Updates on power restoration in SC, NC

Here you will find the latest power outage updates in South Carolina and North Carolina after Helene.**Live video above when available** 10 p.m. Blue Ridge Electric updateApproximately 4,200 Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members had power restored Friday, dropping the percentage without service to 10 percent. As of tonight, over 57,000 members have had their power restored since Tropical Storm Helene devastated the Upstate last week. At the time of this release, 7,592 members were without power. An exact number of the total number of broken poles in our system will be provided tomorrow, but the number has now exceeded 800. We continue to expect to restore services to over 95 percent of our membership by Monday, October 7. It is highly likely power will be restored before then. Crews will continue to work throughout the weekend. Know that we are not scaling down operations. There are now more than 800 personnel in the field. This is an unprecedented figure in the 84-year history of our cooperative. Below are the members restored Friday by county:Anderson: 486Greenville: 181Oconee: 1,758Pickens: 1,953Below are the remaining members without power by county:Anderson: 266Greenville: 1,289Oconee: 2,271Pickens: 3,76610 p.m. FindEnergy.com updateAbbeville County, South Carolina – 3,559 out of 11,166 tracked meters (31.87%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Anderson County, South Carolina – 12,302 out of 115,618 tracked meters (10.64%) are without power in Anderson County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/anderson-county-electricity/power-outage/ Greenville County, South Carolina – 55,050 out of 327,058 tracked meters (16.83%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Laurens County, South Carolina – 12,250 out of 35,863 tracked meters (34.16%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Oconee County, South Carolina – 3,403 out of 21,556 tracked meters (15.79%) are without power in Oconee County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/oconee-county-electricity/power-outage/ Pickens County, South Carolina – 8,581 out of 58,678 tracked meters (14.62%) are without power in Pickens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/pickens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 45,417 out of 174,874 tracked meters (25.97%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/8 p.m. Laurens Electric update As of Friday at 8:00 p.m., 13,590 members remain without power.Service has been restored to 50, 279 members, representing 79% of our member-base. We are entering the most difficult phase of the rebuilding and restoration process. Although crews are making steady progress and continuing to restore power to more members each day, most of the remaining outages are concentrated in the most damaged, rural areas of our system. After assessing progress made up to this point, by our best estimate, members in these areas may remain without power through Oct. 11. This timeframe doesn’t apply to everyone – this is an outside estimate. We urge all members still without power to make necessary plans and preparations. ‘Our crews are working hard to address the damage, but we are facing significant challenges, especially in rural areas. By our most recent assessment, we have 500 broken poles and counting. Replacing broken poles typically takes 2-4 hours as crews must remove the old one, set the new one, and restring lines. However, crews in the field have reported it is taking hours to cut through trees and debris to reach equipment, making the process even longer.The co-op has 250 crews representing more than 537 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way. They’re working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, replacing poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member. As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch. The co-op cannot provide more specific estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available. For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram). While driving, please make way for crews working on roadsides, and don’t approach line workers 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 contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter.7:50 p.m. Greer CPW updateAs of Friday, October 4, 2024 we have finalized repairs to our electric system and have restored power to nearly all our customers. Customers who are still without power may have an issue that requires a licensed electrician. If you are still without power, please call 864-848-5500. Additionally, Greer CPW may need to conduct planned power outages in the upcoming weeks to make final repairs to our equipment. Please ensure your contact information is up to date. You can check this by logging into your Customer Service Portal and hitting the “notification’ button. Our many thanks to customers as we worked through this historic Tropical Storm. We are honored to be your Public Power provider.6 p.m. update from FindEnergy.comAbbeville County, South Carolina – 3,053 out of 11,165 tracked meters (27.34%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Anderson County, South Carolina – 16,204 out of 115,618 tracked meters (14.02%) are without power in Anderson County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/anderson-county-electricity/power-outage/ Greenville County, South Carolina – 63,753 out of 327,058 tracked meters (19.49%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Laurens County, South Carolina – 13,864 out of 35,863 tracked meters (38.66%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Oconee County, South Carolina – 4,697 out of 21,556 tracked meters (21.79%) are without power in Oconee County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/oconee-county-electricity/power-outage/ Pickens County, South Carolina – 9,612 out of 58,678 tracked meters (16.38%) are without power in Pickens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/pickens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 54,607 out of 174,874 tracked meters (31.23%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/5 p.m. Laurens Electric updateAs of Friday at 5:00 p.m., 14,391 members remain without power.Service has been restored to 49,478 members, representing 78% of our member-base.We are entering the most difficult phase of the rebuilding and restoration process.Although crews are making steady progress and continuing to restore power to more members each day, most of the remaining outages are concentrated in the most damaged, rural areas of our system. After assessing progress made up to this point, by our best estimate, members in these areas may remain without power through October 11. This timeframe doesn’t apply to everyone – this is an outside estimate.We urge all members still without power to make necessary plans and preparations.Our crews are working hard to address the damage, but we are facing significant challenges, especially in rural areas. By our most recent assessment, we have 500 broken poles and counting.Replacing broken poles typically takes 2-4 hours as crews must remove the old one, set the new one, and restring lines. However, crews in the field have reported it is taking hours to cut through trees and debris to reach equipment, making the process even longer.The co-op has 250 crews representing more than 537 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way.They’re working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, replacing poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member.As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch.The co-op cannot provide more specific estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available. For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram).