Checking In - Recovering from Hurricane Helene

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you safe and well (and dry) in the aftermath of the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene across the southeast. It's hard to believe that it has been nine years since the thousand-year flood occurrence of October 3, 2015, and now we have another historic weather event. Although, as I felt back then, I am grateful and proud to live in a community which is always ready, willing, and able to give a helping hand to those in harm's way, and I am in awe of the resiliency of our community. I would like to give a particular shoutout to the City of Forest Acres for its consistent and informative updates regarding the locations of downed trees, power outages, and road closures. I know it was helpful to many of you, including me.

While I know that some still do not have electricity, Dominion has assured me that it is working around the clock to ensure all power is restored as quickly as possible. Right now, over 95% of Dominion customers in Richland County have had their power restored.

The Department of Transportation also has been working tirelessly, and provided me with the following update as of this morning:

"All interstates are clear, and portions of just a few primary routes remain blocked due to power line entanglements with downed trees. The majority of the current closures are on secondary roads and neighborhood streets, but as utilities have begun moving into more neighborhoods to restore power, we expect to clear many more secondaries in the coming days. To date, SCDOT has cleared and reopened more than 400 roads that were blocked as a result of Helene’s winds and rain. But there is much more to do. A number of roads, bridges and culverts will require extensive repair, and we will work to mobilize forces to those repairs quickly. Also, while all attention has been on reopening blocked roads, it will take time for SCDOT and its contractors to remove and dispose of the massive amounts of debris left by the storm."

Please call our SCDOT customer service center at 855-467-2368 to report any assistance needed with state maintained roads. You can also find information on road conditions and other storm related resources at scdot.org.

For those who have sustained significant damage, you can begin applying for FEMA assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA App. Right now the following SC counties have been designated as a disaster relief area: Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, and Spartanburg. While Richland County has not yet been designated, I have been told that even if your county is not on the list, you are able to apply because your county can be added after FEMA makes a complete assessment of the damage, so the applicant will already be in the system if their county gets added.

If you need help with damage cleanup, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division has suggested contacting the Hurricane Helene Cleanup Hotline at 1-844-965-1386. Volunteers may be able to assist with "mucking out, cleaning up trees, tarping roofs, and/or clearing debris." All services are free but not guaranteed.

Please feel free to reach out to me if there is anything my office can do to help as you navigate the days ahead.

Thank you for the privilege and opportunity to represent you and our community at the Statehouse.

Best,