Newberry County Faces Long Road to Recovery Following Hurricane Helene’s Devastation

Newberry County Struggles to Bounce Back After Hurricane Helene

Newberry, South Carolina, is still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene, which barreled through the area just three days ago. Residents are busy digging out from the aftermath, with power outage maps showing a clear division across the state. While the eastern counties are basking in the glories of restored power, the western side, especially Newberry County, remains largely in the dark. An astounding 76% of the county’s residents were still without power as of Monday afternoon.

Life without Power

Bethany Green is one of the many Newberry residents experiencing this unfortunate situation. She’s been navigating life with a generator at the temporary home she shares with her father on the east side of Newberry. The duo was fortunate to escape serious harm when a large tree toppled over during the storm, taking down power lines and poles along their street but narrowly missing Bethany’s truck parked just a few feet away.

“There’s a dent in the hood, but that’s it,” she shared. “If the truck had been parked a few feet forward, there would be no car to go to work.” It’s a thought that resonates with many in the community, as normal life has been thrown into disarray.

Power Restorations in Progress

The city manager, Jason Taylor, explained the magnitude of the storm’s impact. When that tree crashed down early Friday morning, power to Newberry ceased, leaving every home and business in complete darkness. Adding to the chaos, around 80% of the city’s roads were reportedly blocked due to storm debris, complicating emergency responses.

“We’ve got to get those up and running,” Taylor remembered thinking about the hospital’s loss of power and the water systems being affected. “If we didn’t get the roads open, we couldn’t get our emergency vehicles out.” Thankfully, progress has been made. By Monday, around 75% of the power customers managed to have their electricity restored. Out on the streets, crews from neighboring North Carolina have been working hard to restore the tangled power lines.

Community Resilience

On Monday, while Bethany managed to avoid any substantial damage to her home, Chris Dunn faced a different ordeal. His neighbor’s pecan tree fell at an alarming speed, crashing through his roof just before dawn on that fateful Friday. Water began pouring into an unused bedroom, but Chris maintained a positive outlook. “It’s a really well-built house,” he remarked, expressing his relief that his home remained intact enough to stay comfortably livable.

While Chris’s power was restored swiftly—just a 12-hour outage—others in the community are not as fortunate. A temporary shelter has been established at Newberry High School, complete with a charging station in the old firehouse. Local residents have been finding respite as they can plug in their devices and catch up on news. Coffee and water were happily provided, making the difficult situation a little more bearable for those still without power.

Community Spirit Shines Bright

Residents like Menda Shelton from Joanna have come to take advantage of these resources. She and her children made the trip to charge their devices, with her son taking full advantage of the internet connection to do his schoolwork. Taylor reflected on the outpouring of community engagement, saying that “hundreds of people” have utilized the charging station, especially college students who were without power until midday Sunday.

Despite the chaos and uncertainty, Chris Dunn noted the remarkable community spirit. “I joked that we should put out a table with a collection jar and then take it downtown,” he said. “There are people worse off than we are.” This sentiment rings true throughout Newberry, where neighbors continuously check in with one another to see if help is needed. “Everyone has asked if we need anything,” Chris expressed. “That says a lot.”

As Newberry County works to rebuild and recover, the resilience and support shown by its residents paint a hopeful picture for the days ahead.