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 contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter.3:50 p.m. Dominion Energy updateDominion Energy expects to have power restored to approximately 95 percent of customers in five additional counties by late Sunday night. Work will continue through next week across the heavily wooded and rural portions of the state, where thousands of toppled trees decimated the company’s electric grid. The company estimates power will be restored to 95 percent of customers in the following areas:Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties by 11 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6. The areas of Modoc Shores and Lost Wilderness in McCormick County require extended restoration periods due to extreme damage and access constraints.Aiken and Edgefield counties by 11 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9. Due to extreme damage and access constraints, the areas of Hammond Hills, Aiken Estates, Belvedere Ridge, Crossland Park, and Forest Heights require extended restoration periods.Additional details regarding estimated times of restoration by county are available on Dominion Energy’s outage map. The company will continue to update the outage map as progress is made.“Our customers in the western portion of South Carolina want to know one thing, and that’s when power will be restored so their lives can return to normal,” said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “We know families are desperate to make plans for the days ahead, but the work to reconnect miles and miles of poles and wire will take time. Our army of highly skilled, hardworking crews have deployed specialized equipment such as all-terrain vehicles, pontoon boats and helicopters in areas where access is severely limited. We will continue the labor-intensive work to restore power neighborhood to neighborhood, street to street and house to house until every last customer is brought back into the light.”In the aftermath of the storm, more than 90 percent of Dominion Energy’s customers in the western region of South Carolina were without power. As of 2 p.m. Friday, power has been restored to approximately 60 percent of those customers in the western region who can safely receive power. Crews can only repair electric service up to a home’s point of connection. If a customer has any storm damage from the weatherhead down to its meter base, an electrician must repair it before Dominion Energy can reconnect power to the home. Having any required repairs completed before crews arrive can save time in restoring power.Since last week, more than 4,000 Dominion Energy employees and additional resources have worked nonstop to get the lights back on for more than 406,000 customers statewide, representing nearly 92 percent of customers impacted. 3:15 p.m. update from Duke EnergyMore than 2.16 million customers restored in the Carolinas – approximately 85,000 since 4 p.m. yesterday.334,000 customers are still without service in Upstate South Carolina and mountains of North Carolina.Some left without power may be unable to receive power due to loss or destruction of their homes or businesses.Company is using drones and helicopters to inspect for additional damage, locate equipment in hard-to-reach communities.More than 2.16 million customers have been restored in the Carolinas as of 2:30 p.m. About 167,000 in Upstate South Carolina are still without service while about 167,000 in the mountains of North Carolina remain without power. Since 4 p.m. ET Thursday, approximately 85,000 customer outages have been restored in the Carolinas. The company continues to make progress restoring customers who can receive power and will provide individual times of restoration to those customers without power as soon as they are available. Some customers may be unable to receive power due to loss or destruction of their homes or businesses.The company is using helicopters to move power poles into the hardest-hit areas so that needed equipment is in place to restore power as soon as it is safe to do so. The company is also flying drones and helicopters and dispersing damage assessment crews across the system in search of any additional threats, like leaning trees and washed-out equipment, which could further damage the system or inhibit ongoing repairs and restorations.“In the face of the extraordinary damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, our communities have shown exceptional resiliency,” said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy’s storm director for the Carolinas. “Duke Energy will be with the communities we serve every step of the way as they recover.”South CarolinaIn upstate South Carolina, the company is prioritizing restoration of schools, medical facilities, water and sewer facilities as well as customers who have special medical needs. The company is still on track to restore nearly all customers in upstate South Carolina by Sunday.North CarolinaIn Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, northern McDowell, Mitchell and Rutherford counties in North Carolina, Duke Energy is focused on rebuilding the backbone of its electrical infrastructure that was damaged by high winds and significant flooding from Hurricane Helene. This work includes installing new transformers, main power lines and the infrastructure needed to provide power to customers when they are ready for service.Restoration of service may be extended in particular areas where catastrophic damage has occurred to electrical infrastructure, roads/bridges or both. We will continue to work alongside government agencies to coordinate access and restoration efforts in these areas.Damage to Customer PropertyIf your home or business is flooded or damaged, an electrician will need to make necessary repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.If the meter box is pulled away from your house or mobile home service pole and you have no power, the homeowner is responsible for contacting an electrician to reattach the meter box and/or provide a permanent fix.We’ll continue to communicate with customers via email, text and outbound call as their site-specific details become available. Customers can also visit dukeenergyupdates.com for the latest updates on their outage.3:10 p.m. Uppdate from FindEnergy.comBuncombe County, North Carolina – 80,170 out of 158,727 tracked meters (50.51%) are without power in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/nc/buncombe-county-electricity/power-outage/Blue Ridge Electric Coop – 10,316 out of 73,098 tracked meters (14.11%) in South Carolina are without power – https://findenergy.com/providers/blue-ridge-electric-coop/power-outage/ Abbeville County, South Carolina – 3,880 out of 11,165 tracked meters (34.75%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Anderson County, South Carolina – 19,891 out of 115,618 tracked meters (17.20%) are without power in Anderson County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/anderson-county-electricity/power-outage/ Greenville County, South Carolina – 69,450 out of 327,058 tracked meters (21.23%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Laurens County, South Carolina – 14,014 out of 35,864 tracked meters (39.08%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Oconee County, South Carolina – 5,028 out of 21,556 tracked meters (23.33%) are without power in Oconee County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/oconee-county-electricity/power-outage/ Pickens County, South Carolina – 11,202 out of 58,678 tracked meters (19.09%) are without power in Pickens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/pickens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 58,798 out of 174,875 tracked meters (33.62%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/12:30 p.m. update from Little River Electric Cooperative: “Little River lost our entire system. We are having to rebuild in all four counties that we serve. As of today, we have half our system back up and we’re hoping to have good restoration day today. We have 110 linemen already here and another 40 or more on the way. The National Guard has been called in to help clear debris in McCormick County, around Plum Branch.At this time, we are not at a place in this rebuild process to give estimated time of restoration. From the beginning, we have stressed to our members that this will be a long process and could take weeks, or longer to restore all. Crews are working on the main feeders on our 3 phase lines before we start restoring secondary services at residences. Until the main lines are on, homes still wouldn’t have power even if we replaced their pole or lines down on their property . We still stand by our original message of complete restoration being 3-4 weeks or longer in some areas. “12:15 p.m. update from NC Electric Cooperatives: Friday morning marks one week since Tropical Storm Helene ravaged the Rutherford EMC’s service area with unprecedented flooding and high winds, leaving 62,500 members without power at its peak. Just under 17,000 members of Rutherford EMC are experiencing power outages, primarily in hard-hit Burke, McDowell and Rutherford counties. Local Rutherford EMC crews, alongside more than more than 300 reinforcements from peer electric cooperatives both in-state and out-of-state, have worked tirelessly to bring the lights back on for as many members as possible.