without power including in parts of Raleigh and Wake County.
More than 3,700 customers in Wake County were without power as of 12:45 p.m. including 800 customers in Garner, 600 customers in Raleigh and 1,100 in Holly Springs, according to Duke Energy power outage maps. That number dropped to nearly 2,000 customers as of 3 p.m. The estimated time for the power to return was 9:15 p.m.
About 10% of Duke Energy customers in Lee County, or 2,799 customers, were without power as of 3 p.m. Thursday.
You can track local power outages at the Duke Energy site.
A cold front moved through the Triangle and central North Carolina in the early morning and afternoon on Thursday, March 12, bringing much needed rain and colder temperatures.
The National Weather Service forecasted the storms might get stronger throughout the day, especially south of the Triangle in Fayetteville, Goldsboro and Pinehurst.
Several counties, including Johnston, Lee, Harnett and Cumberland, are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 5 p.m. Thursday, with concerns of isolated tornados, hail and gusts up to 70 mph.
Statewide there were nearly 17,000 customers without power, and The Charlotte Observer reported storms caused power outages for about 5,000 customers in Charlotte and Lake Norman areas.
How to report a power outage?
Duke Energy customers can report a power outage by texting OUT to 57801, visiting duke-energy/com/outages or calling 800-769-3766.
The company provides electricity to nearly 3 million customers in North and South Carolina.
This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Severe storms knock out power for thousands in Triangle area: updates."
