DISASTER! Progress & Patience

Posted on 30 Sep at 3:24 pm

DISASTER! Progress & Patience

Dear Friends:

For South Carolina, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is a testament to our resilience. It surpasses the historic Hurricane Hugo of 1989 that pounded Charleston and the Low Country. This is the perspective of several people I have spoken to who experienced and survived both storms. Another Aiken County old-timer said this was the most severe storm damage he had ever experienced. Statewide, twenty-five deaths are attributed to the storm.

Helene’s havoc was fueled by Thursday’s heavy rain, which saturated the ground. Then, early Friday morning, Helene veered from its predicted I-75 track through Georgia and headed toward the Savannah River region. The rain-soaked ground gave up its trees when Helene blew in with wind gusts over 70+ m.p.h. The electric power lines were no match for falling timber.

Sunday, Governor Henry McMaster, accompanied by state officials, assessed the damage from the air, then landed at the Aiken Airport to brief local officials, followed by a news conference. I’ll provide the details in a moment, but first, I want to share a few thoughts.

Testing Your Patience

We live in a world of instant gratification. Many people want fulfillment in a nanosecond. That won’t happen in the wake of Helene’s debris field. The massive storm ripped through the western South Carolina counties before entering North Carolina, where it destroyed small mountain towns. It will take more time than you would like to find a semblance of normalcy here in Aiken County and elsewhere. Your patience will be tested. Please pass the test.

“They’re Not Doing Their Job!”

It’s like the “expert spectator” in the stands who knows more than the coach or quarterback and becomes vocal in their criticism. It’s the same for the arm-chair quarterbacks critiquing and criticizing those experts in charge of restoring electrical power, cutting downed trees, and removing rubble. Instead of the stadium stands, they boldly post on social media. That’s not helpful, and it just fuels anger and flames false rumors. Please resist.

For example, a Sunday news conference reporter asked about the social media swirl claiming the S.C. power companies had sent crews to Florida. Fact: It never happened. Just the opposite — before the storm, S.C. electrical utilities requested aid from other states.

I have found that the best way is to ask questions before roaring on social media. Ask me or any other local elected official. We’ll tell you the facts as we know them or get an answer from someone who knows the truth.

Reinforcements are Coming

When a storm hits, S.C. customarily receives aid from neighboring states, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Those states have their mess to clean up, so we welcome the electrical linemen from Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Many are already here, and more caravans of electrical trucks are rolling in.

Perspective & Priorities

The destruction a hurricane brings makes our world much smaller and inconvenient. Most of us are staying close to home but also want order brought into our lives quickly. We want downtown Aiken cleaned up now. Ideally, that would happen. However, officials with a broad perspective of the current situation know North Augusta was harder hit than Aiken, so that area is getting priority resources. The mid-cities are also suffering. They are high on the list. Downtown Aiken is important, but officials with a perspective and knowledge must prioritize resources. Also, consider that other countries north of Aiken are facing serious issues, needing help, and vying for the same resources.

Facts from the Governor’s Briefing

S.C. was highly prepared before the storm, with more than 10,000 workers prepositioned. These included SCDOT crews, electric linemen, National Guard soldiers, and many contractors.
FEMA is embedded with S.C.’s Emergency Management, and FEMA resources have been activated and are heading to S.C.
A significant choke point in restoring the massive number of downed power lines is the safety of the work crews. Downed power lines can get entangled with tree limbs and must be deactivated before the chainsaws can be used, slowing the process.
Power is being restored. Over 3 million electric customers are in S.C., and 1.3 million were without power after the storm. The next day, it was 1.2 million; Sunday, it was 904,000.
About 600 S.C. National Guard personnel have been deployed for storm cleanup. Some are working in North Augusta. Gov. McMaster has directed the National Guard to bring all personnel not already deployed overseas to work on storm duty.
McMaster reported that most gas stations have plenty of fuel in the tanks, but it can’t be pumped until the power is restored. Turning on their power is a priority.
The Governor urged citizens to be patient with the storm response and be extremely cautious driving near work crews. Don’t put those helping us in danger.

Dominion Energy Update

Dominion Energy President Keller Kissam reported that considerable progress is being made in restoring electrical power.

✔️ Nearly half of Dominion’s 820,000 customers were impacted by Helene. This morning, power has been restored to more than 2/3s, leaving about 125,000 without power.

✔️ In Aiken County, Dominion serves 62,074 customers. 71% or 43,563 customers are without power.

✔️ Dominion has more than 600 linemen working in Aiken County this morning, with another 100 arriving today. As other areas of the state are restored, those workers will also be sent to Aiken County. Dominion will have more than 2,000 workers in Aiken County soon.

✔️ Over the weekend, helicopters dragging giant saw blades cleared the large transition line

✔️ Dominion reports a significant focus is getting electricity to the pump and water stations.

✔️ While Dominion expects substantial progress this week, by mid-week, they hope to provide an estimated time of restoration (ETR) for all counties.

