MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) – The Latest on Hurricane Florence (all times local):
6:50 p.m.
Power outages in North Carolina have increased as a weakened and slower Hurricane Florence moves closer to the coast.
The two major electric utilities covering the state -Duke Energy and Dominion- and a consortium of electric cooperatives reported more than 80,000 customers without power as of early Thursday evening. That doesn’t include numbers from dozens of city-operated electricity providers.
Almost two-thirds of the reported outages originated in Carteret County, along the coast about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. There were also several thousand outages each in Craven, Pamlico and Onslow counties.
The numbers are expected to soar as the storm’s winds and torrential rains sweep over more land. Duke anticipates 1 million to 3 million of their 4 million customers in the Carolinas will lose power from Florence.
