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Polluted waste from fertilizer industry in Hurricane Milton’s path [Video]
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Polluted waste from fertilizer industry in Hurricane Milton’s path [Video]

As Hurricane Milton pummeled Floridas west coast with powerful winds and flooding rain, environmentalists worry it could scatter the polluted leftovers of the states phosphate fertilizer mining industry and other hazardous waste across the peninsula and into vulnerable waterways.Related video above: Federal government ramps up aid as Hurricane Milton nears FloridaMore than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive phosphogypsum waste is stored in “stacks” that resemble enormous ponds at risk for leaks during major storms. Florida has 25 such stacks, most concentrated around enormous phosphate mines and fertilizer processing plants in the central part of the state, and environmentalists say nearly all of them are in Milton’s projected path.”Placing vulnerable sites so close on major waterways that are at risk of damage from storms is a recipe for disaster,” said Ragan Whitlock, a staff attorney at the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity. “These are ticking time bombs.”Phosphogypsum, a solid waste byproduct from processing phosphate ore to make chemical fertilizer, contains radium, which decays to form radon gas. Both radium and radon are radioactive and can cause cancer. Phosphogypsum may also contain toxic heavy metals and other carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel.That waste is even more troublesome because there is no easy way to dispose of it, leaving it to pile up and become an ever-growing target for such storms as the monster Milton, which is expected to slam into central Florida late Wednesday as at least a Category 3, with sustained winds approaching 130 mph, a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge and 18 inches of rain.A lesser storm, Hurricane Frances, which hit the state’s eastern coast as a Category 2 and churned across central Florida in 2004, sent 65 million gallons of acidic wastewater from phosphogypsum stacks into nearby waterways, killing thousands of fish and other marine life.Of particular concern from Milton is the Piney Point wastewater reservoir, which sits on the shore of Tampa Bay and has had structural issues that have caused regular leaks over the years.A March 2021 leak resulted in the release of an estimated 215 million gallons of polluted water into the bay and caused massive fish kills. Another leak in August 2022 unleashed another 4.5 million gallons of wastewater. Compounding the problem is the bankruptcy filing of the site’s former owner, HRC Holdings, leaving it to be managed by a court-appointed receiver.The nation’s largest U.S. phosphate producer, The Mosaic Company, owns two stacks at its Riverview facility that sit on the shore of Tampa Bay. In 2016, a sinkhole opened beneath the company’s New Wales Gypstack, sending millions of gallons of contaminated sludge into the state’s main drinking water aquifer. The company said tests showed there were no offsite impacts from the incident, but the site is at risk of further damage from a storm as powerful as Milton.Asked about its preparations for the coming storm, Mosaic pointed to a statement on its website: “Preparations for hurricane season include reviewing lessons learned from the previous year, updating our preparedness and response plans … and completing inspections to ensure all test pumps, generators and other equipment needed in the event of severe weather are onsite and in proper working order.”Florida and North Carolina are responsible for mining 75% of the U.S. supply of phosphorous, which is important not only to agriculture but to munitions production.Beyond the mine stacks, the Tampa Bay area is also home to old toxic waste sites that are considered among the worst in the nation. A former pesticide production site, the Stauffer Chemical Co., has polluted the Anclote River, groundwater and soil. Today it is an EPA Superfund site undergoing years of cleanup.The EPA posted on the website that it is “ensuring that this site is secured for potential impacts from Hurricane Milton.”The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday it is preparing all available resources critical to the facilities it regulates, as well as securing state parks and aquatic preserves to minimize storm effects.”At this time, we are preparing locally for the storm both professionally and personally,” Mosaic spokeswoman Ashleigh Gallant said. “If there are impacts, we will release those publicly after the storm.”