“We’re proud of our progress,” said Dirk Burleson, general manager of Rutherford EMC. “But we will not stop until power is restored for every member.”The long duration of these outages can be attributed entirely to the severity of damage to electric cooperative infrastructure and the lack of access to some areas because of destroyed roadways. In many cases, crews are hiking miles in difficult terrain and through dangerous conditions to access damage to the system. 11:45 a.m. update from Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina: South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have more than 3,200 line workers laboring around the clock to turn the lights back on after Hurricane Helene, a workforce that includes crews from at least 23 states as well as mutual aid crews from eight fellow S.C. co-ops that have already finished their restoration work.With their help, S.C. electric co-ops have now restored power to more than 363,000 consumers statewide in the week since Helene tore through the Palmetto State.More than 85.4% of the 425,000 cooperative members who lost power were back online as of 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4.Less than 7% of the cooperative statewide system – about 62,000 meters – remain without power, with most of those remaining outages located in the hard-hit Upstate and along the Palmetto State’s western border.There, Helene has proven one of the most destructive storms in state history. Parts of the co-op system still remain inaccessible due to downed trees and debris. Large stretches of the co-op system suffered damage beyond repair and must be rebuit.At least 3,300 snapped co-op power poles – and counting – will need to be replaced, and it can take up to four hours for a four-man crew to replace a single pole.Cooperatives ask that their consumers continue to prepare for extended outages.While most of the remaining outages will be restored in the next few days, the most remote, hard-hit areas could be without power for more than a week.“My heart goes out to the South Carolinians who have lost their loved ones, friends, homes and belongings due to this horrific storm,” said Mike Couick, CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. “Our folks are doing everything they can to help by restoring power as quickly as possible to the communities that remain out. Our work won’t stop until the very last light is back on.”A few key points on the ongoing restoration effort:• Co-ops helping co-ops: Every S.C. cooperative has line crews working to restore power to South Carolinians. Crews from co-ops that are back online are now working to restore power for their fellow co-ops in the Upstate.• They include: Berkeley Electric, Black River Electric, Fairfield Electric, Horry Electric, Lynches River Electric, Santee Electric, Tri-County Electric and York Electric Cooperative.• Two other S.C. co-ops – Edisto Electric and Palmetto Electric – are finishing up work on their own systems and plan to send mutual aid crews within the next 24-48 hours.• Santee Cooper crews also are assisting at least three co-ops in their restoration efforts.• The cavalry is here: Additional crews are helping from at least 23 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.• Truckloads of equipment: The cooperatives’ materials supplier, CEEUS, is delivering 20-30 tractor trailer truckloads of equipment and supplies to cooperative crews across the state every day – a volume of materials that rivals the response to Hurricane Hugo in 1989.• Transmission back online: All co-op substations and delivery points are re-energized thanks to the hard work of the cooperatives’ transmission providers, including Santee Cooper and Duke Energy.• More than 80 substations were knocked offline by transmission outages caused by Helene.11:30 a.m. update from Blue Ridge: “We expect to restore services to over 95 percent of our membership by Monday, October 7. It is highly likely power will be restored before then. Crews will continue to work throughout the weekend. We are not scaling down operations.” 8:45 a.m. update from Blue Ridge Blue Ridge provided a correction to Thursday night numbers: There were 1,790 members restored ThursdayAs of this morning, there are 3,536 Oconee members without power.8:30 a.m. update from Laurens Electric: As of Friday at 8:30 a.m., 16,337 members remain without power. Service has been restored to 47,525 members, representing 75% of our member-base. All 32 substations are back online. There are more than 350 broken power poles across our system, and we have replaced about 180 of them. After cutting away trees, it takes a crew an average of 2 to 4 hours to remove and reset a new pole.The co-op has 250 crews representing more than 537 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more will arrive today.They’re working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member. The co-op cannot provide an estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available. For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram). Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter. 10 p.m. update:Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative released the following update for Thursday night:Approximately 5,700 Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members had their power restored Thursday, dropping the percentage without power down to 16 percent.As of tonight, over 53,000 members have had their power restored since Tropical Storm Helene ripped through our region last Friday. At the time of this release, 11,878 members were without power. All 43 Spartanburg County members are now back online.Further field assessments today confirmed 767 broken poles on our system. That figure was at 710 broken poles Wednesday night. This continues to be the most we’ve ever recorded in our 84-year history.In the final stages of restoration, the pace of progress will naturally slow down. Crews will begin focusing on more isolated outages, which take longer to address because they require more complex repairs or affect smaller numbers of members at a time. This might slow the overall speed of restoration, but we are working to mitigate that by bringing in additional crews to speed up the process.Our goal is to ensure every member has power restored as safely and quickly as possible. We appreciate the continued patience and understanding as we work through these final, more challenging stages.Below are the members restored today by county:Anderson: 922Greenville: 1,470Oconee: 3,082Pickens: 1,505Spartanburg: 43Below are the remaining members without power by county:Anderson: 752Greenville: 1,636Oconee: 5,561Pickens: 5,7198:23 p.m. update:Duke Energy released the following update at 8:22 p.m. on Thursday: More than 21,000 workers continue to make progress restoring power to Duke Energy customers in western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina following Helene’s catastrophic damage, though major challenges remain.The hurricane damaged a significant portion of the electric system in the North Carolina mountains and South Carolina upstate including transmission towers, substations, utility poles, power lines and other major equipment. In some areas where power outages remain, floods have destroyed roads and bridges.