Thousands Lose Power as Storms Batter Carolinas

Heavy wind and rain cause widespread outages across the region.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:50pm

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Thousands of customers were left without power on Monday morning as a strong line of storms moved through the Carolinas, causing widespread damage from heavy winds and downed trees. Tornado warnings were issued in several counties, and flights were canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport due to the severe weather.

Why it matters

Power outages can have significant impacts on communities, disrupting daily life and causing safety concerns, especially during severe weather events. The Carolinas are prone to strong storms, and utility companies must be prepared to respond quickly to restore power and ensure public safety.

The details

According to the Duke Energy Outage Map, more than 14,500 customers were without power by 10:25 a.m. on Monday, with 336 outages reported. One of the larger outages in Mecklenburg County affected over 1,100 customers near the NC Music Factory Boulevard and Brookshire Freeway area. In Haw River, between Greensboro and Durham, around 3,000 customers lost power after the initial line of storms.

  • Tornado warnings were issued throughout the Carolinas between 8 and 10 a.m. on Monday, March 16, 2026.
  • The first line of storms moved through the Haw River area, between Greensboro and Durham, causing around 3,000 customers to lose power.

The players

Duke Energy

The electric utility company serving the Carolinas, which reported the widespread power outages caused by the severe weather.

Josh Stein

The Governor of North Carolina, who issued a warning on Sunday about the 'unusually severe weather' expected to move through the state.

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What they’re saying

“Please make sure emergency alerts are enabled on your phone and make a plan for how to keep yourself and your family safe.”

— Josh Stein, North Carolina Governor (wbtv.com)

What’s next

Duke Energy experts recommend that if a power line falls across a car, do not leave the car unless absolutely necessary. If you do need to leave, try jumping away from the car, landing on both feet, and not touching the car once both feet land.

The takeaway

This severe weather event highlights the importance of utility companies and local governments being prepared to respond quickly to power outages and ensure public safety during extreme weather conditions, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change.