South Carolina: Helene death toll rises [Video]
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South Carolina: Helene death toll rises [Video]

There have been numerous storm-related deaths in South Carolina from Helene. (Above video is live coverage of Helene recovery when available.)Update – 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9The numbers provided below have been confirmed through the coroners office in each county to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.Total weather-related deaths: 49Aiken: 11Anderson: 5Chester: 2Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 7Greenwood: 1Laurens: 3Newberry: 5Richland: 1Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 9York: 1Update – Saturday, Oct. 5, from Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger: “I regret to report the 9th storm related death as a result of hurricane Helene coming through Spartanburg last Friday. A two car vehicle crash occurred on Highway 292 near Inman last Friday evening ( September 27, 2024 just after 9:00 p.m. )that caused the injury and subsequent demise of a man we identified as (Lester A. Brown Jr. , 79 years old) of Bumblebee Lane Wellford. “A tree fell across the road and forced both vehicles to attempt to stop causing them to collide. Mr. Brown was transported to the hospital for his injuries. He passed away on October 2, 2024″I ask you keep the family of Mr. Brown in your thoughts and prayers during their time of loss and grief.”Update – 2:40 p.m. Friday: Total weather related deaths: 46Aiken: 10Anderson: 5Chester: 2Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 7Greenwood: 1Laurens: 3Newberry: 4Richland: 1Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 8York: 1Update – 2:15 p.m. Thursday: Total weather related deaths: 41Aiken: 6Anderson: 5Chester: 2Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 7Greenwood: 1Laurens: 3Newberry: 3Richland: 1Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 8York: 1Update – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday: Total weather-related deaths: 39Aiken: 6Anderson: 4Chester: 2Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 6Greenwood: 1Laurens: 3Newberry: 3Richland: 1Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 8York: 1Update – 10:30 a.m. WednesdayThe coroner in Spartanburg County on Wednesday released the name of the second person killed in a storm-related crash on Tuesday, bringing the number of Helene deaths in that county to eight.Coroner Rusty Clevenger said Faye Farr Webber, 86, of Jonesville, South Carolina, was a passenger in a Toyota Camry that was hit at an intersection without a working traffic light.Clevenger previously said that Sarah Ann Farr, 77, of Jonesville, South Carolina, died at the scene and was not wearing a seat belt. He said the two are sisters.Read more about the crash here.Update – 8:30 p.m. Tuesday:A deadly crash that happened at a Spartanburg County intersection on Tuesday will be classified as a storm-related death, the coroner said.Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said his office responded just after 2 p.m. on Highway 9, which is Boiling Springs Road, and California Avenue.Clevenger said Sarah Ann Farr, 77, of Jonesville, South Carolina, was a passenger in one of the vehicles and died at the scene and was not wearing a seat belt.The South Carolina Highway Patrol said another passenger in the same car died later at the hospital.More about the crash here.”This case will be the seventh storm-related fatality my county has experienced since the beginning of the storm Helene last Friday,” Clevenger said. “The traffic light at the intersection where this crash occurred was not functioning due to power loss due to the storm.”This raises the death toll in South Carolina to 37, and the death toll in Spartanburg County to seven, adding to previously reported numbers.South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said during an afternoon news briefing on Helene recovery that 36 people in the state have died as a result of the storm. He compared that number to Hurricane Hugo in Sept. 1989, which killed 35 people in South Carolina.Update: Tuesday afternoon: 36 deathsAiken: 6Anderson: 4Chester: 2Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 6Greenwood: 1Newberry: 2Richland: 1Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 6York: 1Laurens: 3Updates on Tuesday morning: 33 total deathsAiken: 6Anderson: 4Chester: 2Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 6Greenwood: 1Newberry: 2Richland: 1Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 6York: 1 Previous story below has specific information on deaths that coroners have released so far:Laurens County: Tree vs car in Clinton Richard Dylan Rathbone 31-year-old male from Clinton Thomas Carson