Tuesday, October 3, 2023

114 West Elm Street
Graham, NC 27253
Ph: 336.228.7851

Power out overnight Mon. in Swepsonville area – back on Tues. afternoon

UPDATED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Duke Energy reports that, as of around noon, almost all homes and businesses have now had powered restored.


Duke Energy has estimated about 1,575 homes are still without power in the Swepsonville area.

Power went out about 8:00 p.m. last night when a white pine tree fell across power lines near the power station off Swepsonville Road, according to workmen on the scene in Swepsonville.  The toppling then cracked or pulled down four power poles running from the power station to Swepsonville Road.

While Duke Energy’s initial estimates were for power to be restored by 10:30/10:45 p.m., by Tuesday morning, those estimates had been revised significantly, with the latest estimates are power would be restored by 5:00 p.m.

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[Story continues below photos.]

The road was closed from Swepsonville Road’s intersection with Boywood Road just before the bridge over the Haw River in Swepsonville (here) to its intersection with Cooper Road (in the distance).

This photo shows the a new utility pole (on the right) that has been installed to replace one of four poles that were bent or cracked when a tree fell nearby. The old pole is shown leaning to the left.
Workmen in buckets high above one of the utility poles being replaced, this one along Swepsonville Road.
THE CULPRIT – This photo shows (on the ground) the white pine that fell across a power line, killing power for more than 1,500 families in the Swepsonville area and southern parts of Graham.
This photo shows the proximity of the fallen tree to the electrical grid that provides power to Swepsonville and surrounding areas.

Workmen with Utility Lines Construction Services (UCLC), a Duke Energy subcontractor, worked through the night to replace the utility poles and restore power. More than a dozen boom trucks were on site Tuesday morning, with some lined up along Swepsonville Road with fresh crews to replace those who had worked overnight.

The road was closed from Swepsonville Road’s intersection with Cooper Road to the intersection with Boywood Road just before the bridge over the Haw River.

Among those affected, Alexander Wilson Elementary School was closed for the day with the principal sending out a ConnectEd message early Tuesday morning. Honda Power Equipment on NC 119 also appeared to be without power.  The area affected was along NC 54 near the intersection with George Bason Road, along NC 119 to about Jim Minor Road to the east.

Also affected were areas in southern Graham, from about Bethany Presbyterian Church (near South Main Street’s intersection with Swepsonville Road to Rogers Road in Graham.

service disruption area, according to map provided online by Duke Energy.

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