Lexington Faces Power Outages After Hurricane Helene’s Rampage
LEXINGTON, S.C. — After the tumultuous night brought on by Hurricane Helene, the residents of Lexington County are waking up to quite the aftermath. A staggering number of over 36,000 residents are currently without electricity due to extensive damage caused by the hurricane. The electricity providers, namely the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, are diligently working around the clock to restore power to their customers.
Recovery in Motion
We caught up with Chase Toler from the Electric Cooperatives, who laid out the daunting task ahead. “At the peak of outages this morning, around 9:10 a.m., we had over 408,000 meters reported without power! Fortunately, we managed to restore power to about 74,000 customers by Friday afternoon, and that number is only expected to grow,” he shared.
The recovery effort is far from over, however. Toler pointed out that there will still be a lot to do. “Given the immense damage we’ve seen across the Midlands, we’ve had to call in additional support from electric companies in nearby states. They will be heading in this evening and working through tomorrow morning,” he added. Despite everyone’s best efforts, he warned that restoring power is going to be a multi-day job.
Community Resilience
The spirit of Lexington’s residents is commendable, as many are rolling up their sleeves and taking action to clear debris from their streets. Neighbors from Cross Lake Homes came together to tackle a tree that had fallen and was blocking the main entrance. Teenager Joseph Yasses spoke about how he and his father along with friends spent about an hour sawing away at the fallen mass. “We were cutting off branches first. You can still see little bits of those branches lying around here,” Yasses recounted. “I even got to use my dad’s saw to help out.”
Just a couple of roads over, resident Austin Lovell helped clear another blocked roadway with a whole group of well-meaning neighbors. “There were about 14 or 15 of us out there working hard,” he said. “We made sure Beach Woods Road was clear so traffic could go both ways. Plus, while I was out, I noticed someone else needed help, so I jumped in!” Living by the motto of helping one another, it’s clear that the Lexington community is not only enduring this hurricane but rising to the occasion.
What Lies Ahead
For many residents, the next few days will be a waiting game as they stay updated on restoration efforts. Juggling uncertainty and hope, folks are banding together to support one another in this challenging time. If you’re wondering about current outages or want to report an issue, make sure to reach out to the local electric cooperatives.
As Lexington moves ahead in this recovery phase, let’s remember that even in the face of adversity, community spirit shines through. Residents are encouraged to stay safe, keep their neighbors close, and continue to lend a hand whenever possible.