Lawson 41-year-old male from ClintonTree vs camper Carl Thomas Bailey 59-year-old male from Cross Hill Updates as of Monday morning: Aiken: 5Anderson: 4Chesterfield: 1Greenville: 6Greenwood: 1Newberry: 2Saluda: 3Spartanburg: 6York: 1Previous story below has specific information on deaths that coroners have released so far: Greenville County: 6 deaths Six storm-related deaths have been reported in Greenville County. Spartanburg County: 6 deaths Spartanburg Coroner Rusty Clevenger says 6 people have died in his county. The latest death to be reported occurred on Friday around 9 p.m. The coroner was called to Parris Bridge Road in Chesnee, where the coroner found 68-year-old Jimmy Lee Wall dead in his home. Upon initial entry to Wall’s home by the fire department, there were extremely high levels of carbon monoxide recorded. There had been a running generator inside the residence powering at least one appliance.He said a tree fell on a home and killed AnnaMaria Fletcher, 34, on Rainbow Circle in Inman. Clevenger said a tree fell on her home while she was inside.3 people died in Landrum- 2 were killed when a tree fell on a golf cart and the other was a person in a car that was swept away by water. Saturday the coroner identified the two men on the golf cart as Christopher Mark Owens, 64 and Derrill Eugene “Gene” Pitts, 70.One of the people who died in Landrum was identified by the coroner as 88-year-old Ralph Selle of Columbus, North Carolina. The coroner’s office was called to Highway 14 near the intersection of Earles Fort Road on Friday afternoon. The coroner said Selle was inside a vehicle that was completely submerged due to extensive flooding in the roadway.The 5th death was in Chesnee when a tree fell on a camper. The coroner identified that man as Alvaro Burgos-Guitierrez, 41.Anderson County: 4 deathsFour more deaths have been reported in Anderson County, South Carolina.The latest death was reported on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. The coroner said the incident is on Broadwell Mill Road off Highway 29, and involves a car being swept away by water.The coroner says the victim was tracked down due to the victim’s phone signal around Harbin Road.The coroner says that 60-year-old Karen Mcall died after downing as a result of her car being swept away.They also say they had to extricated Mcall from the wooded area via rescue helicopter deployed for the Helene disaster relief. Coroner Greg Shore said a tree fell on a woman’s home on W. Whitner Street around 7:30 a.m. Friday. Shore said the victim was identified as 55-year-old Christine Lynn Schmeiske.He said officials found her under heavy debris and she was pronounced deceased on the scene.”The investigation indicates the victim was in her residence and due to the high winds and heavy rain of hurricane Helene, a large tree fell across the center of the house and killed the victim,” Shore said. Shore said 54-year-old Sandy Lee Fisher also died when a tree fell on her house on Williams Road in Anderson. He said Fisher was also found under heavy debris and pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner responded to a wreck on Saturday around 1:40 a.m. on Main Street in Pelzer. Main Street was down to a one lane road, due to the storm, which caused two vehicles to be traveling different directions in the same lane hitting head on. Two people in one of the vehicles were transported to Prisma Health with non-life-threatening injuries.The coroner identified the victim who died in the other vehicle as 83-year-old Bobby Jean Foster of Belton, South Carolina.The investigation indicated that Foster was driving a Nissan Frontier traveling east on Main Street in Pelzer and was struck head-on by a Ford Explorer traveling west. The Ford Explorer was attempting to go around a large tree and downed power lines, that were blocking the west bound lane and traveled into the oncoming lane of traffic striking Foster’s vehicle.The coroner said this death has been attributed to Helene as a weather-related death due to damage in the area and obstacles in the road that contributed to the crash.Saluda County: 3 deaths On Saturday afternoon, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety reported another person has died due to Helene.Two firefighters were killed in Saluda County when a tree fell on a firetruck, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster confirmed those deaths during a news conference on Friday afternoon.Newberry County: 2 deaths McMaster also said there were two storm-related deaths in Newberry County.Aiken County: 4 deaths South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports four deaths in Aiken.Chesterfield County: 1 deathThe South Carolina Department of Public Safety reported one death in Chesterfield as of Saturday afternoon.

