ROCKINGHAM — More than 1,400 Richmond County residents are without power as a winter storm moves through the state.
At 10:51 a.m., Duke Energy reported 755 of its customers were without power. More than 56,000 Duke customers are in the dark across the Carolinas.
The outage map says that repairs and damage assessments will begin once the storm clears.
Likewise, Pee Dee Electric reports it has 736 customers affected in Richmond County, the most in its service area.
Freezing rain and sleet has been falling in Richmond County since before 2:30 a.m. and the weight of the ice, along with wind gusts up to 45 mph, can snap tree limbs.
A thin layer of ice currently covers vehicles and icicles are hanging from utility lines.
Public Works Director Jerry Austin said all county solid waste convenience sites will be closed today because of the weather. The sites will reopen on Tuesday.
“We apologize for any inconvenience, however, the safety of our employees and our citizens is our top priority,” Austin said.
According to the National Weather Service, the frozen precipitation will turn into rain later in the day. However, temperatures are supposed to be around the freezing mark overnight, which could make travel hazardous.
Richmond County and most of central and western North Carolina remain under a winter storm warning until midnight.
