South Carolina Grapples with Major Power Outages Following Hurricane Helene
Nearly 1 Million Left Without Power in South Carolina
After the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, nearly a million homes and businesses in South Carolina are currently without power. The hurricane, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday morning, has left an unprecedented level of disruption in its wake. As of 12:30 p.m. ET, 894,495 residents in South Carolina were affected by the outage, marking the highest number of storm-induced power failures in the state.
Other States Experiencing Power Outages
Unfortunately, the power crisis extends beyond South Carolina borders. Sparing no mercy, the storm has plunged Georgia into darkness, with 671,367 power outages and 547,630 in North Carolina. Overall, Hurricane Helene has left close to 2.5 million homes and businesses without power throughout the Southeast—spanning South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia.
The Financial Impact of Hurricane Helene
The storm, which delivered historic flooding across several states, has inflicted a calamitous blow to properties. Preliminary damage estimates suggest anywhere from $15 to $26 billion in property damage primarily concentrated in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Power Restoration Plans in South Carolina
The pressing question for many affected South Carolinians—is ‘When will power be restored?’
Duke Energy offered some relief, posting that power should be restored for those currently without, outside the western regions of the Carolinas, by 11:59 p.m. Sunday night. They also clarified, “many will be restored before then.” Restoration work was stated to have commenced even while Hurricane Helene was still exiting the Carolinas on Friday afternoon.
Tragic Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm later weakened to a tropical depression as it barrelled through the Southeastern U.S. However, the human toll has been significant— according to the Weather Channel, 61 casualties across all five affected states have been linked to the severe weather event.
As recovery efforts continue, the hope is that normalcy will soon return for the residents of South Carolina and other states deeply affected by the storm. Our thoughts go out to individuals grappling with the aftermath of this natural disaster.
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