Mideast violence is spiraling a year since the Gaza war began [Video]
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Mideast violence is spiraling a year since the Gaza war began [Video]

A year after Hamas’ fateful attack on southern Israel, the Middle East is embroiled in a war that shows no signs of ending and seems to be getting worse.Israel’s retaliatory offensive was initially centered on the Gaza Strip. But the focus has shifted in recent weeks to Lebanon, where airstrikes have given way to a fast-expanding ground incursion against Hezbollah militants who have fired rockets into Israel since the Gaza war began.Next in Israel’s crosshairs is archenemy Iran, which supports Hamas, Hezbollah and other anti-Israel militants in the region. After withstanding a massive barrage of missiles from Iran last week, Israel has promised to respond. The escalating conflict risks drawing deeper involvement by the U.S., as well as Iran-backed militants in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.When Hamas launched its attack on Oct. 7, 2023, it called on the Arab world to join it in a concerted campaign against Israel. While the fighting has indeed spread, Hamas and its allies have paid a heavy price.The group’s army has been decimated, its Gaza stronghold has been reduced to a cauldron of death, destruction and misery and the top leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah have been killed in audacious attacks.Although Israel appears to be gaining the edge militarily, the war has been problematic for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, too.Dozens of Israeli hostages are languishing in Hamas captivity, and a year after Netanyahu pledged to crush the group in “total victory,” remnants of the militant group are still battling in pockets of Gaza. The offensive in Lebanon, initially described as “limited,” grows by the day. A full-on collision with Iran is a possibility.At home, Netanyahu faces mass protests over his inability to bring home the hostages, and to many, he will be remembered as the man who led Israel into its darkest moment. Relations with the U.S. and other allies are strained. The economy is deteriorating.Here are five takeaways from a yearlong war that has upended longstanding assumptions and turned conventional wisdom on its head: A region is torn apart by unthinkable death and destructionA long list of previously unthinkable events have occurred in mind-boggling fashion.The Oct. 7 attack was the bloodiest in Israel’s history. Young partygoers were gunned down. Cowering families were killed in their homes. In all, about 1,200 people died and 250 were taken hostage. Some Israelis were raped or sexually assaulted.The ensuing war in Gaza has been the longest, deadliest and most destructive in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Gaza health authorities say nearly 42,000 people have been killed roughly 2% of the territory’s entire population. Although they do not give a breakdown between civilians and combatants, more than half of the dead have been women and children. Numerous top Hamas officials have been killed.The damage and displacement in Gaza have reached unseen levels. Hospitals, schools and mosques once thought to be insulated from violence have repeatedly been targeted by Israel or caught in the crossfire. Scores of journalists and health workers have been killed, many of them while working in the line of duty.Months of simmering tensions along Israel’s northern border recently boiled over into war.A growing list of Hezbollah officials including the group’s longtime leader — have been killed by Israel. Hundreds of Hezbollah members were killed or maimed in explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies. Israel’s ground offensive is its first in Lebanon since a monthlong war in 2006.Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has displaced tens of thousands of Israelis and over 1 million Lebanese. Israel promises to keep pounding Hezbollah until its residents can return to homes near the Lebanese border; Hezbollah says it will keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a cease-fire in Gaza.The leaders of Hamas and Israel appear in no rush for a cease-fireWhen the war erupted, the days appeared to be numbered for both Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.Netanyahu’s public standing plummeted as he faced calls to step aside. Sinwar fled into Gaza’s labyrinth of tunnels as Israel declared him a “dead man walking.”Yet both men facing war crimes charges in international courts remain firmly in charge, and neither appears to be in a rush for a cease-fire.The end of the war could mean the end of Netanyahu’s government, which is dominated by hard-line partners opposed to a cease-fire. That would mean early elections, potentially pushing him into the opposition while he stands trial on corruption charges. Also looming is the prospect of an unflattering official inquiry into his government’s failures before and during the Oct. 7 attack.Fearing that, his coalition has hung together even through mass protests and repeated disagreements with top security officials pushing for a deal to bring home the hostages. After a brief period of post-Oct. 7 national unity, Israel has returned to its divided self torn between Netanyahu’s religious, conservative, nationalist right-wing base and his more