Power Restoration Efforts Underway After Hurricane Helene in Columbia, S.C.
Columbia, S.C. is carefully rolling up its sleeves as recovery efforts from the impacts of Hurricane Helene continue. The local power company, Dominion Energy, has announced some encouraging news for residents who have been left in the dark following the storm. They estimate that power will be restored to about 95 percent of customers in the hardest-hit areas by late Sunday night. This is surely welcome news for many families eager to regain some sense of normalcy and routine.
A Ongoing Battle With Nature
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene didn’t just leave a few tree branches down on the sidewalk; it uprooted thousands of trees that caused widespread damage to the electric grid. Keller Kissam, the president of Dominion Energy South Carolina, emphasized the scale of the damage, stating, “We know families are desperate to make plans for the days ahead, but the work to reconnect miles and miles of poles and wire will take time.” This really drives home how serious the situation has been.
Since the storm hit, over 4,000 dedicated employees from Dominion Energy and helpful resources have been working tirelessly around the clock. Their aim? To restore power to the more than 406,000 customers statewide who were affected. In fact, the company reports that nearly 92 percent of those impacted have already had their power restored, which is quite an accomplishment given the circumstances.
Understanding the Restoration Process
For those who are still waiting for their lights to come back on, it might be worth noting a crucial step in the restoration process. If a home has suffered any storm-related damage that extends from the weather head down to its meter base, these repairs must be made by a licensed electrician before Dominion Energy can safely restore power. This is to ensure that everything is up to code and safe for the residents returning to their homes.
Residents across the affected counties can get more information on the specifics of the restoration efforts by checking out Dominion Energy’s outage map. This resource provides up-to-date information on when each area is expected to regain power, making it easier for families to plan ahead.
Looking Ahead
The challenge for teamwork with Dominion Energy is far from over. Crews will continue their labor-intensive work through next week, particularly in the heavily wooded and rural areas of the state where the damage is most severe. This is truly a grassroots effort, as teams work on restoring power neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street, and house by house.
The heartwarming dedication of the workers can’t go unnoticed; they show up and respond to the urgent need of the community. Residents, too, have displayed remarkable resilience and patience during this time. There is hope that by the end of this weekend, families will be reuniting around their dining tables, the lights shining bright once again!
So, if you’re in Columbia, hang tight! Your power is on its way back, and with a bit of luck, normalcy will soon return to our beloved community. In the meantime, let’s keep supporting each other as we all navigate through these challenging times together.