“We continue to work with a variety of stakeholders to get critical assets – like our vehicles, workers, poles, transformers, wire and more – to the areas where we are restoring power for our customers,” said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy’s storm director for the Carolinas. “We know partnerships and collaboration with local, state and federal agencies are critical – and will continue to be – as we collaborate with these communities to rebuild.” Below is the latest storm restoration information by state as of 4 p.m. Thursday:South CarolinaIn South Carolina, 219,000 customers in the Upstate remain out of power, as Duke Energy has restored 826,000 customer outages. Customer restoration efforts have benefitted from a crucial collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, as Duke Energy crews made significant progress as roads were cleared of significant storm debris and other obstacles.We are on track to restore an additional 134,000 customers by Friday evening, Oct. 4, with the remaining 85,000 in the hardest-hit areas by Sunday, Oct. 6.We’ll continue to communicate with customers via email, text and outbound call as their site-specific details become available. Customers can also visit dukeenergyupdates.com for the latest updates on their outage. North CarolinaIn North Carolina, 201,000 customers in the mountain region remain without power, as Duke Energy has restored 1.1 million customer outages.We are on track to restore an additional 27,000 customers by Friday evening, Oct. 4, with another 69,000 in the hardest-hit areas by Sunday, Oct. 6.In the areas where catastrophic damage exists – homes can’t receive power, and total grid infrastructure damage and lack of access exists – 105,000 customers are without power. We’re working closely with the state on plans to address these as quickly as possible.We’ll continue to communicate with customers via email, text and outbound call as their site-specific details become available. Customers can also visit dukeenergyupdates.com for the latest updates on their outage.“The North Carolina Department of Transportation is in constant communication with Duke Energy and offering all available assistance to restore power as quickly as possible,” said Joey Hopkins, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. “Communities in western North Carolina have been hit hard and every day without electricity is difficult. Repairing damage to the grid and restoring power is an urgent priority and we will continue assisting Duke Energy with their efforts.”Added Hollifield, “Our thoughts are with those communities who are still without power and other essential services. We’re committed to continuing safe restoration until everyone’s power is restored.”We encourage those looking to support restoration efforts to join us in donating to American Red Cross or one of the many community organizations responding to disaster recovery in the Carolinas.8 p.m. update:Laurens Electric released the following update for Thursday night:As of Thursday at 8:00 p.m., 17,368 members remain without power.Service has been restored to 46,502 members, representing 73% of our member-base.All 32 substations are back online.There are more than 300 broken power poles across our system, and we have replaced about 180 of them. After cutting away trees, it takes a crew an average of 2 to 4 hours to remove and reset a new pole.The co-op has 250 crews representing more than 537 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way.They’re working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member.As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch.The co-op cannot provide an estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available.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 contact 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.5:30 p.m. update:Laurens Electric released the following update for Thursday afternoon:As of Thursday at 5:00 p.m., 19,783 members remain without power.Service has been restored to 44,067 members, representing 70% of our member-base.All 32 substations are back online.There are more than 300 broken power poles across our system, and we have replaced about 180 of them. After cutting away trees, it takes a crew an average of 2 to 4 hours to remove and reset a new pole.The co-op has 250 crews representing more than 537 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way.They’re working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member.As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch.The co-op cannot provide an estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available.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 contact 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.2:55 p.m. update:Greenville County officials released an update on power restoration efforts throughout the county on Thursday afternoon.According to officials, 37 percent of Greenville County is without power as of 1 p.m. Thursday:Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative: 2,470 affectedDuke Energy: 96,959 affectedLaurens Electric Cooperative: 3,424 affectedDuke Energy will provide an update later on Thursday regarding their restoration efforts.11:55 a.m.FindEnergy.com, an independent organization with no utility or consumer advocacy influence, gave this update on power outages in our region.Current outages:Abbeville County, South Carolina – 5,327 out of 11,165 tracked meters (47.71%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/Anderson County, South Carolina – 33,622 out of 115,618 tracked meters (29.08%) are without power in Anderson County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/anderson-county-electricity/power-outage/Greenville County, South Carolina – 102,583 out of 327,051 tracked meters (31.37%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/Laurens County, South Carolina – 20,697 out of 35,867 tracked meters (57.70%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/Oconee County, South Carolina – 7,479 out of 21,556 tracked meters (34.70%) are without power in Oconee County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/oconee-county-electricity/power-outage/Pickens County, South Carolina – 13,894 out of 58,674 tracked meters (23.68%) are without power in Pickens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/pickens-county-electricity/power-outage/Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 81,818 out of 174,870 tracked meters (46.79%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/Buncombe County, North Carolina – 88,034 out of 158,727 tracked meters (55.46%) are without power in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/nc/buncombe-county-electricity/power-outage/11:35 a.m.Dominion Energy update:With catastrophic damage across western South Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene, thousands of Dominion Energy employees and contractors continue to work around the clock in Aiken County and the other hardest-hit areas of the state. More than 90 percent of Dominion Energy’s customers in the western region were without power as the storm exited South Carolina. As of 10 a.m. Thursday, power was restored to more than 45 percent of those customers impacted in the western region.Crews are relentlessly clearing thousands of trees and setting hundreds of new poles to restore power in the region. Extensive damage assessment continues, including aerial patrols in rural, heavily wooded areas where access is extremely limited. Approximately 4,000 Dominion Energy employees and additional out-of-state crews are working nonstop in South Carolina, representing one field worker for approximately every 30 customers without power.