Recovery Efforts Continue in Upstate South Carolina After Hurricane Helene
Greenville, SC—Many residents in Upstate South Carolina are facing a challenging situation as they recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. If you’re one of the thousands still without power, you are certainly not alone. According to reports, there are currently 863,528 customers in South Carolina who are experiencing power outages, with Greenville County bearing the brunt of the issues.
Power Outages Across the State
Power outages are widespread, with recent data indicating that apart from Greenville County, Anderson and Spartanburg counties are also heavily impacted. The numbers certainly paint a daunting picture:
- Abbeville: 2,269
- Anderson: 83,667
- Cherokee: 24,718
- Greenville: 237,119
- Greenwood: 26,924
- Laurens: 27,018
- McCormick: 1,986
- Oconee: 20,568
- Pickens: 41,540
- Spartanburg: 174,694
- Union: 6,301
Restoration Efforts Underway
As of early Saturday, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative reported that approximately 66% of their customers were affected, translating to about 48,750 individuals in need of service. The company’s chief of staff and senior vice president, Zach Hinton, described the situation as unprecedented, referencing it as “nothing that has been seen before in the 84-year history of our company.”
Hinton explained that a significant metric for assessing damage is the number of broken poles. For example, Hurricane Irma caused about 180 broken poles, and the 2020 tornado in the Seneca area resulted in over 200. Currently, they are counting more than 300 broken poles and that number continues to rise. He also pointed out that restoring power involves more than just replacing poles as crews must rehang lines as well.
It’s not just Blue Ridge Electric out in the field. Laurens Electric reported that 70% of their customers remain without power, down from 98%. As restoration efforts continue, they are advising customers to make contingency plans, with expectations of power restoration stretching well into next week. Mutual aid teams from Arkansas, Florida, and Ohio are coming to lend a hand, with an additional 100 personnel expected in the next few days.
Support from Duke Energy
Duke Energy has also sent in reinforcements, betting up to 1,500 utility workers are assisting in the restoration process. The city’s Public Works department is working hard to clear trees from roads, but they can’t remove trees that are resting on power lines until confirmation is received that the lines are dead.
Gas Availability and Safety Precautions
Across many communities, there’s been a challenge related to fuel availability. Spinx stores are bringing in generators to assist customers, but out of six or seven gas distributorships, only two are currently operational. However, plans are in place to restore power to more distributorships soon.
The city has also initiated debris clean-up processes. Starting at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, a contractor began work to clear the roads. Residents are being asked to separate their vegetative storm debris from other types of waste, as collection will begin mid-week.
What You Can Do
As ongoing efforts persist, residents are encouraged to follow safety precautions. Ensure that piles of debris don’t obstruct roadways, sidewalks, or fire hydrants. Remember, this is a community effort, and every little bit helps in aiding the restoration process.
The road to recovery is still long, but with patience, cooperation, and a sense of community, Upstate South Carolina will surely rebuild and come back stronger.
