Power companies providing update on restorations efforts after Helene

(WSPA) – Power outages caused by Hurricane Helene could be fixed by Sunday evening, but hopefully earlier, according to Duke Energy.

Duke Energy released an update on Saturday regarding the mass power outage caused by Tropical Storm Helene.

The company said “nearly all customers outside of the western parts of the Carolinas should have power restored by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 29.”

Many outages are estimated to hopefully be fixed before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

Multiple municipal and state energy cooperative groups, including Broad River Electric and Laurens Electric, said they were also being impacted by downed transmission lines on Friday.

Laurens Electric said that as of Saturday evening, 70% of members remain without power, down from a peak of 98%. There is no estimated day or time that all power will be restored due to the storm’s severe impact, according to the company.

11 of 32 Laurens Electric substations have been brought back online, the next focus will be to restore hazardous conditions, such as downed lines and broken poles, to restore power to homes.

“Crews are cutting through an immeasurable amount of fallen trees and debris just to get to substations and other infrastructure, and are further hampered by fallen trees blocking roadways,” Laurens Electric said in a statement.

A third of all Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members now have power as crews continue restoration. The company said that the “positive momentum generated today (Saturday) will carry into Sunday and that outages will continue to decrease.”

Another 26 line personnel from Tennessee are arriving Sunday, according to Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative.

According to Duke Energy, there are reported to be 667,747 in the Upstate, as of 5 p.m. on Saturday.

According to Duke Energy, more than 11,000 line workers, damage assessors and others are working to restore power to impacted areas.

According to the National Weather Service, multiple parts of the Upstate and a large portion of Western North Carolina remains under a flood warning as rivers continue to rise and crest over the next few days.

Even as conditions improve, officials urge caution when navigating the area.

So far at least 11 people have been killed since the storm passed over the area. At least six have been killed by fallen trees.

911 lines are now available in Spartanburg County.

911 phone lines are also available in Cherokee County, according to an alert.

911 phone lines were down in Union County, according to Union County Emergency Management.

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners implemented a curfew from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. beginning on Friday. The board said the decision was been made to ensure the safety and well-being of the community following the storm.

If you or someone in your household requires emergency medical assistance, please call 911 immediately. Those who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power may be eligible for a medical needs shelter. Contact the S.C. Dept. or Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 .

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