Power Restoration Progress in Columbia, S.C. Following Hurricane Helene
Columbia, S.C. has been seeing a tremendous effort in getting the lights back on for residents after the disruptive impact of Hurricane Helene. The recent storm left many in the dark, but Dominion Energy has stepped up to restore power as quickly as possible. They have announced some encouraging news: they expect to have around 95 percent of customers back online by late Sunday night.
What’s Happening?
As of now, crews are hard at work in five counties that were hit particularly hard by the storm. According to Keller Kissam, the president of Dominion Energy South Carolina, the restoration process may take some time due to the extensive damage caused by fallen trees:
“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. We will continue the labor-intensive work to restore power neighborhood to neighborhood, street to street and house to house until every last customer is brought back into the light.”
It’s a vital mission, and it involves overcoming a lot of challenges. Over 4,000 Dominion Energy employees and extra resources have been tirelessly working since last week, trying to restore power to over 406,000 customers statewide. This massive effort means that nearly 92 percent of customers affected by the hurricane are already back with power.
The Challenges Ahead
Despite the progress, there are still hurdles to clear. The rugged, wooded terrains in some rural areas made it particularly difficult for crews to navigate and repair the damaged electric grid. It’s important to note that if any customer experienced damage from the storm to the weather heads — an important part of the electrical system that connects the utility to your home — an electrician will need to fix that issue before Dominion Energy can restore power. This ensures safety and compliance with electrical codes.
Estimated Restoration Times
As for the specific areas affected, Dominion Energy has provided updates on their outage map, which includes detailed information about estimated restoration times by county. Customers can access this map to get an understanding of when they might expect to have power restored.
While the warm sunny days of late summer might feel far away during this period of uncertainty, residents can take comfort in knowing that there’s a dedicated team working non-stop to restore normalcy. The commitment of utilities workers is truly commendable as they brave the elements and put in long hours to ensure that people can return to their everyday lives without further disruption.
Community Resilience
In times like this, it’s also essential to remember the strength and resilience of the community. Neighbors are banding together, checking on each other, and sharing resources as they cope with this inconvenience. It’s a wonderful example of how a community can come together in times of adversity.
As we move into the next week, it’s essential for everyone to stay tuned for further updates regarding power restoration. All hands are on deck, and the hope is that soon, Columbia will be brightly lit up once again!
