Thousands of People in Georgia, South Carolina Left Without Power in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
Over Half a Million Georgians in the Dark
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, over 500,000 inhabitants in the state of Georgia find themselves without power. With hardest hit – Chatham County, over 64,000 residents are reckoned to navigate the beginning of their week in the darkness. Equally, Effingham County reports loss of power for about 13,000 people, and electricity supply for approximately 3,000 people in Bryan County remains disrupted.
The energy supply giant, Georgia Power, estimates resumption of power supply by Tuesday, 10 p.m. Albeit, this still pegs more than 24-hours to when victims will see the light. This grim situation is stirred a notch as power companies workers have continuously labored all through the weekend to rectify the anomaly and restore power to the overflow of areas affected.
Mobilization of Power Companies Workers
Detric Leggett, the Alderman for Savannah District 2, provides some measure of hope, informing that the indicated restoration times are only estimates. Consequently, some folks might see their power restored even before the projected timeline. In his words, “We have gracious power friends…We have Florida power, we have Alabama power, and we have our own Georgia power that’s here, working diligently, 24 hours a day, just to make sure…They’re working along hours to make sure our customers and constituents have the power they need”.
South Carolina in Darkness as Well
In neighboring South Carolina, the situation isn’t too different. Statewide, it appears about 700,000 people are still without power. A snapshot of the counties seriously affected reveals that roughly 3,000 residents in Hampton County, 2,000 people living in Jasper County, and nearly 3,000 individuals in Beaufort County are all without power as of Monday morning.
Power supply company, Dominion, provides a slight glimmer of hope for customers, suggesting power should be restored by Thursday, 11 p.m. in Hampton, and Wednesday for those in Jasper and Beaufort. For residents in Daufuskie Island, Beaufort, the damage seems more intense, and therefore the company does not provide an estimated restoration time.
Post-Helene Devastation
The effect of Helene has left severe damage and caused considerable inconveniences for the public. This is evident in the variety of infrastructural disruptions across both states, such as in closed schools and stopgap solutions for cooling and distribution of essential supplies. Critical identification of tornadoes in Beaufort County adds a further dimension to the destructiveness of Hurricane Helene. For these reasons, it remains crucial that residents heed the instructions of officials and stay informed for their safety.