SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Utility companies said they have thousands of boots on the ground working to restore power this weekend. The few businesses open have hour-long wait times for food and fuel.
Duke Energy said Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to their infrastructure leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power.
“With the wind and the rain we seen trees toppled over from saturation, wind impacting trees and vegetation and other things that interfere with our lines and bring polls down,” spokesmen for Duke Energy, Ryan Mosier said. “We are seeing that type of damage not just across Greenville-Spartanburg but the entire upstate and in western Carolinas.”
Duke Energy said they have close to 13,000 people working to restore power.
“Many of them are from places outside of the Carolinas, some as far as Canada, actually. And they are helping us access damage and begin restoration efforts,” Mosier said. “You might not see a truck in your front yard, that doesn’t mean that people are not working to restore power to your home or business. They are just doing it a mile down the road or two miles down the road because that work has to be done first before you can receive power to your home.”