secular, middle-class opposition.Sinwar, believed to be hiding in Gaza’s tunnels, continues to drive a hard bargain in hopes of declaring some sort of victory. His demands for a full Israeli withdrawal, a lasting cease-fire and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for scores of hostages have been rejected by Israel even as much of the international community has embraced them.With cease-fire efforts deadlocked and Netanyahu’s far-right coalition firmly intact, the war could go on for some time. An estimated 1.9 million Palestinians remain displaced in Gaza while an estimated 68 hostages remain captive in Gaza, in addition to the bodies of 33 others held by Hamas.Bitter enemies experience the limits of forceEarly in the war, Netanyahu promised to destroy Hamas’ military and governing abilities.Those goals have been achieved in many ways. Israel says it has dismantled Hamas’ military structure, and its rocket barrages have been diminished to a trickle. With Israeli troops stationed indefinitely in Gaza, it is difficult to see how the group could return to governing the territory or pose a serious threat.But in other ways, total victory is impossible. Despite Israel’s overwhelming force, Hamas units have repeatedly regrouped to stage guerrilla-style ambushes from areas where Israel has withdrawn.Across the Middle East, bitter enemies are witnessing the limits of force and deterrence.Israel’s deepening invasion of Lebanon and repeated strikes on Hezbollah have failed to halt the rockets and missiles. Missile and drone attacks by Iran and its allies have only deepened Israel’s resolve. Israel is vowing to strike Iran hard after its latest missile barrage, raising the likelihood of a broader, regionwide war.Without diplomatic solutions, the fighting is likely to persist.Israel and Gaza will never be the sameIsrael is still deeply traumatized as people try to come to terms with the worst day in its history.The Oct. 7 killings and kidnappings had an outsized impact on a tiny country founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Israelis’ sense of security was shattered, and their faith in the military was tested like never before.Photos of Israeli hostages are everywhere, and mass demonstrations are held each week calling on the government to reach a deal to bring them home. The prospect of ongoing war looms over families and workplaces as reserve soldiers brace for repeated tours of duty.The trauma is far more acute in Gaza where an estimated 90% of the population remains displaced, many of them living in squalid tent camps.The scenes have drawn comparisons to what the Palestinian call the Nakba, or catastrophe the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948. The Palestinians now find themselves looking at a tragedy of even greater scale.It remains unclear when displaced Palestinians in Gaza will be able to return home and whether there will be anything to return to. The territory has suffered immense destruction and is littered with unexploded bombs. Children are missing a second consecutive school year, virtually every family has lost a relative in the fighting and basic needs like food and health care are lacking.After a hellish year, the Palestinians of Gaza have no clear path forward, and it could take generations to recover.Old formulas for pursuing Mideast peace no longer workThe international community’s response to this bloodiest of wars has been tepid and ineffective.Repeated cease-fire calls have been ignored, and a U.S.-led plan to reinstate the Palestinian Authority in postwar Gaza has been rejected by Israel. It remains unclear who will run the territory in the future or who will pay for a cleanup and reconstruction effort that could take decades.One thing that seems clear is that old formulas will no longer work. The international community’s preferred peace formula the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel seems hopelessly unrealistic.Israel’s hard-line government opposes Palestinian statehood, says its troops will remain in Gaza for years to come and has further cemented its undeclared annexation of the West Bank. The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has been pushed to the brink of irrelevance.For decades, the United States has acted as the key mediator and power broker in the region calling for a two-state solution but showing little political will to promote that vision. Instead, it has often turned to conflict management, preventing any side from doing anything too extreme to destabilize the region.This approach went up in smoke on Oct. 7. Since then, the U.S. has responded with a muddled message of criticizing Israel’s wartime tactics as too harsh while arming the Israeli military and protecting Israel against diplomatic criticism. The result: The Biden administration has managed to antagonize both Israel and the Arab world while cease-fire efforts repeatedly sputter.This approach has also alienated the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, complicating Kamala Harris’ presidential aspirations. The warring sides appear to have given up on the Biden administration and are waiting for the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election before deciding their next moves.Whoever wins the race will almost certainly have to find a new formula and recalibrate decades of American policy if they want to end the war.

