Few power outages expected: Duke Energy thankful for Imelda track change

WRAL News talked with Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson from Duke Energy, about how emergency preparations have changed since Imelda's forecasted impact has lessened.
Posted 9/29/2025, 11:42:56 AM Updated 9/29/2025, 12:00:06 PM

AFFECT YOUR MORNING COMMUTE.

>> THIS MORNING, WE KNOW EMELDA

WILL NOT MAKE LANDFALL, BUT

THAT DID NOT STOP UTILITY CREWS

FROM PREPARING FOR THE WORST.

JEFF BROOKS FROM DUKE ENERGY IS

HERE WITH US THIS MORNING TO

TELL US ABOUT HOW THEIR PLANS

ARE CHANGING ALONG WITH THE

FORECAST. JEFF, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING TO THANK YOU SO

MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE.

WE KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS

PREPARED. WHAT DID PREPARATION

EFFORTS LOOK LIKE OVER THE PAST

COUPLE OF DAYS?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE REALLY

COULD HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT

STORM FOR THE CAROLINAS IS

SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WATCHING

FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS AS THE

STORM TRACKS WERE SHOWING IT

COMING ASHORE IN THROUGH

CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. THE

SOUTH CAROLINA. WE REALLY SAW

SCENARIO THAT THAT WAS GOING

TO BE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND

SIGNIFICANT WHEN GAS FOR FOR A

VERY LONG CAREER. COMMON

REMINDED ME A LITTLE BIT OF

HURRICANE FLORENCE WITH ITS

SLOW PACE THAT IT WAS GOING TO

DO AND SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT,

SEEING IT TURN, GO BACK OUT TO

THE EAST. THE CHANGE IN THE

TRACK REALLY WAS WITH A GAS

AND IT WAS FANTASTIC FOR US.

BUT WE DID CERTAINLY PREPARE

FOR THE POTENTIAL THAT WE COULD

HAVE SEEN SOME SIGNIFICANT

OUTAGES. YEAH, AT WHAT POINT DO

YOU GUYS MAKE THE CALL TO TO

CHANGE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING?

YOUR PLANTS?

>> WELL, WEATHER FORECAST YOUR

GAME AND MODELING SYSTEM AND

THAT HELPS US KNOW WHERE TO

PLACE CREWS AND EQUIPMENT AHEAD

OF THE STORM. AND SO WE WE'RE

GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT

TIME PERIOD WHERE WE WOULD HAVE

TO START ALLOCATING RESOURCES,

FIGURING OUT WHERE WE'RE GOING

TO SEE THE IMPACTS. THERE WAS

ALWAYS THE CHANCE FROM THE

BEGINNING OF THE STORM. CUT

HER. BUT IT WAS ONLY REALLY

WHEN I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN

AND AND AMERICA STARTED TO PULL

ON IT THAT WE BEGAN TO SEE THAT

CHANGE. AND THAT'S A GOOD THING

FOR THE CAROLINAS. YOU KNOW,

WE'RE WE'RE CELEBRATING OR

OBSERVING THE ANNIVERSARY OF OF

HEALING FROM LAST YEAR. AND IT

JUST WASN'T THE TIME THAT WE

WANTED TO SEE ANOTHER STORM

COME THROUGH HERE. AND SO THIS

WAS THIS IS A REALLY GOOD

THING.

>> YES, IT ABSOLUTELY WAS.

AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING

THAT YOU GUYS DO. JEFF BROOKS