“An unprecedented catastrophe calls for an unprecedented response from Team South Carolina,” said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “To our customers who are still in the dark, I promise you that we’re working for you all day and into the night around the clock. Even though we have made progress restoring main lines and substations, there is still a massive amount of work ahead in this most devasted part of our state. We were strategically positioned ahead of the storm and are utilizing the best available technology, but no amount of preparation or technology can replace the sheer number of intensive hours and manual labor required to put our system back together one pole and one span of wire at a time. We will not rest until every last South Carolinian has been returned to the light.”Over 393,000 Dominion Energy customers have been restored statewide, representing nearly 90 percent of those impacted across our service territory. With severe damage in Abbeville, Aiken, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick and Saluda counties, specific estimated times of restoration are not currently available. The company estimates work will continue in the area through next week.Current county-level restoration estimates are:COUNTYEstimated Time for 95% RestorationCOUNTYEstimated Time for 95% RestorationAbbevilleActive restoration in progress.FairfieldMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. AikenActive restoration in progress.GreenwoodActive restoration in progress.AllendaleMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing.HamptonMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. BambergMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing.JasperMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing.BarnwellMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. KershawMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. BeaufortMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. LexingtonMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing.BerkeleyMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. McCormickActive restoration in progress.CalhounMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing.NewberryFriday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m.Due to extensive damage, restoration times have been extended. CharlestonMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. OrangeburgMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. ColletonMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. RichlandMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing. DorchesterMore than 95% completed. Restoration ongoing.SaludaActive restoration in progress.EdgefieldActive restoration in progress.UnionThursday, Oct. 3, 11 p.m.Crews can only repair electric service up to a home’s point of connection. If a customer has any storm damage from the weatherhead down to its meter base, an electrician must repair it before Dominion Energy can reconnect power to the home. Having any required repairs completed before crews arrive can save time in restoring power.Customers who previously reported an outage may receive notifications or see on the outage map that power has been restored. In a few rare cases, power may not have been restored due to a problem specific to the customer’s location. If this happens, please report the outage again.Dominion Energy encourages customers who are experiencing an outage to be aware of the following:Connect your generator and follow all manufacturer’s operating and safety instructions. If you have a generator, make sure it is fueled, serviced, and properly connected. Always operate a generator outdoors and with adequate ventilation.Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume downed power lines are energized and dangerous. Keep in mind the downed lines may not always be visible and use extra caution when walking outside after a storm. Please remain at least 30 feet away and ensure that others avoid the downed line. South Carolina customers should call 888-333-4465 right away to report a downed power line.Download the Dominion Energy app. To reduce call volume, customers who want to report outages should use the Dominion Energy app, which is the fastest and most secure way to report or track an outage. Customers may also report outages by going to DominionEnergy.com or calling 800-251-7234.Follow Dominion Energy on social media. The company will provide regular updates and additional tips to help keep customers informed and safe.11:15 a.m.Rutherford Electric Membership Corp. update:Power has been restored to more than 40,000 Rutherford EMC members as crews continue to battle challenging conditions in their efforts to repair and rebuild electric infrastructure across the cooperative’s service territory. Local Rutherford EMC crews, alongside more than 140 reinforcements from peer electric cooperatives both in-state and out-of-state, have worked tirelessly in their restoration efforts. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, approximately 21,500 outages remain across the cooperative’s service territory.“While Tropical Storm Helene brought her worst, the unity and helping spirit that we are seeing in our community and throughout western North Carolina represents our best,” said Dirk Burleson, general manager of Rutherford EMC. “We are resilient, we are strong, and we are in this together.”The severity of this damage, combined with limited access to some areas due to destroyed roadways, means power may not be returned to these hardest hit areas for weeks. In many cases, crews are hiking miles to access damage to the system because of the road conditions.“Please know that every cooperative member who is still without power is a priority for Rutherford EMC,” said Burleson. “Crews are going to extraordinary lengths to access damaged infrastructure and reach isolated areas. When they get to where they need to be, they’re not just met with a limb on a line – they’re met with infrastructure that has been washed away, trees that have pulled down spans of line and snapped poles that need to be rebuilt.”While crews are working to restore power, you can help by staying vigilant around work areas. Please avoid traveling on the roads unless absolutely necessary. Keeping the roads clear will help first responders do their jobs and give restoration crews better access to impacted areas. Additionally, many road shoulders are saturated or inaccessible, meaning crews will need to set up trucks and equipment on the roads in some locations. Help keep line workers safe.Safety:Do not touch a circuit breaker or replace a fuse with wet hands or while standing on a wet surface.Do not use electrical equipment and electronics, including receptacles, that have been submerged in water.If it is necessary to use a portable generator, always operate the generator outdoors in an open area. Use an extension cord to connect the generator directly to the appliance and ensure the extension cord has three-prongs and is rated for the amount of power used by the appliance.Do not connect your portable generator directly to your home’s wiring. A generator that is directly connected can “backfeed” into the power lines connected to your house and could electrocute anyone working on the power lines.8:45 a.m.Laurens Electric update:As of Thursday at 8:30 a.m., 23,189 members remain without power.Service has been restored to 40,670 members, representing 64% of our member-base.30 of 32 substations are back online.According to new assessments, there are more than 300 broken power poles across our system. After cutting away trees, it takes a crew an average of 2 to 4 hours to remove and reset a new pole.Our crews continue to work on critical infrastructure over 7,100 miles of line in 7 Upstate Counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member.Crews are replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs. The co-op cannot provide an estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available.Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area.The co-op has 225 crews representing more than 450 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 11 states.For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, formerly know as Twitter, and Instagram).