South Carolina: Power outages updates [Video]
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South Carolina: Power outages updates [Video]

Here you will find the latest power outage updates in South Carolina and North Carolina after Helene.**Live video above when available** Laurens Electric 8 p.m. Monday updateAs of Monday at 8 p.m., 4,183 of our members (or 6%) remain without power.600 line technicians and right of way workers continue to cut trees, replace broken power poles, and rebuild and repair the distribution lines that deliver power to streets, neighborhoods, and homes.By our best estimate, some members may remain without power through October 11. Were providing this estimate so members still without power are able to plan for themselves and their families and will share more specific information as soon as it is available.Progress is steady but time consuming as crews still face significant challenges, especially in our hardest hit communities.As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch.While driving, please make way for crews working on roadsides, and dont approach lineworkers while theyre on the job; it presents a safety hazard for them and the public and disrupts restoration work.Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter.We remain grateful for our members patience and the support of our community as we continue recovering from this natural disaster. Monday 6 p.m. update from FindEnergy.comAbbeville County, South Carolina – 2,094 out of 11,163 tracked meters (18.76%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Greenville County, South Carolina – 6,481 out of 327,008 tracked meters (1.98%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Laurens County, South Carolina – 3,068 out of 35,862 tracked meters (8.56%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 5,235 out of 174,734 tracked meters (3.00%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/Monday 3 p.m. update from FindEnergy.comBuncombe County, North Carolina – 64,442 out of 158,444 tracked meters (40.67%) are without power in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/nc/buncombe-county-electricity/power-outage/Monday 3 p.m. Blue Ridge Electric updateAs restoration efforts come to a close, there is the possibility a member may not have power while their surrounding neighbors do. Tropical Storm Helene brought severe damage to our area through downed lines, broken poles and uprooted trees. Some members may have had their weatherhead or meter box damaged outside of their home. The cooperatives responsibility is for the service line and meter. If there has been damage to anything else, a member will need to contact a private electrician so that service can be restored to the home.Objects colored purple are the responsibility of the member in the attached graphic.Monday 2 p.m. update from FindEnergy.comAbbeville County, South Carolina – 1,786 out of 11,163 tracked meters (16.00%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Greenville County, South Carolina – 9,360 out of 327,006 tracked meters (2.86%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Laurens County, South Carolina – 3,986 out of 35,861 tracked meters (11.12%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 9,302 out of 174,734 tracked meters (5.32%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/Monday morning update from Dominion Energy: Dominion Energy estimates power will be restored to approximately 95 percent of customers across each county in its South Carolina service territory by 11 p.m. Wednesday. This includes Aiken, Edgefield and McCormick counties, which were among the areas most ravaged by Hurricane Helene. Crews continue to work around the clock to get the lights back on for the approximately 5,000 customers who were without power as of 10 a.m. Monday. Work is expected to continue through mid-week across the densely wooded terrain where Helenes historic reach inland snapped thousands of trees, which brought down miles of poles and lines. The vastness of the damage has severely limited access for utility crews who have deployed tracked equipment, all-terrain vehicles, pontoon boats and helicopters to aid in the response. More than 4,000 Dominion Energy employees and additional out-of-state crews have worked nonstop in South Carolina since Helene destructively blew through. Since the start of the unprecedented recovery work, they have restored power to more than 440,000 customers. Ive worked many storms over my 36 years with the company, but Ive never had this many linemen in such a confined geographic area, said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. Of course, Ive never seen an area busted in the chops like this one. The devastation is unbelievable. We are so appreciative of how Team South Carolina has rallied to recover from this destruction and opened their hearts by providing meals and space for our crews to sleep. Were grateful for everyones prayers. When people do that for you, it