Lawsuits Pending Over Outer Banks Power Outage

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.