RALEIGH -- Old man winter has delivered another body blow to North Carolina with the latest winter storm. This dose of winter weather packed quite a punch with many downed trees and power lines resulting in major power outages. Julia Jarema with the Department of Public Safety says Governor Pat McCrory has signed a state of emergency in order to get help in the recovery process.

Jarema said, "He also signed an executive order that waives the restrictions on the weights and hours of service for truck drivers so that we can expedite response to the storm."

Jarema added that downed power lines are a major concern. If you see a downed line stay away from the line and call your utility provider.