Death Toll Rises to 29 in South Carolina Amid Power Outages and Flooding Following the Wake of Tropical Storm Helene

September 30, 2024

South Carolina Governor, Henry McMaster confirmed on Monday the alarming death toll at 29 caused by Tropical Storm Helene. Amid continuous widespread flooding and power outages, federal aid for recovery was expedited in the storm-struck Palmetto State. As of 2:30 p.m. Monday, in excess of 745,000 electric customers were still without power, over half of these being Duke Energy customers situated in the state’s Upstate.

Duke Energy’s South Carolina President, Mike Callahan, is confident that power will be mostly restored to customers by Friday evening. Rob Hochstetler, CEO of the Central Electric Power Cooperative expressed his grave concern about the extent of the damage whilst addressing the state on behalf of its 19 cooperatives. “This is unprecedented damage…This is not a typical storm restoration. It’s a rebuild,” he stated.

Rivers Reach Major Flood Stage, More Flooding Predicted

Reports from the National Weather Service indicate that multiple rivers, that is, the Enoree, Saluda, Broad, Catawba, Wateree and Congaree, located in the Midlands and Upstate, reached a major flood stage on Sunday and Monday. Record highs were hit by the Broad River situated close to the North Carolina border, and the Saluda and Reedy rivers in Greenville. Flooding is anticipated to accelerate downstream. The Congaree River in Columbia rose Monday morning, marginally shy of the levels witnessed during the historic floods of 2015, brought about by torrential rainfall from Hurricane Joaquin.

Multiple Fatalities and Infrastructure Damage Across the State

State Department of Transportation Secretary, Justin Powell, reported 480 road closures due to fallen trees and power lines statewide as of Monday 2:30 p.m., along with 16 roads washed out by the storm. The highest numbers of fatalities were recorded in Spartanburg and Greenville counties, both reporting six deaths, followed by Aiken County with five, Anderson County with four, Saluda County with three, Newberry County with two and just one fatality in Chesterfield, Greenwood and York counties. The majority were killed by falling trees.

Within the death toll were tragic stories of individuals caught unawares by the devastating storm including: Karen McCall, 60, of Anderson; two men in Landrum hit by a falling tree; James Walter Parrish, 47, who was driving a motorcycle when he was hit by another vehicle swerving to miss a fallen tree; Michael Roukous, 29, a New Yorker vacationing in Beech Island was killed by a crashing tree. Additional casualties include two volunteer firefighters and a man in Chesnee who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning while operating a generator in his home.

By noon Monday, reports indicated the death toll from Helene had hit at least 120 across six states. At least 35 people were confirmed dead in the North Carolina county which includes Asheville, according to The Associated Press.

Aid and Recovery

In recovery development news, the Federal Emergency Management Agency promptly approved Governor McMaster’s request for an expedited presidential disaster declaration. This makes uninsured and underinsured homeowners and renters in multiple South Carolinian counties eligible for financial assistance to cater for repairs, temporary housing and replacement of significant household items.

Victims who suffered losses can initiate the application process for this assistance by registering online or by dialing 1-800-621-3362. An expedited declaration is typically made available when the damage’s scale and severity are evident, even prior to comprehensive damage assessments being undertaken, according to the Governor’s office.

While South Carolinians continue to grapple with the devastation and loss due to Tropical Storm Helene, the slowly incoming aid and recovery efforts bring a glimmer of hope amid the hardship.