Raleigh families try to make best of powerless nights

At the corner of Anderson Drive and Dix Street in the Five Points area of Raleigh, families were still hunkered down Friday night without power.

Barricades blocked traffic where a large tree that had fallen, and with power lines still down, many homes in the area haven't had power since Thursday evening.

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Families were trying to make the best of it on Friday.

Raleigh mom Katherine Andrew said she's been forced to use what she has for unintended purposes.

Glow bracelets have come in handy for her children at night.

“We actually had them for Halloween, so they came out early for hurricane season,” Andrew said. “It’s a lot cheaper than to keep buying batteries, so that way they don’t have to have a flashlight on them at all times. They can use the glow bracelets.”

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And taking advantage of sunlight has become more important than ever.

“We just do a lot of stuff outside so we have better light,” Andrew's daughter Tatum said. “I read on the back porch. We painted pumpkins on the front porch, and then we do a lot of outdoor activities.”

Andrew said she had taken things like washing dishes and laundry for granted.

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Duke Energy estimated power would be restored Monday.