Over 65K still without power in Lexington County after Helene

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South Carolinians, over 1 million of them, are still without power after Hurricane Helene brought heavy rains, strong winds and deadly flash floods throughout the state. 

And Lexington County, according to poweroutage.us, is among the S.C. counties still struggling to get back to normal as of Sept. 28. 

Over 65,000 outages are reported across Lexington County, according to poweroutage.us. 

More specifically, Aiken Electric Cooperative reported 1,594 outages as of Friday morning, Dominion Energy reported 36,651 outages as of Saturday morning, Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative reported 26,759 outages as of Saturday morning, Newberry Electric Cooperative reported 341 outages as of Saturday morning and Tri-County Electric Cooperative reported 350 outages as of Saturday morning. 

Duke Energy and Dominion Energy all agreed the power situation will not return to “normal” until the middle of next week, according to reporting from The Sumter Item. 

Gov. Henry McMaster confirmed during Friday's media briefing that there have been four deaths due to the hurricane: two firefighters in Saluda and two residents in Newberry. According to Department of Public Safety Director Robert Woods, all four deaths appear to have been traffic-related. Later, after the media briefing, Biance reported in a news release the number has risen to 19 storm-related deaths, including five in Spartanburg County, four each in Greenville and Aiken counties and two each in Newberry, Anderson and Saluda counties, according to Item reporting.

The Midlands got nearly 15 inches of rain and had wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour, according to John Quagliariello with the National Weather Service.

Here are some reports from Lexington County municipalities: 

WEST COLUMBIA 

"The City of West Columbia’s Carraway Park, 212 Hudson Street, West Columbia, is now open after being closed due to Hurricane Helene. Due to storm debris, all other city parks, including the Riverwalk, remain closed.

Road Closures:

For up-to-date road closure information, visit http://bit.ly/WECORoadClosures.

The following City parks remain closed:

• B Avenue Ball Park

• Bark West Dog Park

• Douglas Reeves Community Park

• Fowler Community Park

• Rosamunda Percell-Butler Community Park

• West Columbia Riverwalk Park and Amphitheater

• Moffatt Street Entrance to the Riverwalk

Who to Call:

Power Outages/Downed/Sparking Lines: 888-333-4465

Gas Leaks: 800-815-0083

Stormwater/Road Issues: 803-359-4103

Non-Emergencies/Trees in Roadway: 803-794-0721."

LEXINGTON

"While power is still be worked on to restore signal lights on Sunset Blvd/US-378, please drive alert as you approach intersections with patrol vehicles that have blue lights on since officers are likely directing traffic in the roadway.

Limit distractions, lower your speed, and be prepared to stop or go if directed by the officer to do so."
 
LEXINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
 
"We had some issues yesterday afternoon and our Patrol Division officers are responding to stopped vehicles in the roadway today around restaurants that are open to include Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Hardee’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts. In some cases, traffic is backing up over a half of a mile.
 
It’s unlawful to stop in the roadway and this carries a fine of $232.50 and four points. Having an officer block a business entrance to get traffic flowing again is not a good use of our resources.
 
A suggestion would be to park in a nearby parking lot and walk to the business.
 
We have to keep traffic moving through the Town of Lexington, SC and appreciate everyone working together on this."
 
IRMO
 
"Due to the ongoing State of Emergency in South Carolina and the significant damage caused by the recent storm, the Town of Irmo has decided to cancel the Lexington Medical Center Irmo Okra Strut, including the parade and all festivities at Moore Park.
With numerous fallen trees, widespread power outages, debris-strewn streets, and damaged traffic signals, prioritizing the safety of our community is paramount. Our public resources are fully dedicated to recovery efforts, ensuring the well-being of all residents.
 
To safeguard the public, all Town parks, including Moore Park, Rawls Creek Park (skate park, community garden, and dog park), Veterans Park, and Irmo Town Park, will remain closed until further notice.
We urge residents to prioritize their safety and avoid unnecessary travel during this time. Please remain patient as crews work diligently to restore essential services and clear roadways."
 
CHAPIN
 
"All roads in the Town of Chapin appear to be opened. If you come across a downed tree blocking the roadway please call 803-785-2521.
 
Outside of the Town roads still may be blocked, but most have been reported already and are in the process of being cleared.
 
Power is out for the majority of Chapin and there is no timeline for when it will be restored. With that being the case the majority of businesses in Town will be closed. Again if you can stay home, stay home. We will update once there is an update to give.
 
If you don’t need to go out into the Town of Chapin, South Carolina Please stay home.
 
We have numerous reports of downed trees and power lines, which we know you are all aware of. All information is being passed along to public works (both Chapin and Lex Co) and Dominion."

Deirdre Currin of The Sumter Item contributed to this report. 

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