makes you want to stay up 24 hours a day, seven days a week and give every ounce of measure that you have left in order to serve them.Crews can only repair electric service up to a homes point of connection. If a customer has any storm damage from the weatherhead down to its meter base, an electrician must repair it before Dominion Energy can reconnect power to the home. Having any required repairs completed before crews arrive can save time in restoring power.Monday morning update from Laurens Electric: As of Monday at 8:00 a.m., 6,105 of our members (or 9%) remain without power. We are in the most difficult and time-consuming phase of the restoration process. Although crews are making steady progress and continuing to restore power to more members each day, most of the remaining outages are isolated to circuits that serve streets and individual homes.Crews are focused on rebuilding and repairing the distribution lines that bring power to these members, and the hours we spend clearing one road and restoring one line ultimately benefits fewer people. Thats a big reason restoration numbers arent climbing as quickly as they did in the beginning of the restoration process. After assessing progress made up to this point, by our best estimate, members in these areas may remain without power through October 11. This timeframe doesnt apply to everyone this is an outside estimate. Were providing this outside estimate so all members still without power are able to plan for themselves and their families. The co-op cannot provide a more specific estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available.Our crews are working hard to repair the damage, but are still facing significant challenges, especially in the hardest hit areas. By our most recent assessment, we have 600 broken poles and counting. Weve repaired approximately 300 so far. To add context, prior to this event, we experienced only 50 broken poles during the entirety of 2023 (corrected from 700 in earlier updates).Replacing broken poles typically takes 2-4 hours as crews must remove the old one, set the new one, and restring lines. However, crews in the field have reported it is taking hours to cut through trees and debris to reach equipment, making the process even longer. The co-op has 265 crews representing more than 640 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way.21 right-of-way crews, 11 skid steer crews, and 2 track hoe crews are working to remove downed trees from our infrastructure. Theyre all working in rotating 16-hour shifts in all parts of our service area, cutting away trees, replacing poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member. As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch. For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram). While driving, please make way for crews working on roadsides, and dont approach lineworkers while theyre on the job; it presents a safety hazard for them and the public and disrupts restoration work. Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter. We remain grateful for our members understanding and patience as we respond to this emergency. Blue Ridge Electric Sunday night update: Approximately 2,600 Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative members had power restored Saturday, dropping the percentage without service to 2 percent. Thanks to the work of cooperative employees, mutual aid and contractors, Blue Ridge Electric has brought on significantly more members than originally projected by Monday.Over 62,000 members have had their power restored since Tropical Storm Helene arrived in the Upstate on September 27. At the time of this release, 1,507 members were without power. We have confirmed 911 broken poles in our system. Roughly 670 have been replaced.Below are the members restored Sunday by county:Anderson: 57Greenville: 361Oconee: 1,009Pickens: 1,205Below are the remaining members without power by county:Anderson: 13Greenville: 571Oconee: 207Pickens: 716We will continue to provide updates on Monday. My email did bounce from some accounts this afternoon due to media file sizes being too large to share. If you didn’t receive one, my apologies. See below for that information.***HIGHWAY 178/ROCKY BOTTOM REBUILD ESTIMATED TO TAKE A WEEK***It will take approximately one week to rebuild a three-phase circuit that serves just under 200 members of the Rocky Bottom community in Pickens County due to severe system damage.The current line cannot be salvaged. Just this morning, the Army National Guard was removing sagging trees on U.S. Highway 178 so crews could continue to work toward the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. Construction on a new line project will span approximately 2.5 miles. The public is advised to avoid this portion of Highway 178 so crews can work safely.Sunday evening update from FindEnergy.comCurrent outages:Counties:Abbeville County, South Carolina – 2,240 out of 11,163tracked meters (20.07%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/Greenville