Greenville Upstate Community Recovers After Tropical Storm Helene
The aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene has left its mark on the Upstate region, but the resilient folks of Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson counties are working hard to get life back to normal. It’s been quite the week, and here are the latest updates on power restorations, internet services, park reopenings, and school activities.
Power Restoration Updates
After the storm hit on September 30, the situation was pretty grim. Over 6,650 power distribution lines were damaged, leaving around 425,000 homes and businesses without power at one point, according to the latest stats. Thankfully, Duke Energy has been actively working round the clock to restore electricity. They reported on October 8 that they had successfully restored power for most of their customers in the Upstate. By October 9, there were about 825 outages in Greenville County, 527 in Spartanburg, and just 32 in Anderson.
Laurens Electric was even more impressive, reporting a whopping 99% power restoration in their service area, while Blue Ridge Electric also announced that they restored power for nearly all of their members.
Internet Services Coming Back
As with power, internet services faced their own challenges. Many Spectrum customers had to go without internet for nearly a week, leaving homes and businesses in a lurch. Fortunately, the situation is improving. By October 8, areas like Simpsonville and Mauldin saw services starting to come back online. Reports from a third-party data tracker showed a peak of around 500 customers affected that evening, with most issues surrounding markets near Charlotte.
According to Scott Pryzwansky from Charter Communications, over 3,000 technicians, engineers, and field leaders have been tirelessly working to fix the damage done by Helene. The message is clear: as power returns to homes and neighborhoods, Spectrum services are expected to follow. Patience is key, folks!
Park and Recreation Updates
As for enjoying the great outdoors, the Upstate’s parks were fortunate enough to reopen shortly after the storm. However, there are still some areas of the Swamp Rabbit Trail that are blocked off due to cleanup efforts. The Greenville County Parks and Recreation team is on the job, working to clear the trail of debris from the storm. They kindly ask everyone to respect closed signs while crews are hard at work.
Good news, though! As of October 9, the city had already collected 57,000 cubic yards of storm debris, which is enough to fill up about 85 football fields! Talk about making some space!
Schools Getting Back to Business
In a bright turn of events, schools across the Upstate are back in session. On October 9, the Greenville County Schools resumed classes, albeit with some adjustments to their bus routes. The first quarter of the school year has been extended from October 11 to October 21, allowing students a bit more time to catch up. As a reminder to parents, all field trips have been canceled for the reopening week.
The five school districts in Anderson County also welcomed students back with open arms. Jeff Wilson from Anderson District One mentioned that while a few light fixtures suffered damage during the storm, things are mostly normal and safe for students.
Spartanburg County schools reopened on October 9 as well, with the exception of District Four, which faced some air quality concerns due to a substance presumed to be mildew or mold. Testing is underway to ensure everything is safe for students before they head back.
As the Upstate community continues to recover and rebuild from the effects of Tropical Storm Helene, the spirit and determination of its residents shine through. It’s a reminder that together, we can face any challenge and come out stronger on the other side!
