What you should know about police, hospital, and EMS response after Hurricane Helene

Safety resources and first responding agencies continue to deal with the impacts of blocked roadways, fallen trees, power outages, and injuries as the Upstate recovers from Hurricane Helene.

Increases in the number of patients following the storm have delayed some responses at area hospitals and emergency centers, while the volume of calls that bombarded police and emergency medical services for hours has leveled.

Here are updates to emergency services across the Upstate.

More: Hurricane Helene: See the historic river level, rainfall, wind speed totals for the Upstate

Use emergency services only for life-threatening situations

• According to a Prisma Health update on Saturday, there are still delayed response times, closures, and traumas related to storm cleanup from yard equipment and falls. Prisma advises that going to an emergency department for a non-emergency situation may further delay care.
• Spartanburg Regional Health Care Center is still experiencing a high volume of emergency room patients and also advises using the care for life-threatening situations and serious symptoms. For all other injuries and ailments, go to the open immediate care centers at 3611 Pelham Road in Greenville or 1200 E. Main St. in Spartanburg on Sunday and Monday between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and 7 a.m.-9 p.m., respectively.

More: Upstate residents face long lines to get gas after Hurricane Helene

911 response times, lines return to normal

• The Spartanburg "9-1-1" phone number was restored as of Saturday morning after a temporary shutdown during Hurricane Helene. Callers are still encouraged to use (864) 596-2076 for life safety needs.
• Hurricane Helene caused law enforcement departments from Traveler's Rest, Mauldin, Greer, Simpsonville, Pickens, Easley, and Spartanburg to experience high volumes of emergency calls. All report calls stabilized as of Saturday evening.

More: Photos: Helene hits Greenville, SC, causing power outages, deaths

Emergency services in Anderson and fire stations

• According to Steven Kelley, Anderson County emergency management director, emergency responses for medical services, quick response vehicles and a portion of police within the county were delayed during Hurricane Helene but returned to normal as of 6 p.m. Friday. He added that the county did not use the staged FEMA resources sent to the area.

— Savannah Moss contributed to this story.

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription .

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What you should know about police, hospital, and EMS response after Hurricane Helene