Tropical Storm Helene snapped utility poles and downed lines across South Carolina on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, particularly in the Upstate and along the Georgia border. (Paul Hyde/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)
COLUMBIA — The number of people confirmed dead in South Carolina because of Hurricane Helene is up to 36, Gov. Henry McMaster said Tuesday.
Nearly 630,000 people were still without power as of about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. That was a big drop from the 1.3 million who had no power at the height of outages after the storm blew through Friday but still more than anywhere else in the country. The vast majority of remaining outages were in the Upstate and along the Georgia border.
“Things are getting better, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” McMaster said.
Flooding remained a risk Tuesday for people living near rivers downstream of the worst flooding. The Congaree and Wateree rivers reached their crests Monday, meaning the worst was likely over for people along their banks, said Andrew Phillips, chief of preparedness for the Emergency Management Division.
Officials were still monitoring the Santee, which, because of its position downstream, is at risk of reaching a major flood stage Thursday or Friday. The Pee Dee River could also reach a moderate flood stage Wednesday, Phillips said.
People in flood-prone areas should listen to advice from local officials on whether to evacuate, Phillips said.
Deaths
The number of deaths caused by Helene, which was a tropical storm by the time it hit South Carolina, has surpassed the 35 caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, McMaster said. The death toll is expected to continue rising, he said.
People have died in 12 different counties, according to the Department of Public Safety. Aiken, Greenville and Spartanburg were the hardest hit, with six reported deaths each.
Most of those people were hit by fallen trees, said department Director Robert Woods.
Death toll climbs to 29 in SC as flooding, power outages continue in Tropical Storm Helene’s wake
Officials warned against running generators indoors, which can kill people by carbon monoxide poisoning. At least one person, a man in Chesnee, has died that way.
“That’s extremely dangerous,” said Emily Farr, director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
Fires are another concern. Flashlights are a better option, but anyone using candles to light their home while the power is out should make sure the candle is on a flat surface and never left unattended, Farr said.
Power outages
Downed powerlines are the biggest obstacle for people and agencies trying to clean up debris, officials said Tuesday.
Many fallen power lines are still active, McMaster said. That’s hindering chainsaw crews, who can’t touch trees tangled up in wires, and Department of Transportation crews, who can’t clear some downed telephone poles out of roads, officials said.
“Power line entanglements remain the single biggest obstacle to reopening roadways,” said Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell.
Electricity has also been a major problem for people trying to get gas in the Upstate. The pipelines that bring gas into the state were continuing to flow, but power outages at gas stations prevented pumps from distributing it, Phillips said.
Most gas stations in the state have reopened since this weekend, when gas was a rarity in the Upstate, Phillips said.
“Based on the data we have, there’s gas, and most of the gas stations we have at this point in time are open,” Phillips said.
Federal aid
The storm has caused at least $16 million in damage to homes, a number that is expected to continue rising as reports continue to roll in. Thousands of homes were damaged across 18 counties, 66 of which were completely destroyed and 517 of which suffered major damage, said Kim Stenson, Emergency Management Division director.
Officials are working to get federal assistance for uninsured and underinsured homeowners in seven more counties, adding to the 13 who were approved for expedited aid Monday.
Want to aid SC recovery efforts? One SC Fund re-activated to collect and distribute donations
Allendale, Abbeville, Edgefield, Laurens, McCormick, Richland and Union counties are all working on applications to be added to the list for help, McMaster said.
Over 64,000 people had already applied for federal assistance Tuesday, said Brett Howard, federal coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“I know there are counties left out, and that’s a big thing, but we went with what we had to get assistance to survivors,” Howard said.
The state Department of Social Services is asking the federal government to cover the cost of replacing groceries for people receiving food assistance in counties where at least half the population lost power for four hours or more, according to a Tuesday news release.
President Joe Biden will visit the state Wednesday as part of a regional tour of devastated areas. McMaster did not say whether he would meet with Biden during the president’s visit, which will include an aerial tour of North and South Carolina.
McMaster said he spoke to Biden on Monday.
“He said, whatever we need, to let him know,” McMaster said. “And we’re doing that.”
Local aid
Shelters are available in 15 locations, six of which are specifically meant for people with medical needs, said Michael Leach, Department of Social Services director.
Most of the 233 people using shelters Tuesday stopped by for food, to charge their phones or to get power for oxygen machines that need power, Leach said. The state is also handing out 1,400 oxygen canisters to anyone who needs a resupply, said Edward Simmer, interim director for the Department of Public Health.
The best way to help people hit by the storms is to donate money, said Marcia Adams, Department of Administration director.
The One SC Fund reactivated Tuesday to collect donations and had received more than $750,000 by that afternoon, said Georgia Mjartan, president and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is opening kitchens in Cherokee, Spartanburg and Aiken counties, on top of delivering meals to people in Greenwood and Laurens counties. The American Red Cross is also planning to use its vans to deliver meals wherever people need them most, Leach said.