Latest updates from power companies around our area

Here you will find the latest power outage updates in South Carolina after Helene: Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative at 10:15 p.m.More than half of Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members have now had power restored following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. Since Friday, over 35,000 members have had their power restored. Damage assessments have confirmed over 511 broken poles, leaving approximately 29,126 members without power. This represents 39 percent of our membership. The number of broken poles we have recorded is devastating. It’s the most we’ve ever recorded in our 84-year history. Crews from seven states are now on the ground, working tirelessly to assist with restoration efforts. One substation, Cross Roads, remains offline due to damage to Duke Energy’s transmission lines. Transmission service to the Tygerville substation was restored this evening. Once Duke’s transmission is restored to Cross Roads, Blue Ridge will begin re-energizing members in the affected area. Significant progress was made today, with restoration completed across multiple areas. Approximately 140 workers from Florida are arriving Tuesday for additional help, pushing total people on the job to more than 500. Below are current outage numbers by county: Anderson: 4,603 Greenville: 4,060 Oconee: 9,424Pickens: 10,988Spartanburg: 43 Laurens Electric update at 5 p.m. Monday: As of Monday at 5 p.m., power has been restored to 29,125 members, representing 46% of our member-base. 17 of 32 substations are back online. As of today, Duke estimates transmission to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and southern Spartanburg may not come online until Oct 7. Until then, power is not flowing to our distribution lines that bring power to those neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. The co-op is focused on rebuilding much of our infrastructure while transmission is reestablished. As more progress is made, more specific information will be provided.Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area. The co-op has 150 crews representing more than 300 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, and more mutual aid personnel are arriving tonight, tomorrow, and in the following days. They are staging in large parking lots throughout the area to help relieve congestion at our operations centers. Staging also allows these workers to be briefed with planning and safety information closer to the areas in which they will be working. While driving, please make way for crews working on roadsides, and don’t approach lineworkers while they’re on the job; it presents a safety hazard for them and the public and disrupts restoration work. Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter. We remain grateful for our members’ understanding and patience as we respond to this emergency. Duke Energy Update Monday afternoon:Ryan Mosier, a Duke Energy spokesperson said Monday linemen from across the country were pouring into the Upstate, helping to get the power back on.”We’ve got to get through that vegetation. We’ve got to remove trees. We’ve got to assess the damage. And that starts with our transmission system. The transmission system is what gets power from the power plants to your home. If it’s down, it doesn’t matter if we fix the pole that’s down in front of your house, you’re not going to have power,” Mosier said.While Duke Energy customers in the Upstate will have their power back on by Friday night at the latest, he said, Western North Carolina will be a whole other story.”Our folks up there are working with the community to get what we need up there, so that we can also do the same work up there. But it’s going to take even longer in the Asheville area just because of the sheer magnitude of the flooding and the damage that’s up there,” he said.Laurens Commission of Public Works:Facebook post from Monday morning: “We kindly request your patience during this difficult time. Regrettably, we’ve experienced several incidents of employee harassment. Our team is working diligently to restore power efficiently and safely; however, harassment and rudeness will not expedite the process. Many employees, who have been working non-stop since Friday morning, including some from out of state, are exhausted and facing power outages at home.”Laurens Electric: “As of Monday at 10 a.m., power has been restored to 27,242 members, representing 43% of our member-base. Crews worked through the night restored power to about 2,000 members. 17 of 32 substations are back online. Some transmission lines have been reenergized in the northern part of our service area, and crews are operating outward from substations, rebuilding circuits and making repairs. “Duke Energy is working to restore power to transmission lines in the southern part of our area, but do not expect restoration to some until as late as October 7. Until then, power will not flow to the distribution lines that bring power to neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. “Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, removing and replacing broken poles and transformers and cutting trees off power lines, preparing for the time when power is flowing again. “The co-op has 150 crews representing more than 300 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now. 50 more personnel are on the way from within South Carolina and from Florida, including more right-of-way workers to help cut away the massive number of trees impeding progress. “As more mutual aid arrives, they are staging in large parking lots throughout the area to help relieve congestion at our operations centers. Staging also allows these workers to be briefed with planning and safety information closer to the areas in which they will be working. “The damage done to our electric infrastructure is historic and catastrophic, surpassing that of even Hurricane Hugo in 1989. We are making repairs to – and in some cases, rebuilding – parts our system. The number of broken poles alone is estimated to exceed 200. “Laurens Electric’s employees and their families and friends live in the communities we serve, and we are witnessing first-hand the struggles our members face as a result of this natural disaster. We are dedicated to helping them recover as quickly as possible.”Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative released the following update at 10:06 p.m. Sunday:Power has been restored to over 27,000 Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members since Tropical Storm Helene devastated our service area.An estimated 51 percent of our members (approximately 37,550 in total) remain without service, down from a peak of 90 percent on Friday morning.This remains a multi-day outage recovery operation.Below are specific outage numbers by county:Anderson: 4,302Greenville: 4,359Oconee: 15,278Pickens: 13,491Spartanburg: 43 Duke Energy released the following statement Sunday afternoon:”Our crews are working tirelessly to restore power to your area following the devastating damage caused by Helene.”We expect to have power restored to the majority of customers no later than Friday evening, with the exception of areas that are inaccessible or unable to receive service.”We recognize how challenging this situation is and appreciate your patience as we work to safely restore your service.”Thank you for your continued understanding. ” The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina released the following statement at 2:55 p.m. Sunday:South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have now restored power to more than 200,000 consumers statewide, almost half of the 425,000 who lost power when Hurricane Helene tore through the Palmetto State Friday morning.More in-state and out-of-state power crews – about 200 line workers in total – have arrived to assist with restoration efforts in the hardest-hit areas of South Carolina, particularly in the Upstate and along the state’s western border.As of 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, approximately 218,000 co-op members remain without power, down from Friday’s peak of 425,000. Most of the remaining outages are concentrated in the western half of the state, where Helene’s destruction of critical electric infrastructure has surpassed that of even Hurricane Hugo in 1989.Cooperative members in western South Carolina should prepare for outages of at least week, if not longer, even as crews work to restore power as quickly as possible.”This will be a multi-day event,” said Mike Couick, CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. “We expect it’ll be at least a week before the hardest hit areas have power restored, and we urge those without power to make arrangements.”Key points of the ongoing restoration efforts include:Extensive damage: At least 1,655 cooperative power poles have been snapped and need replacement. This number is expected to rise as assessment continues.Widespread impact: The most devastated counties include Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Abbeville, Barnwell, Bamberg, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Oconee, Newberry, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York.All hands on deck: Every S.C. cooperative has line crews working to restore power to South Carolinians. Crews from co-ops that are back online – including Berkeley Electric, Black River Electric, and Horry Electric – are now working to restore power for their fellow co-ops in the Upstate. A handful of other co-ops including Fairfield Electric, Lynches River Electric, Santee Electric, and Tri-County Electric, plan to send crews in the next day or two — as soon as they’ve completed restoration in their own areas. Additional help is coming from crews from Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.Infrastructure challenges: About 8% of substations and delivery points remain offline, down from 39% on Friday morning. Cooperatives are working closely with transmission providers Duke Energy and Santee Cooper to re-energize substations.”We understand the significant inconvenience this extended power outage causes for our members,” Couick said. “Many of our crews are working tirelessly to restore power while their own homes remain damaged or without electricity. We’re deeply committed to restoring service as quickly and safely as possible.”Couick emphasized the scale of the challenge: “Much of our state hasn’t seen this level of damage since Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Some parts of the state are seeing even more damage than Hugo left. It may be hard to fathom since this weekend has been so warm and clear, but there are still so many trees down and roads blocked in parts of the state, particularly the Upstate, we still haven’t been able to completely assess the damage yet.”The cooperatives are urging the public to exercise caution and patience:Stay away from downed power lines.Use extreme care with portable generators, keeping them outdoors and at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vent openings.Slow down and be mindful of roadside line crews working to restore power.

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James Nelson

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