Aiken Electric Coop

Gary Stooksberry, President of Aiken Electric Cooperative, provided this briefing, saying it was the worst storm damage he’s experienced in his 30 years at the Coop.

☑️ Aiken Coop’s service area spans nine counties with more than 5,500 miles of utility lines. Of the nine counties, Aiken, Edgefield, and Saluda were the hardest hit.

☑️ The storm disabled 27 of the Coops’ 29 substations. After the storm, only two had power from the transmission lines. Early on, the top priority was to energize all the substations. As of Sunday, only one remains down.

☑️ With the substations online, the Coop crews focus on hazardous conditions, such as broken poles and downed lines, that prevent power from reaching members’ homes. Restoring power is not a simple task—it requires multiple steps and, in many cases, extensive repairs. Linemen are encountering damage like they’ve never seen.

☑️ Aiken Coop has an army of 300 linemen working around the clock to restore power. Additional crews arrived last night, bringing their total to 163 contractors, and more are on the way. Contractors from all over the country are working alongside Coop linemen; it’s all hands-on deck. Even with this support, the damage is severe, and specific areas may take up to a week to restore power.

☑️ According to the latest statistics from www.PowerOutage.US , about two-thirds of Aiken Coops’ customers are powerless.

Fuel Scramble

There are two primary reasons for the long lines at local gas stations. First, the regional fuel distribution center in North Augusta does not have power. Dominion says it will restore its power by midday today (Monday). Second, many stations still do not have electrical power, so they cannot be opened. Both Dominion and Aiken Electric are working hard to get power to areas with convenience stores, grocery stores, and other stores we depend on for daily necessities.

SC DOT Update

SC’s Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell reported that SCDOT moved personnel and equipment from the eastern half of the state to the western part of the state before the storm. After the hurricane passed, some crews had to cut their way out of many SCDOT maintenance yards to hit the roads. Crews are working around the clock.

Priority #1 was getting the Interstate highways. That mission was completed yesterday.
Priority #2 is the primary roads, such as US-1 and SC-19 in Aiken and Edgefield Counties. Most are open except for some locations where power lines are entangled with downed trees.
Priority #3 is the secondary roads and the many state-designated neighborhood streets.
Priority #4 will focus on picking up the tremendous amount of tree debris on state right-of-ways. SCDOT will begin once all roads are open, several weeks into October. It is a long and expensive process.

Powell said SCDOT is flooding resources into the storm area, and seven additional crews were added to Aiken County. Contractor crews are being added rapidly, and SCDOT is partnering with the National Guard, which already has 15 chainsaw crews cutting trees in what they label the “cut and toss” operations.

The greatest challenge is working through the entanglement of power lines with trees on the road, which requires utility companies to deactivate the lines.

Aiken County also reports that 14 debris teams are running to clear roads.

SLED Update

SLED Chief Mark Keel, the state’s top law enforcement officer, reported on how SLED coordinates law enforcement resources with cities and counties around the state. A priority is to provide additional patrols in those areas experiencing long lines at gas stations to try to curtail activities for those who lose their patience and are frustrated by waiting for gas.

Other S.C. law enforcement officers are being deployed to storm-ravaged counties to support local law enforcement.

Yard and Storm Debris

Residents are encouraged to pile yard debris on the street or road in front of their homes. Contractors will pick up the debris sometime in the next several weeks (or longer). This is how we operated during the 2014 Ice Storm.

Good Neighbors

As with every calamity, good and caring neighbors step forward to help others. That’s certainly the case in Aiken County. With the crack of dawn Friday morning, neighbors’ chainsaws revved into action, clearing streets and cutting big trees into manageable pieces.

There are countless stories of folks taking care of neighbors, friends, and strangers who found themselves victims of Helene. Caring people rise to the occasion. Bless you.

Gold Star for the Salvation Army

A special salute to Aiken’s Salvation Army. Following the storm, the Army maxed out its Aiken Shelter with more than 50 people, many of whom were forced out of their homes. The Army is supporting another full shelter in Belvidere with food. They also feed at the Salvation Army Headquarters and shelter on Park Avenue daily for lunch. By Sunday afternoon, the Salvation Army had served more than 5,000 meals during the three days after the storm.

A Salvation Army mobile canteen arrived Sunday to begin mobile feedings this week; another canteen is heading our way. Volunteers are needed with the canteen to help feed those in need. Please contact the Salvation Army if you wish to volunteer (803-641-4141). The canteens will feed people daily for lunch and dinner at various locations, posted on Facebook.

Friends, the Salvation Army needs monetary donations to keep this going. There is an enormous need, and the Army is at the frontlines. Giving can be done in the office at 322 Gayle Ave NW, Aiken, SC 29801, or at www.salvationarmyaiken.org.

Looking Forward

Helene’s aftermath is a developing issue. Some of the most devastating outcomes may not be seen for weeks. I’ll keep you updated as warranted. Stay tuned.