KarunaNews Story

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, two lineworkers for Duke Energy hiked 1.5 miles through rough terrain to put in a temporary line for the Asheville VA Medical Center. Lineworker Matt Martinka, who served in the Air Force and comes from a long line of military members, and his apprentice, Nathan Curlee, almost lost their boots in the mud. “I feel like we in our own way gave back,” Curlee said. “I mean, them guys [veterans] have given so much. So in our own way, we gave it back to them.” Duke Energy, which collectively serves the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky, has restored power for 2.6 million customers — including 1.4 million in North Carolina — since Sept. 27, but as of Oct. 15, over 12,000 customers in North Carolina were still without power.