South Carolina, North Carolina Suffers Over 1 Million Power Outages Following Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene has initiated a mass of power outages across South Carolina and North Carolina, leading to widespread disruptions for millions of citizens.

Disruption Across the States

On both South and North Carolina, over 1M power outages were reported as of 2:55 p.m. ET amid Hurricane Helene’s pummeling winds and heavy rain. The fierce storm made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend late Thursday night, quickly weakening into a tropical storm, yet still triggering millions of power outages across multiple states. The weakening did not cease as the storm continued its northward trajectory, soon deteriorating into a tropical depression on Friday afternoon. Notwithstanding the downgrade, swathes of area experienced significant flooding; some regions, notably parts of the Southeast and southern Appalachians, suffered ‘historic and catastrophic’ flooding.

Widespread Impact of Helene

Despite its weakening, Helene’s impacts have been far-reaching, evidenced in the widespread power outages and flooding across the Southeastern states – including Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Areas of North Carolina and South Carolina have been particularly hard-hit, as the mapping of power outages throughout these states attests.

South Carolina Power Outage Map

In South Carolina, there were over 1.1 million power outages reported, primarily focused in the western part of the state. Tracking the power outages, Greenville County suffered the most with over 260,000 reported outages, Spartanburg County followed with over 180,000 outages, and another 100,000 outages were reported in Anderson County. The rural Oconee County and Greenwood County, though not as heavily populated, also reported an additional 20,000 power outages.

North Carolina Power Outage Map

Neighboring North Carolina also experienced a significant number of power outages, with over 950,000 disruptions reported. The western area of the state has been the hardest hit, as evidenced by over 100,000 outages in Mecklenburg County and more than 69,000 in Henderson County. Buncombe County also registered a considerable power disruption, reporting over 150,000 power outages.

In the Wake of the Storm

Even though Helene has weakened considerably and is predicted to turn extratropical soon, the damage and disruption are far from over. Authorities are still grappling with emergency responses across both states. Power restoration efforts are ongoing, but with such a large number of outages, it is anticipated that it will take some time to fully restore electricity.

This storm highlights the vulnerability of our infrastructure to extreme weather events and sets the imperative for continued and increased investment into robust, resilient power systems that can withstand adverse weather conditions. Preparations for a future with more intense and frequent storms begin with us learning from the experiences of events like Helene, in order to better protect and serve our communities.