No power, no gas, boiled water advisories, and limited access to food have felt like the apocalypse for businesses and residents of the CSRA. The minutes turned into hours and the hours turned into days, a week ago today to be exact.
According to insurers and financial institutions, damage caused by Helene could run into the billions of dollars. The lights out before and after Helene map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides a dark and daunting perspective of the storm’s impact.
Georgia Power’s response to Hurricane Helene – the most destructive hurricane in the company’s history – has now grown to 20,000 personnel and continues its work across the state. As of Tuesday afternoon, October 1, the company has restored power to over 1 million customers impacted by Hurricane Helene – approximately 80 percent of all customers impacted by the storm.
Georgia Power’s Outage Map illustrates the highest concentration of power outages remain in areas such as Augusta, Valdosta, Savannah, and surrounding communities. In many cases, the damage to infrastructure is so severe that teams are essentially rebuilding parts of the grid and not just repairing specific elements.
Updated damage estimates illustrating the extensive destruction of Hurricane Helene include:
- 8,000+ power poles that must be repaired or replaced
- 21,000+ spans of wire equivalent to approximately 1,000 miles
- 1,500+ transformers
- 3,200+ trees on power lines that must be removed or addressed to restore power
According to Jefferson Energy, as of Wednesday, there were still 19,485 members with no power. “We have 7 substations in Richmond County, 3 in Columbia County, 1 in McDuffie, 2 in Jefferson County, and 1 in Warren County that are active. That is a total of 14 of our 26 substations in working condition,” according to Jefferson Energy spokespersons.
Meanwhile, Aiken Electric Cooperative (AEC) and Dominion Energy are also working round the clock to restore power to businesses and consumers. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has helped clear trees and debris for AEC to access more areas and restore power.
“What you might not see is how every single AEC employee and contractor is working around the clock, even when many of them are without power or water in their own homes. They leave their families behind each day, fully committed to restoring power to yours. Their dedication, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment are nothing short of extraordinary,” said Gary Stooksbury, CEO of AEC.
Here is a link to the restored AEC power outage map: http://map.aikenco-op.org:8080/
It’s a similar story for Dominion Energy, a company that also serves CSRA SC counties. Their crews are in the midst of rebuilding the power grid from the ground up in some areas.
Even more crews and equipment are focused on restoring power to the approximately 57,000 customers who were still without it as of 8:30 AM, Wednesday.
As Dominion works 24/7 to restore power in the aftermath of Helene, safety remains their top priority.
Here are seven tips to keep in mind while operating your generator safely:
- Properly connect your generator and follow all safety instructions.
- Operate generators outside, away from flammable objects.
- Do not run in unvented spaces without windows or cross-ventilation.
- Do not connect a portable generator to your home.
- Use caution and be sure it is properly grounded.
- Connect equipment directly to the outlets of the generator.
- Use approved and properly sized power cords.
The efforts by all power companies serving the CSRA are a bright spot for local eateries. Seafood favorites like Rhineharts and Beamies at the River in Augusta are open and serving up oysters and shrimp.
In North Augusta, Rio Cantina, Brinkley’s Chophouse, The Feed Sack, and Southbound Smokehouse are open, but check their Facebook pages to learn if they are cash only or accepting credit cards. Some also have limited menus.
In Aiken, That Flippin’ Egg, Aiken Fish House, and Mi Rancho on Whiskey Road are also open. Again, check Facebook pages for your favorites to determine if they are open, take out only, and whether they can accept cards or cash only.
Also, one last point, those who are serving you might be in the same boat as you and your family. As so many have said, “We are all in this together.”
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