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 line workers 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 contact 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.8 a.m. Thursday Greer CPW Frequently asked questionMy neighbor has power, but I don’t. Why is that?There could be several reasons.You may be on a different feeder or transformer than your neighbors.You may have a different service provider than your neighbor (i.e. Duke, Laurens Electric)The service line and / or meter base to your home may be damaged.There may be an issue with the line or equipment that you cannot visually see.There’s a significant power outage, why don’t I see workers on my road?We prioritize restoring the greatest number of customers possible at a time. Crews may be working on your issue but need to fix lines and poles on a nearby road first.Crews came to my house and then left. What’s going on?Depending on the situation, troubleshooting crews may come to your home or business first to scout the problem. Those crews will determine what type of materials are needed to repair the issue and call for additional help. Just because crews are not working in front of your home it doesn’t mean they are not working on repairing your issue. There could be damage that you may not see from your yard.More top questions and answers can be found on the Greer CPW website here.Wednesday updatesBlue Ridge Electric gives 10 p.m. Wednesday update:Approximately 6,500 Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members had their power restored Wednesday.As of Wednesday night, over 46,000 members have had their power restored since Tropical Storm Helene ripped through our region. At the time of this release, 17,608 members were without power, representing approximately 24 percent of our membership.Further field assessments today confirmed 710 broken poles. That figure was at 625 broken poles Tuesday night. The continued discovery of damage shows how crews make it further into a job only to find more damage, extending the restoration process. This continues to be the most we’ve ever recorded in our 84-year history. On average, it takes a four-man crew about 3-4 hours to replace one broken pole. Many are being replaced now in areas inaccessible to machinery. This means the poles must be dug and placed by hand, just like they were in 1940 when the cooperative was formed. Some spans of line have as many as 10 broken poles on them. This will be a long process.Below are the members restored today by county:Anderson: 1,475Greenville: 82Oconee: 3,082Pickens: 1,901Below are the remaining members without power by county:Anderson: 1,674Greenville: 3,106Oconee: 5,561Pickens: 7,224Spartanburg: 43 Laurens Electric gives 8 p.m. Wednesday updateAs of Wednesday at 8 p.m., 24,934 remain without power.Service has been restored to 38,924 members, representing 61% of our member-base.26 of 32 substations are back online.According to new assessments, there are more than 300 broken power poles across our system. After cutting away trees, it takes a crew an average of 2 to 4 hours to remove and reset a new pole.We have secured 8 additional crews, or 45 more personnel who are enroute to help.As we’ve previously reported, transmission to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and Spartanburg counties is estimated to be repaired by Oct 7. Until then, power is not flowing to our distribution lines that bring power to those neighborhoods, homes, and businesses.Different transmission lines serve the areas listed in the estimate, and those lines will be brought back up at different times – some sooner than Oct. 7.While transmission lines are being restored, our crews continue to work on other critical infrastructure. Even after transmission is restored, the extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every memberGreenville County is not part of the transmission outages. Crews there are replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits and making repairs. The co-op cannot provide an estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available.Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area.The co-op has 225 crews representing more than 450 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now. 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 contact 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.Laurens Electric gives 5 p.m. Wednesday updateAs of Wednesday at 5 p.m., 25,534 members remain without power.Service has been restored to 38,322 members, representing 61% of our member-base.26 of 32 substations are back online.According to new assessments, there are more than 300 broken power poles across our system.As we’ve previously reported, transmission to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and Spartanburg counties is estimated to be repaired by Oct 7. Until then, power is not flowing to our distribution lines that bring power to those neighborhoods, homes, and businesses.Different transmission lines serve the areas listed in the estimate, and those lines will be brought back up at different times – some sooner than Oct. 7.While transmission lines are being restored, our crews continue to work on other critical infrastructure. Even after transmission is restored, the extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every memberGreenville County is not part of the transmission outages. Crews there are replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits and making repairs. The co-op cannot provide an estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available.For the most up-to-date outage updates, we encourage members to follow us on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram).Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area.The co-op has 225 crews representing more than 450 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now.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 line workers 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 contact 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.S.C. Electric Cooperatives update at 12:32 WednesdaySouth Carolina’s electric cooperatives have now restored power to more than 320,000 consumers statewide, turning the lights back on for more than 75% of the co-op members who lost power when Hurricane Helene churned through the state Friday morning.Less than 105,000 cooperative meters remained offline as of noon on Wednesday, Oct. 2, down from a peak of 425,000 Friday morning. That means less than 12% of the statewide cooperative system remains without power, down from a peak of 47%.Most of those remaining outages are concentrated in the hard-hit Upstate and along the Palmetto State’s western border, where Helene’s heavy rains and high winds brought devastation not seen in decades.Cooperative crews and contractors continue to make great progress in what amounts to one of the largest storm restoration efforts in South Carolina history.More than 2,400 line workers are laboring around the clock to restore power to co-op consumers. They include mutual aid crews from a half-dozen S.C. co-ops as well as out-of-state line workers from at least 18 states.The job ahead of them is immense. More than 2,800 snapped co-op power poles – and counting – will need to be replaced, and it can take up to four hours for a four-man crew to replace a single pole.Parts of the co-op system remain inaccessible due to downed trees and debris. Much of the Palmetto State’s power grid will need to be rebuilt rather than repaired.Cooperatives are asking that their consumers continue to prepare for extended outages. While many outages will be restored in the coming days, it could take a week or more for parts of the cooperative system to come back online.“Cooperative line workers are working night and day to get the lights back on,” said Mike Couick, CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. “We’ve been touched to see the outpouring of support for our linemen, from members delivering cookies and meals to co-op offices to school children sending in letters of support. We ask for your continued patience and understanding in the coming days.”A few key points on the ongoing restoration effort:• Co-ops helping co-ops: Every S.C. cooperative has line crews working to restore power to South Carolinians. Crews from co-ops that are back online are now working to restore power for their fellow co-ops in the Upstate. They include: Berkeley Electric, Black River Electric, Fairfield Electric, Horry Electric, Lynches River Electric, Santee Electric and Tri-County Electric.• The cavalry is here: Additional crews are helping from at least 18 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, Pennsylvania and Virginia.• Infrastructure challenges: About 11 Upstate substations remain offline, down from more than 80 statewide on Friday morning. Cooperatives are working closely with their transmission providers to re-energize those substations and their downstream distribution lines. Co-ops are also working simultaneously to rebuild their distribution systems to be ready when the transmission outages are restored.