Power Outages from Zeta Impact Parts of the Southeast

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Gusty winds buffeted western North Carolina on Sunday on the heels of Tropical Storm Zeta, leaving more than 11,000 utility customers without power, officials said.

The National Weather Service posted a wind advisory for Asheville and other communities as gusts were expected to exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) across the mountains, The Charlotte Observer reported.

The N.C. Department of Public Safety said the majority of the outages were in McDowell and Polk counties.

The latest threat started Sunday night, when “high winds swept through areas still recovering from tropical storm Zeta and caused additional structural damage,” Duke Energy said on its website. “Crews will continue restoring power to those that have been without service for multiple days, while also addressing the latest damage.”

Tropical Storm Zeta on Thursday doused parts of North Carolina with rain and lashed the state with powerful winds, causing more than a half-million customers to lose power.

In Alabama, more than a half-dozen Alabama school systems canceled classes Monday because of lingering power outages and damage caused by Hurricane Zeta last week.

In central Alabama, Chilton County’s school system announced half its 14 schools still lack power five days after Zeta hit southern Louisiana and blasted through Alabama and much of the Southeast. Talladega County schools closed for the day widespread damage and hazardous roads.

News outlets report that at least six other school systems called off classes because of power outages or damage left by Zeta. Mobile County’s system was open, but eight individual schools canceled classes because of power problems or damage.

The utility-tracking website poweroutage.us shows Louisiana and Alabama each still has more than 60,000 homes, businesses and other power customers without electricity.

Outages across Alabama stretch from the southwestern corner of the state to the northeast in a band where Zeta came through.