ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Severe thunderstorms rocked the Asheville area in the early morning hours Saturday, leaving thousands without electricity through most of the day.
According to the National Weather Service, the first Severe Thunderstorm Warning in Western North Carolina for the day was issued about 3:15 a.m. Saturday. That was for Graham and Swain counties. Warnings were also issued for Mitchell and Avery counties at 3:18 a.m., followed by warnings for Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Haywood, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties at 3:42 a.m.
Most of the warnings in the Asheville area expired by 7 a.m. But power outages began being reported by Duke Energy customers shortly before 4 a.m. That number stood at 30,958 Duke customers across the Carolinas without electricity at 7 p.m. Some 30,813 of those were in North Carolina.
Customers without power by county, according to the Duke Energy Outage map:
- Avery: 91
- Buncombe: 20,149
- Graham: 147
- Henderson: 5,409
- Macon: 34
- McDowell: 928
- Mitchell: 932
- Rutherford: 11
- Yancey: 21
Power in Buncombe County is expected to be restored by 10:30 p.m. Saturday, but it could be as late as 2 a.m. Sunday before power is restored in other counties by 2 a.m. Sunday, according to the outage map.