Hurricane Helene Slams South Carolina, Leaves Devastation In Its Wake

On Thursday, Hurricane Helene swept through much of South Carolina and Western North Carolina leaving utter devastation in its wake. Much of the Midlands and Upstate South Carolina bore the brunt of the storm and efforts have only just begun to help residents affected in those areas. 

The state’s current death toll sits at 29, with most of those deaths occurring in the Upstate. This marks the deadliest storm in the state since Hurricane Hugo hit in 1989. 

Governor Henry McMaster requested a federal emergency disaster declaration for certain counties meaning that residents can apply for individual disaster aid to help with loss of property and belongings. The request was later approved 

The counties included in the request are Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Lexington, Oconee, Newberry, Pickens, Saluda and Spartanburg, according to the Lexington County Chronicle.

For more information about the disaster assistance program mentioned above, click here. 

FEMA also approved public assistance for Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda and Spartanburg counties. This measure allows for direct federal assistance for these counties for debris removal and other emergency protective measures. 

More information about the FEMA direct public assistance program can be found here. 

As of noon today, there are still nearly 740,000 power outages reported across the state. Duke Energy has released a timeline of when South Carolina residents can expect the entire county to have power again. That timeline can be found here. 

According to the latest press release from the governor’s office, the South Carolina Department of Transportation has 2,300 workers clearing roads and repairing traffic stops and the South Carolina National Guard has 400 active duty service members that are currently assisting evacuation and cleanup efforts. 

Resources

Those who need medical assistance such as charging for oxygen or ventilators can contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health Careline at 1-855-472-3432 to be triaged into a local medical needs shelter. 

Any resident of South Carolina who is seeking more information about Hurricane Helene and the state’s safety response can contact a toll-free hotline at 1-866-246-0133

Aiken County Residents: 

• Citizens needing tree removal can call the crisis cleanup at 844-965-1386. 

• Aiken County Red Cross has opened a community shelter in North Augusta at Merriweather Elementary

• Find more resources here. 

Anderson County Residents:

• All convenience centers with the exception of Craytonville, Agnew, and Whitehead are open as a place for residents to charge devices and cool off. 

Bamberg County Residents:

• Schools within Bamberg County are offering free lunches while the schools remain closed. More information about that can be found here.

Cherokee County Residents:

• Food and water distribution sites in the county are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow

• A temporary shelter has been set up at Kirby Memorial Baptist Church in Gaffney for those who need it. 

• For more information, use the link here.

Greenville County Residents:

• A medical needs shelter is currently open at the Bon Secours Wellness Center

• A California FEMA unit is being deployed to help with efforts but people should be prepared to support themselves for at least a week if not longer.

• More information can be found here.

Greenwood County Residents:

• A Red Cross Emergency shelter is operating at the YMCA of the Lakelands. Those who require oxygen can go here. 

• Officials are urging patience from residents in this county as the National Guard comes in to clear more roads and repair power lines. 

• Those who want more information can find it here

Lexington County Residents:

• Dolorosa Worship Center is offering a free hot dinner Monday-Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. this week.

• Lexington Medical Center in Leesville has water and snacks until supplies run out

• A complete list of resources for those in need can be found here.

Newberry County Residents:

• Newberry County Sheriff’s Office is giving out free water for those who are in need while supplies last.

• Newberry High School is still open as a public shelter. It is not pet-friendly but those who need to charge their O2 canisters can come. 

• More updates about efforts can be found here.

Pickens County Residents:

• Food and MRE’s are available across the county for drive-thru pickup.

• A pet-friendly shelter is open at Glenwood Baptist Church in Easley and charging stations can be found across the county. 

• More information can be found here.

Saluda County Residents:

• Red Bank Baptist Church is currently offering a free community meal until supplies run out.

• Richland Springs Baptist Church has showers open for community use. 

• More information can be found here.

Spartanburg County Residents:

• Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Byrnes High School, Enoree First Baptist Church and Woodruff High School are all serving free meals for those in need. 

• Harman’s Brothers is currently offering ice for community members until supplies run out. 

• Further updates can be found here.

Ways to Help

Anyone who wants to help with recovery efforts can sign up at VolunteerSC.org. 

You can also donate blood through the Blood Connection to help increase blood banks whose levels are critically low.

The Red Cross is also accepting donations for Hurricane Helene relief here.