Long lines for food and fuel as power companies work to restore power

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Utility companies said they have thousands of boots on the ground working to restore power this weekend. The few businesses open have hour-long wait times for food and fuel.

Duke Energy said Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to their infrastructure leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power.

“With the wind and the rain we seen trees toppled over from saturation, wind impacting trees and vegetation and other things that interfere with our lines and bring polls down,” spokesmen for Duke Energy, Ryan Mosier said. “We are seeing that type of damage not just across Greenville-Spartanburg but the entire upstate and in western Carolinas.”

Duke Energy said they have close to 13,000 people working to restore power.

“Many of them are from places outside of the Carolinas, some as far as Canada, actually. And they are helping us access damage and begin restoration efforts,” Mosier said. “You might not see a truck in your front yard, that doesn’t mean that people are not working to restore power to your home or business. They are just doing it a mile down the road or two miles down the road because that work has to be done first before you can receive power to your home.”

While Duke Energy crews make repairs Spartanburg County, residents are lining up for gas, some waiting hours.

“This time about an hour, the last station when we went to ran out after we got up there after waiting an hour,” Dale Ponds told 7NEWS.

Residents said they have searched high and low for the few gas stations that are selling fuel, including the BP on the corner of Fairforest Road in Spartanburg.

“We had to come from Woodruff to get gas here (Spartanburg), and there is nothing in Woodruff. Nothing open whatsoever,” Ponds added.

Other drivers said they used social media to find out what gas stations were open. The long lines created traffic along Fairforest Road, even backing on Exit 2C on the I-85 Business Loop.

Not everyone who are at the gas stations are in search of fuel. Ed Miller told 7NEWS that him and his stepson were looking for food.

“We are not worried about gas at the moment because we can walk and we can get food, but we were glad that the Swift Mart did get open,” Miller said. “They just got their roller grills and their stuff working, so we have got hot food in there which will be for the first time in a day or so.”

Here is a list of where you can find open gas and food locations in Spartanburg County.

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