UPDATE: Power was restored to Hatteras and Ocracoke around 1 a.m. Saturday.
Outer Banks, N.C. – Thousands are without power after ice formed on power lines and strong winds in the area.
According to Heidi Smith with Tideland Electrical, two islands are without power including Hatteras and Ocracoke. There are 7, 500 customers out on Hatteras Island and 1, 292 out in Orcracoke.
They say the problem started in Buxton.
They say fixing this is not easy and they are not sure how long it will take to restore all power to residents. They have galloping lines in Buxton and the poles are in the marsh. Linemen are going up the poles to correct this issue now and this could take several hours.
Right now they are using a generator with a 3-megawatt capacity on Ocracoke. It is not designed to power the entire island but everyone does at least have partial power.
Residents are being asked to limit their usage to heating only. If they do not adhere to this, officials say they may have to rotate service.
