Boone Power Outages Caused by Weather
Events
April 1, 2023 - High Wind
Wind gusts blew trees and power lines blown down countywide. 58 MPH wind gusts were measured at the Boone AWOS site and at a mesonet site near Blowing Rock. Damage values are estimated.
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February 28, 2023 - High Wind
Wind gusts from 59 to 68 MPH were measured in Watauga County, with the strongest gust measured at Blowing Rock. Over 1,300 homes and businesses lost power due to the winds.
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February 12, 2023 - Winter Storm
A wintry mix of precipitation fell across the county. A trace to 0.5 inches of ice from freezing rain, as well as 0.3 inches of sleet and a trace to 4 inches of snow were reported throughout Watauga, with Beech Mountain receiving the heaviest ice and snow. Between 150 and 200 locations lost power. Key Impacts: Travel delays due to ice and snow covered roads, power outages.
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January 3, 2023 - Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and some power lines from west to east through the center of the county. A few hundred residents lost power.
Bethel - Laxon
December 23, 2022 - High Wind
A wind gust of 62 mph was reported at a private weather station one mile west of Aho. Additionally, trees and power lines were brought down within Watauga County, interrupting power for 6100 customers.
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Episodes
April 1, 2023
High winds occurred after the passage of a cold front. These winds helped to cause a great abundance of trees and power lines to be blown or taken down across the region. Given the dry conditions across the region, many of the downed power lines sparked small brush fires.
February 28, 2023
Damaging winds gusts behind a cold front caused damage and power outages along the southern Blue Ridge in northwest NC. Thousands lost power, and damage to trees, sheds, and roofs occurred.
February 12, 2023
An area of low pressure formed along a frontal system in the Gulf of Mexico and moved quickly up the east coast. Mild temperatures initially over the area cooled enough to transition rain to a wintry mix and snow over the mountains and foothills of NC. Ice, sleet, and snow along with strong winds caused scattered power outages.
December 23, 2022
In advance of the arrival of a strong, cold Arctic high pressure system, northwest winds were strong to damaging across the region with gusts within the 58 to 62 mph range during the morning of the 23rd. As the center of the Arctic high arrived, winds were not quite as strong, but falling temperatures to below zero, combined with the gusty winds produced extremely low wind chills by the morning of the 24th. Across the North Carolina Mountains, these wind chills ranged as low as 32 to 45 degrees below zero, with values over the Foothills dipping to around 17 degrees below zero. The impact of the strong to damaging winds were trees and power lines brought down resulting in scattered power outages.
August 16, 2021
Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred moved north from the Gulf Coast states into the Central Appalachians. Strong low level shear and abundant tropical moisture sparked low topped, rotating thunderstorms which helped spawn two brief EF-0 tornados in Wilkes County. Non-rotating damaging thunderstorm winds also occurred in portions of northwest North Carolina during the afternoon of the 17th and again during the late evening of the 17th into the early morning hours of the 18th. These multiple rounds of thunderstorms|led to at least 9,000 residents losing power in northwest North Carolina. In addition, a south to southeast flow of high tropical moisture allowed for several inches of rain to fall over portions of our area, with the highest amounts in the NC mountains.
Power Outage FAQs
What is Power Outage?
Power outage (also called a power cut, a power blackout, power failure or a blackout) is a short-term or a long-term loss of the electric power to a particular area.
What Causes Power Outages?
- Severe weather (high winds, lightning, winter storms, heat waves, rain or flooding can cause damage to power lines or equipment);
- Other damage to electric transmission lines (vehicle accidents, trees, and animals can cause damage to power lines or equipment);
- Repairing, maintenance or upgrades on power lines and equipment.
What are the Top Outage Safety Tips?
- Stay away from the downed power lines, park vehicles in protected areas;
- Unplug appliances and electronics, limit cell phone use to conserve battery life;
- Use portable generators outdoors only, well away from open windows and doors;
- Pack perishable foods into a cooler, keep refrigerator and freezer doors shut as much as possible.