• Truckloads of equipment: The cooperatives’ materials supplier, CEEUS, is delivering 30 tractor trailer truckloads of equipment and supplies to cooperative crews across the state every day – a volume of materials that rivals the response to Hurricane Hugo in 1989.Rutherford Electric Membership Corp. update at 11:15 a.m. WednesdayForest City, N.C. — Rutherford EMC has restored power to more than 35,000 members in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene which severely damaged – and in some cases destroyed –electric infrastructure in all nine counties the cooperative serves. Local Rutherford EMC crews, alongside reinforcements from peer electric cooperatives both in-state and out-of-state, have worked tirelessly in their restoration efforts. As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, approximately 27,000 outages remain across the cooperative’s service territory.Crumbled, washed-out roads and landslides continue to pose unprecedented challenges for line crews in being able to access damage. Further, damage to the electric infrastructure is catastrophic, meaning crews are rebuilding in many areas.“We are devastated by the conditions and for our members,” said Dirk Burleson, general manager of Rutherford EMC. “We understand how frustrating it is to be without power, and we thank each of our members for their patience during this unprecedented time.”The severity of this damage, combined with limited access to some areas due to destroyed roadways means power may not be returned to these hardest hit areas for weeks. In many cases, crews are hiking miles to access damage to the system because of the road conditions.“Please know that every cooperative member who is still without power is a priority for Rutherford EMC,” said Burleson. “Crews are going to extraordinary lengths to access damaged infrastructure and reach isolated areas. When they get to where they need to be, they’re not just met with a limb on a line – they’re met with infrastructure that has been washed away, trees that have pulled down spans of line and snapped poles that need to be rebuilt.”While our crews are working to restore power, you can help by staying vigilant around work areas. Please avoid traveling on the roads unless absolutely necessary. Keeping the roads clear will help first responders do their jobs and give restoration crews better access to impacted areas. Additionally, many road shoulders are saturated or inaccessible, meaning crews will need to set up trucks and equipment on the roads in some locations. Help keep lineworkers safe.Safety:Do not touch a circuit breaker or replace a fuse with wet hands or while standing on a wet surface.Do not use electrical equipment and electronics, including receptacles, that have been submerged in water.If it is necessary to use a portable generator, always operate the generator outdoors in an open area. Use an extension cord to connect the generator directly to the appliance and ensure the extension cord has three-prongs and is rated for the amount of power used by the appliance.Do not connect your portable generator directly to your home’s wiring. A generator that is directly connected can “backfeed” into the power lines connected to your house and could electrocute anyone working on the power lines.Greer Public Works posted this update on Facebook Wednesday morning:Greer CPW power restoration update –October 2, 2024; 8:30 AM: We continue efforts to restore power to Greer CPW customers following Tropical Storm Helene. With less than 1,200 customers to restore, we continue to work in all parts of our service territory.Additionally, we wanted to clarify a communication error regarding disconnections for non-pay. We will NOT be disconnecting services through the end of next week, and we are also waiving late fees and non-payment fees through the end of next week. Please note this is for your previous month’s bill. Please make sure payment is made by midnight Friday, October 11th to avoid a $75 non-payment fee and potential disconnection beginning at 8:00 AM on Monday, October 14th.Laurens Electric update at 10 a.m. Wednesday:As of Tuesday at 10 a.m., power has been restored to 36,128 members, representing 57% of our member-base. 26 of 32 substations are back online. As we’ve previously reported, transmission to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and Spartanburg counties is estimated to be repaired by Oct 7. Until then, power is not flowing to our distribution lines that bring power to those neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. Different transmission lines serve the areas listed in the estimate, and those lines will be brought back up at different times – some sooner than Oct. 7. While transmission lines are being restored, our crews continue to work on other critical infrastructure, including replacing broken power poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits and making repairs. Even after transmission is restored, the extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every memberAs more progress is made, more specific information will be provided to members regarding restoration estimates.We encourage members to follow us on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram) for the latest updates.Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area. The co-op has 225 crews representing more than 450 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now. 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. Blue Ridge Electric update at 10 p.m. TuesdayApproximately 4,900 Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members had their power restored Tuesday. As of tonight, over 40,000 members have had their power restored since Tropical Storm Helene ripped through our region. This leaves 24,151 members without power at the time of this release. That figure represents approximately 33 percent of our membership. Further field assessments today confirmed 625 broken poles. The continued discovery of damage shows how crews make it further into a job only to find more wreckage, extending the restoration process. This continues to be the highest number of broken poles we’ve ever recorded in our 84-year history as a cooperative. Please see the attached restoration overview for specific areas that improved today. Below are the members restored today by county:Anderson: 1,454Greenville: 872Oconee: 781Pickens: 1,863Below are the remaining members without power by county:Anderson: 3,149Greenville: 3,188Oconee: 8,643Pickens: 9,125Spartanburg: 43Duke Energy update at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday:Duke Energy’s round-the-clock power restoration efforts continue following the historic damage caused by Helene in the Carolinas. Line workers – with the support of tree trimmers, state department of transportation workers and countless others – continue to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers each day.“We’ve never seen such widespread devastation and destruction as we’re seeing in this region,” said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy storm director for the Carolinas. “We appreciate our local and state government partners continued help in getting us access to the hard-hit areas so we can make repairs where possible.“A large amount of our work entails a significant repair or complete rebuild of the electricity infrastructure that powers this region and will support its recovery.”Here’s an update as of 8:45 p.m.:In South Carolina: Duke Energy restored more than 600,000 customer outages; 326,000 customers in the upstate remain without power.In North Carolina:Duke Energy restored 1 million customer outages; 175,000 customers in the mountain region remain without power.Overall, Duke Energy restored nearly 1.6 million customer outages in the Carolinas following Helene.Duke Energy expects to restore the majority of the remaining customer outages by Friday night.Power restoration may take longer in areas that continue to be inaccessible, dependent on infrastructure that has been destroyed or are unable to receive service.Links and resources: Outage MapOutage AlertsGenerator safetyPower restoration processLaurens Electric update at 8 p.m. Tuesday:As of Tuesday at 8 p.m., power has been restored to 35,743 members, representing 56% of our member-base. 22 of 32 substations are back online. The number of broken power poles has now been assessed at over 300. It takes a crew 2-4 hours to remove and reset a new pole.As we’ve previously reported, transmission lines to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and Spartanburg Counties may not come online until Oct 7. Different transmission lines serve these areas, and those lines will be brought back up at different times – some sooner than that date. Oct. 7 is the outside estimate. After transmission is restored, crews will have to operate outward from substations, replacing broken power poles, restringing our distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs. This work has been ongoing since the storm hit, but so much infrastructure was damaged that there will still be work to do before power is restored.At this point in the recovery and rebuilding process, we are still unable to provide more specific estimates as to when crews will be in certain areas removing downed lines and making repairs. As more progress is made, more specific information will be provided.The co-op has 200 crews representing more than 400 line technicians and right-of-way personnel working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area. More crews are coming from others states. 