Thousands left in the dark after Idalia moves beyond South Carolina
The remnants of Hurricane Idalia moved beyond South Carolina, but the impact of the storm remains for many in the Palmetto State.
Thousands of South Carolina residents were without power before the sun rose Thursday. While the most powerful affects of the storm were along the state’s coast, many people in the Midlands were left in the dark as their day began.
The Numbers
As of 7:30 a.m., more than 25,000 power customers in South Carolina had reported ongoing outages. Of those, 4,156 were from customers in the Midlands.
Dominion Energy said of it’s 7,000-plus outages in the Palmetto State, at least 175 were in the Columbia area.
Duke Energy, with the most customers in the state, reported that 963 of it’s 9,200-plus outages were in the Midlands.
The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina reported that nearly 9,000 meters were without power, and more than 3,000 of those were in the Midlands.
Information about when all of the blacked out customers will have power restored was not available, but several of the power companies included estimated times on their websites.
Other Issues
Outages in Columbia were not limited to electricity.
At about 5:30 a.m., Columbia Water reported a 24-inch water main break in Richland County that caused a water outage for the Belvedere, Burton Pack Elementary, Cushman Road and Highland Park areas. That’s near Two Notch Road and S.C. 277.
Because of the water main break, Burton-Pack Elementary School will be closed Thursday, meaning students and staff should not report to school, officials said. All other Richland 1 schools are operating on a two-hour delayed start as planned.
“Looks like we dodged a bullet, but we’ve still got some work to do to make sure the counties have what they need,” South Carolina Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said Thursday.
Weather Forecast
Crews working to fix the water break and restore the power should get some help from the weather, as now-Tropical Storm Idalia has pushed off the South Carolina coast. All tropical storm warnings and most flood watches in the Midlands have been cancelled, according to the National Weather Service.
Thursday’s forecast in Columbia calls for continued improvement in conditions, with winds continuing to diminish in strength, high temperatures around 80 degrees, sunny skies and no rain.
But heavy rains from Idalia doused the Columbia area, and about 9 inches of precipitation was recorded in parts of Orangeburg and Clarendon counties, where flooding is still a concern, the National Weather Service said.
‘Stay Safe’
No major incidents have been reported on roads in the Midlands, but the South Carolina Highway Patrol urged drivers to use caution.
“Your commute may be impacted so be cautious behind the wheel,” the Highway Patrol said. “Keep clear of any fallen power lines. Do not drive through flooded areas. Stay safe!”
BEHIND THE STORY
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This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 7:27 AM.
