Thousands without power in North Carolina as temperatures drop

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A cold front pushing across North Carolina has already knocked out power to thousands of utility customers across the state.

A combination of rain and strong winds settling into the region is creating the dangerous recipe.

As of midday Friday, the outages included more than 200,000 customers across the state, however, that has steadily dropped through the afternoon.

In Eastern Carolina, Craven and Pamlico Counties were the worst hit. At one time there were more than 4,000 customers without power in those two counties.

Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Washington, Beaufort, and Bertie counties have also experienced large outages.

Duke Energy expects an increase in energy usage as people try to stay warm this weekend. The company suggested anyone able should try and refrain from turning up their thermostat.