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. Laurens Electric update at 5 p.m. Tuesday:As of Tuesday at 5 P.m., power has been restored to 32,501 members, representing 51% of our member-base.20 of 32 substations are back online.Reports we’ve received estimate transmission to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and Spartanburg counties may be restored by Oct 7. Until then, power is not flowing to our distribution lines that bring power to those neighborhoods, homes, and businesses.Once transmission is restored, we can determine what further repairs need to be made that crews have not already completed.As more progress is made, more specific information will be provided.The co-op is focused on rebuilding much of our infrastructure while transmission is reestablished.Laurens Electric crews are working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area.The co-op has 200 crews representing more than 400 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now.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.NC Electric Cooperatives update at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday: Power has been restored to nearly 30,700 Rutherford EMC members as the cooperative continues its all-out effort to reconnect and rebuild severely damaged or destroyed infrastructure in all nine counties it serves following Tropical Storm Helene. Cooperative crews are facing numerous challenges, including flooding and landslides that have swept away roads and power line infrastructure, with unwavering commitment and resolve to restore power to each and every impacted member.“We understand how frustrating it is to be without power, and we thank each of our members for their patience during this unprecedented time,” said Dirk Burleson, general manager of Rutherford EMC. Burleson. “Their support means so much to each of our crews out in the field, who are facing unique challenges with each restoration effort.”Local Rutherford EMC crews, alongside reinforcements from peer electric cooperatives both in-state and out-of-state, have worked around the clock to repair, and, in some cases, completely rebuild electric infrastructure as 32,000 outages remain.“Please know that every cooperative member who is still without power is a priority for Rutherford EMC,” said Burleson. “Crews are going to extraordinary lengths to access damaged infrastructure and reach isolated areas. When they get to where they need to be, they’re not just met with a limb on a line – they’re met with infrastructure that has been washed away, trees that have pulled down spans of line and snapped poles that need to be rebuilt.”These obstacles are impeding restoration efforts, with full restoration expected to take a week or more in the hardest-hit areas. Crews remain committed to restoring power to every member following this catastrophic event.While our crews are working to restore power, you can help by staying vigilant around work areas. Please avoid traveling on the roads unless absolutely necessary. Keeping the roads clear will help first responders do their jobs and give restoration crews better access to impacted areas. Additionally, many road shoulders are saturated or inaccessible, meaning crews will need to set up trucks and equipment on the roads in some locations. Help keep lineworkers safe.Blue Ridge Electric update at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday:All Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative substations are now online and energized.On Friday, 13 substations were offline due to Tropical Storm Helene’s damage to Duke Energy’s transmission lines. The Cross Roads community in Pickens County was the final substation to be restored today. More than 2,000 members have already had their power restored this morning. SC Electric Cooperatives update at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday South Carolina’s electric cooperatives have now restored power to more than 280,000 consumers statewide, making significant progress in the days since Hurricane Helene knocked out the lights for about 425,000 consumers Friday morning.More than 1,000 cooperative line workers are hustling around the clock to restore power, including hundreds from out of state and from the half-dozen S.C. co-ops that have already completed their restoration efforts.As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, approximately 144,000 co-op members remained without power. Most of those outages were concentrated in the hard-hit Upstate and along the Palmetto State’s western border, where Helene has proven to be the most destructive storm in decades.The powerful hurricane snapped more than 2,000 cooperative power poles and toppled dozens of transmission lines across the state, requiring some parts of the power grid to be rebuilt rather than repaired.Cooperatives are asking that their consumers continue to prepare for extended outages. While many outages will be restored in the coming days, it could take a week or more for parts of the cooperative system to come back online.“The damage we’re seeing from Helene is beyond anything I’ve witnessed in my 19 years working for South Carolina’s co-ops,” said Mike Couick, CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. “Our co-ops are responding on a massive scale, but this process is going to take time, and it is going to require a lot of patience.”A few key points on the ongoing restoration effort:• 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 are now working to restore power for their fellow co-ops in the Upstate. They include: Berkeley Electric, Black River Electric, Fairfield Electric, Horry Electric, Lynches River Electric, Santee Electric and Tri-County Electric. Additional crews are helping from Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, Tennessee and Virginia.• Infrastructure challenges: About 14 Upstate substations remain offline, down from more than 80 statewide on Friday morning. Cooperatives are working closely with their transmission providers to re-energize those substations and their downstream distribution lines.• Truckloads of equipment: The cooperatives’ materials supplier, CEEUS, is delivering 30 tractor trailer truckloads of equipment and supplies to cooperative crews across the state every day – a volume of materials that rivals the response to Hurricane Hugo in 1989.Laurens Electric update at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday: As of Tuesday at 10 a.m., power has been restored to 31,608 members, representing 50% of our member-base. 20 of 32 substations are back online. According to the latest reports, transmission to some parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Newberry, Union, and Spartanburg counties is estimated to come online by Oct 7. Until then, power is not flowing to our distribution lines that bring power to those neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. Once transmission is restored, we can determine what further repairs need to be made that crews have not already completed. 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 200 crews representing more than 400 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, and 90 more mutual aid personnel are on the way from Pennsylvania and Maryland. 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.

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James Nelson

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