Hurricane Helene Leaves Millions Without Power in the United States
Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction in Central Florida Electric Cooperative territory. Despite the challenging conditions, the co-op had managed to restore power to more than 12,000 consumer-members as of midday Saturday.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in northwestern Florida on Thursday, bringing wind gusts of up to 140 miles per hour and causing widespread power outages. As of Sunday, over 2 million people are still without power across the South, with more than 900,000 affected in South Carolina and 600,000 in Georgia.
The storm’s rapid northward movement has left a trail of destruction, with over 3 million homes and businesses without power in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The power outage tracking website, poweroutage.us, reported outages as far north as Ohio and Indiana.
Rescue efforts are underway to free people trapped by the storm, with officials urging those affected to call for help and avoid treading floodwaters, which can be dangerous due to live wires and debris.
Meanwhile, electric cooperatives are working to restore power to affected areas. SMECO crews have headed to Georgia to assist with restoration efforts, while NECA has established a Disaster Relief Fund to support contractors impacted by the storm.
Source: NRECA
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