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Lawsuits Pending Over Outer Banks Power Outage

Traffic backs up on the Bonner Bridge near Nags Head, N.C. Earl. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

The construction company being blamed for last week's power outage on North Carolina's Outer Banks now faces pending lawsuits.

At least three lawsuits filed this week are seeking compensation from PCL Construction over the power outage that began last Thursday, leading to massive evacuations off Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.  

Approximately 60,000 people were affected, leaving the tourist-dependent businesses there with huge losses.

The outage reportedly occurred during PCL's project to replace the aging Bonner Bridge. Workers there allegedly drove a steel casing underground, puncturing a transmission cable, and shutting down power.

Lawsuits filed in state and federal courts accuse the construction company of negligence. The plaintiffs claim that PCL should pay for damages suffered by businesses at the height of vacation season.

Officials hope to have power fully restored between Saturday and Monday.

Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.

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