July 18, 2025

Newberry County Faces Recovery Challenges After Hurricane Helene

News Summary

Newberry County is currently facing significant disruptions due to administrative phone line outages following Hurricane Helene. Despite ongoing recovery efforts, many residents still lack power as crews work to restore services. Emergency 911 services remain operational, but road access is severely impacted, complicating recovery operations. Community shelters and charging stations have been set up to assist those affected. The storm caused extensive damage across the county, resulting in fallen trees and widespread power outages. Community support remains strong as Newberry works towards restoration.

Newberry, South Carolina

Newberry County is currently experiencing significant disruptions due to outages affecting administrative phone lines, particularly 321 and 405 numbers on the Sheriff’s Office Campus, as of Wednesday morning. However, emergency 911 services remain operational despite these challenges.

This outage follows the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, which struck the western half of South Carolina three days ago. The storm brought extensive damage to the region, leading to widespread power outages. By Monday afternoon, approximately 76% of Newberry County residents were without electricity, with City Manager Jason Taylor reporting that prior to any restorations, 100% of the county’s homes and businesses lost power.

As recovery efforts are ongoing, many residents, including individuals like Bethany Green, have turned to generators to cope with the power outages caused by fallen trees. Green’s property was severely affected when a large tree fell, bringing down power lines and poles near her home, narrowly avoiding damage to her parked truck.

Road accessibility has also been a major issue; about 80% of roadways in Newberry presented obstructions, complicating emergency response and recovery operations. The Newberry County Memorial Hospital, along with the city’s water and sewer systems, lost power during the storm, further stressing the need for rapid recovery initiatives.

By Monday, power restoration efforts were making progress, with approximately 75% of power customers in Newberry regaining service. A dedicated crew from North Carolina has been working around the clock, putting in 16-hour shifts to restore power to the affected areas. Nevertheless, the issue extends statewide, with around 740,000 residents without power, some of whom may not see service restoration until as late as Thursday.

Damage from the storm varied across the county. While some residents managed to avoid significant structural damage, others, like Chris Dunn, faced challenges when a neighbor’s tree fell onto his house. Fortunately, Dunn’s property was restored to power after approximately 12 hours, likely due to being connected to the same circuit as the local hospital, which has been critical during the crisis.

In response to these emergencies, a temporary shelter has been established at Newberry High School to support residents impacted by the hurricane. Additionally, a charging station was set up at the old firehouse for those in need of internet access and device charging, assisting residents like Menda Shelton and her children, who required connectivity for remote schooling. Over the weekend, hundreds of people utilized this charging station, including college students without power until midday Sunday.

Throughout the recovery process, community support has been evident as neighbors reach out to offer assistance to one another. These actions reflect a strong community spirit in the face of challenges, as Newberry County works toward restoring normalcy after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene.