Greenville hit hard with wind and rain

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – Thousands are still without power from a severe thunderstorm last night. The storm brought down trees and snapped power poles.

The City of Greenville saw damages from Tuesday night’s storm.

Some residents said they did not realize the damage was so severe.

“Honestly I did not know that we had gotten this much damage,” a Greenville resident said. “I came from the post office from downtown off the Swamp Rabbit Trail, that’s when I started seeing it. It caused a lot of damage.”

Duke Energy says about 13,000 people lost power due to the storm. Many said their power went out at about 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. Tuesday

Wednesday morning, everyone was in clean-up mode.

“It’s just a big mess all over the yard actually,” Greenville resident, Tommy Smith said.

The damage throughout Greenville has been severe in many places. Trees on top of homes, traffic lights out, power lines down, and debris absolutely everywhere.

“We are very fortunate,” Greenville resident, Millie Bellerjeau said. “Our neighbors are all safe. There’s trees down but nobody has been injured and that is the most important part.”

Others also said they are thankful that no injuries have been reported.

“Very thankful that nobody is hurt,” Property Investor, Matt Runge said. “That’s the big thing. As long as everybody is safe, all this can be fixed.”

A message from Duke Energy:

Before the storm

• Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable time later. The kit should include everything an individual or family would need for at least two weeks, especially medicines, water, non-perishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm hits.

• Keep a portable radio or TV or a NOAA weather radio on hand to monitor weather forecasts and important information from state and local officials.

• Charge cellphones, computers and other electronic devices in advance of storms to stay connected to important safety and response information. Consider purchasing portable chargers and make sure they are fully charged as well.

• Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with special needs – to a safe, alternative location in case an extended power outage occurs, or evacuation is required.

• Pet owners should arrange to stay at evacuation shelters that accept pets; friends’ or family members’ homes; or pet-friendly hotels.

• Make sure contact information is up to date and communication preferences are noted in your account so you can receive proactive updates from Duke Energy on the status of power outages.

• For more tips on how to prepare for storms, and how Duke Energy can help, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips .

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