News

IRMA DOWNS TREES, KNOCKS OUT POWER, CLOSES SCHOOLS

Utility crews staged on Spartanburg Highway to deploy to areas for restoring power.

By Bill Moss, Published: September 11, 2017

The remains of Hurricane Irma brought heavy rain, knocked out power to nearly 5,400 customers and forced administrators to call of school for a second straight day early Tuesday.

Duke Energy reported 5,385 outages in 140 locations in Henderson County at 7 a.m.

"Due to power outages across the county, reports of downed trees and power lines, and unsafe travel conditions, schools will be closed for students today," the Henderson County school system said. "It will be an Optional Teacher Workday; staff are advised to exercise caution and err on the side of safety."

EARLIER COVERAGE:

First responders were prepared for high winds and heavy rain starting about mid-day Monday as the remnants of Irma passed to the west.Henderson County’s emergency management office and the Red Cross opened a shelter Sunday night at East Henderson High School and had six evacuees stay at the facility, said Emergency Management Director Jimmy Brissie.
“We’ve started seeing outer bands of rain” from Irma, he said. “The weather service is saying mid-day is when we should see winds start to pick up. We could see heavy rain. Wind wise we’ll have winds up to 35 sustained with occasional gusts of 35 to 50 mph and 60 to 70 in higher elevation.
“We’re under a high wind warning and they’ve got us in a flash flood watch. Some areas could see 4 to 6 inches of rain up to 8 inches on east and south facing slopes. It’ll probably start midday through early morning hours.”
Administrators called off school today on Sunday night. The regular School Board meeting was postponed from Monday to Tuesday night and the North Carolina Mountain State Fair was closed today.
“We’ve been working with all our fire departments, EMS and Rescue Squad to make sure they have extra staffing on hand to handle increased calls for service.”
He urged residents to pay attention to the weather forecast.
“I would encourage folks to use caution when traveling today. Pay attention to the weather report with the higher winds and heavy rain.”
The Henderson County Incident Management Team, made up of Henderson County Emergency Services, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, local fire personnel, EMS, Henderson County Rescue Squad and other partners, also issued a checklist to prepare for the effects of Irma and warned people not to call 911 to ask about the weather or report a power outage.
“Although the path of Irma is continuing to track to the west, gusty winds and heavy rain will occur in our area with the potential of flooding and power outages,” the first responders said. “Citizens are encouraged to make preparations in the event of power outages and limit travel during the inclement weather. Do not drive through flooded roadways or barricaded areas. Please check on neighbors, the elderly and those who may have special needs or circumstances to provide assistance. You should NOT call 911 to ask about road or weather conditions.” (If you experience an outage, you can call Duke Energy at 800.POWERON (800.769.3766) or visit https://www.duke-energy.com/outages.)
Residents should:
• Stay tuned into local news stations for weather updates.
• Download the ReadyNC app in the app store. It is an all-in-one tool that gives information on weather conditions, traffic conditions, evacuations, shelters and more.
• Sign up for Nixle Emergency Text Alerts for local Henderson County emergency information. Text your zip code to 888777 to enroll.
• Follow local public safety organizations on social media.