Georgetown County residents begin cleanup after Hurricane Helene left some impact

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)–Neighbors in Georgetown County are feeling some relief after hurricane Helene moved through late Thursday evening.

On Friday morning, residents in Georgetown woke up to the sound of tornado alerts.

“We saw suitable for 4 1/2 hours of impacts that were probably the most severe that we were experiencing relatively mild, thank goodness,” said Brandon Ellis, Georgetown County emergency services director.

In Andrews, a couple was left without a home after a tree destroyed it, but they were thankful the damage was just material, and no one was injured.

“The first thing I thought about was that I was thankful God had let me live another day. He protected my family and me; we couldn’t ask for anything better. My wife could’ve been killed instantly. The limb stopped about 10 feet from her,” said Andrews resident Lane Taylor.

Many in Georgetown are still recovering from the impacts of tropical storm Debby last month, but many residents said they are thankful that Helene’s impacts were relatively minor.

“Fortunately, this time, we feared that more than what was anticipated, so there was no flooding but lots of wind and rain. So, all in all, I think we did well,” said Tamika Williams Obeng, city of Georgetown councilwoman.

Officials are reminding residents to be careful around debris and downed power lines and to stay alert as the hurricane season continues.

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