County, South Carolina – 18,144 out of 327,008tracked meters (5.55%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/Laurens County, South Carolina – 6,225 out of 35,858tracked meters (17.36%) are without power in Laurens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/laurens-county-electricity/power-outage/Pickens County, South Carolina – 3,930 out of 58,666tracked meters (6.70%) are without power in Pickens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/pickens-county-electricity/power-outage/Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 17,214 out of 174,736tracked meters (9.85%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/11:30 a.m. Sunday update from FindEnergy.comBuncombe County, North Carolina – 56,893 out of 158,444 tracked meters (35.91%) are without power in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/nc/buncombe-county-electricity/power-outage/ More information on Buncombe County and city of Asheville Helene recovery on this web page.Blue Ridge Electric Coop – 4,106 out of 73,098 tracked meters (5.62%) in South Carolina are without power – https://findenergy.com/providers/blue-ridge-electric-coop/power-outage/10 a.m. Sunday update from FindEnergy.comAbbeville County, South Carolina – 2,570 out of 11,163 tracked meters (23.02%) are without power in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/abbeville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Anderson County, South Carolina – 5,519 out of 115,571 tracked meters (4.78%) are without power in Anderson County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/anderson-county-electricity/power-outage/ Greenville County, South Carolina – 29,868 out of 327,013 tracked meters (9.13%) are without power in Greenville County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/greenville-county-electricity/power-outage/ Laurens Commission of Public Works – 719 out of 5,469 tracked meters (13.15%) in South Carolina are without power – https://findenergy.com/providers/laurens-commission-of-public-works/power-outage/Oconee County, South Carolina – 1,404 out of 21,553 tracked meters (6.51%) are without power in Oconee County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/oconee-county-electricity/power-outage/ Pickens County, South Carolina – 5,176 out of 58,666 tracked meters (8.82%) are without power in Pickens County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/pickens-county-electricity/power-outage/ Spartanburg County, South Carolina – 26,369 out of 174,737 tracked meters (15.09%) are without power in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Visit link for breakdown by utility – https://findenergy.com/sc/spartanburg-county-electricity/power-outage/9 a.m. Laurens Electric Sunday morning update:As of Sunday at 9:00 a.m., 9,090 members (or 14%) remain without power.We are in the most difficult phase of the rebuilding and restoration process.Although crews are making steady progress and continuing to restore power to more members each day, most of the remaining outages are isolated to circuits that serve streets, and individual homes, which is the last step in restoring power.After assessing progress made up to this point, by our best estimate, members in these areas may remain without power through October 11. This timeframe doesnt apply to everyone this is an outside estimate.Were providing this outside estimate so all members still without power are able to plan for themselves and their families. Our crews are working hard to repair the damage, but are still facing significant challenges, especially in the hardest hit areas. By our most recent assessment, we have 600 broken poles and counting. Weve repaired approximately 300 so far. To add context, prior to this event, we experienced 700 broken poles during the entirety of 2023. Replacing broken poles typically takes 2-4 hours as crews must remove the old one, set the new one, and restring lines. However, crews in the field have reported it is taking hours to cut through trees and debris to reach equipment, making the process even longer. The co-op has 265 crews representing more than 640 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way. 21 right-of-way crews, 11 skid steer crews, and 2 track hoe crews are working to remove downed trees from our infrastructure. Theyre all working in rotating 16-hour shifts in all parts of our service area, cutting away trees, replacing poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member. As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch. The co-op cannot provide more specific estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available. For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram).While driving, please make way for crews working on roadsides, and dont approach line workers while theyre on the job; it presents a safety hazard for them and the public and disrupts restoration work.Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter.