News and information as the Upstate continues to recover from Hurricane Helene.
Schools
Greenville County Schools has canceled classes through Oct. 4, with no eLearning. All schools and offices will be closed to the public.
Greenville Technical College is closed until Oct. 7.
Clemson University’s main campus is closed and classes are canceled for Sept. 30. More info.
Bob Jones University classes are canceled for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Classes will resume Oct. 2. More info.
Furman University is closed through Oct. 4. More info.
North Greenville University classes at the Tigerville campus are canceled until Oct. 7. More info.
Statewide update
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster held a media briefing on Sept. 30 to share a report on the recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. There have been 29 storm related deaths in the state.
Watch the full news briefing here.
Other state emergency officials shared updates on ongoing safety and health efforts.
Andrew Bateman with the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff said the top three counties impacted by power outages are Greenville (over 200,000), Spartanburg (over 154,000) and Anderson counties (over 72,000).
Mike Callahan, president of Duke Energy South Carolina, asked all drivers in the Upstate to move over for utility workers working to restore power.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved individual and public assistance for several counties including Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, Spartanburg and Oconee counties. The individual assistance is for residents whose properties received uninsured damage. The public assistance is for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
Emergency services
More than 60% of Greenville County residents remain without power as of 11 a.m., Sept. 30, according to county spokesman Bob Mihalic.
The county has deployed 120 crews to work on tree removal, and EMS call volume has more than doubled, primarily due to injuries related to debris removal and traffic accidents related to non-functional traffic signals.
Greenville County residents should be aware of following resources:
- Residents with critical needs for assistance can call 864-467-3428 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Call 911 for emergencies only.
- Residents can report damage to property through the S.C. Emergency Manager App, which can be found on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- South Carolina residents with questions about Helene can now reach out to the state’s toll-free hotline. Operators from the State’s Public Information Phone System are available 24/7 to provide assistance for as long as necessary. To speak with an operator, call 1-866-246-0133.
Power company contacts
There are still more than 400,000 customers without power in the Upstate.
In many of the hardest-hit areas the energy transmission system has been destroyed and will have to be completely rebuilt before power can be restored, according to Duke Energy.
Duke Energy, the largest power provided in the Upstate, expects most of its South Carolina customers without electricity will have power restored by Friday, Oct. 4.
Detailed outage maps for all Upstate electricity providers are linked below.
- Duke Energy – 800-769-3766, outagemap.duke-energy.com
- Blue Ridge Electric Co-op – 888-258-3743, blueridge.coop/outage
- Laurens Electric Co-op – 866-973-7867, laurenselectric.com/outage-center
- Greer CPW – 864-848-5500, greercpw.com/customer-service/outages
Roads and downed trees
Drivers who encounter issues on roadways maintained by South Carolina Department of Transportation are encouraged to call 855-467-2368.
Residents in the city of Greenville can report a downed tree by calling 864-467-4335. City staff continues to work to remove downed trees and clear roadways.
Some traffic signals are still not functioning. The Greenville City Police Department is encouraging people to stay off the roads. For drivers on the road, a nonoperational traffic light should be treated as a stop sign.
Shelter
Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville is a shelter for those without medical needs. The school is located at 3665 S. Industrial Dr.
A Medical Needs Shelter is open at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for those who have electricity-dependent medical needs and their caregivers. Call S.C. Department of Public Health medical needs Line at 1-855-472-3432 if you are unsure whether you require a Medical Needs Shelter.
Public transit
Greenlink bus and paratransit services will operate on a limited schedule on Oct. 1 from 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Some of the routes have been impacted by the storm:
- Route 501 – Detoured and unable to service several bus stops.
- Route 502 – Detoured and unable to service stops on Lily Street
- Route 507 – Canceled due to road conditions
Services and food
Greenville Chamber of Commerce (550 S. Main St.) is offering use of their office as a temporary workspace. Reservations are required by emailing [email protected]. The offer is good Oct. 1-4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walmart Greenville on Woodruff Road (1451 Woodruff Road) has free portable showers, restrooms, washers and dryers set up in the parking lot.
Yee-Haw Brewing Company (307 E. McBee Ave.) is offering free food to first responders and emergency relief crews with the presentation of a word ID or badge. Additionally, the brewery is a donation drop off for non-perishable donations and water.
Mo’ Flavorz (838 Powdersville Road, Easley) is offering a free chili dog box on Sept. 30. First-come, first-served, while quantities last.
Events at Judson Mill will act as a hospitality shelter until Oct. 2 between the hours or 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The mill will have coffee, water and juices, as well as a microwave and wifi.
The Community Tap (217 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville) is out of power but has employed its Brewtus Brew Trailer to serve beer and wine with food truck Island Sun serving late lunch and dinner from 3-6 p.m. at the flagship location on Wade Hampton Boulevard. The specialty beer and wine store is also accepting canned food donations on behalf of Greenville Homeless Alliance.
Do you know of a business offering free food or services for those affected by the storm? Email [email protected]
City/county updates
Greenville County: All offices closed Sept. 30. Curbside debris removal to begin Oct. 2. Residents should not put debris in bags, and no household garbage is allowed.
Greenville: Latest city alerts | Emergency briefing from Sept. 29
Greer: All non-essential city offices are closed Sept. 30.
Fountain Inn: City Hall is closed Sept. 30. Latest updates can be found here.
Mauldin: City offices closed Sept. 30. All court sessions this week are canceled and will be rescheduled. Trash pickup is on normal schedule. No recycling pickup this week. Storm debris will be picked up based on the zone schedule (cityofmauldin.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-DebrisPickupZoneList.pdf), but could be affected by volume.
Simpsonville: City Hall is open. The court schedule for jury trials has been affected.
Travelers Rest: City Hall is closed Sept. 30.
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