Pickens County declares state of emergency, Upstate universities closing as Helene approaches (2024)

Editor's note: This information was current as of Sept. 26, 2024.Here's the latest on Helene and the Upstate.For the latest coverage of Helene from across South Carolina, visitHurricane Wire.

GREENVILLE — Hurricane Helene is set to make landfall in Florida late Thursday and reach the Upstate soon after, posing risks of additional damage, power outages and flooding in certain areas.

A preview with severe thunderstorms and heavy winds struck Greenville overnight Sept. 24, mobilizing city and power crews to clean up the damage Sept. 25 ahead of Helene's expected arrival.

Now comes concern for flooding, local National Weather Service forecaster Clay Chaney told The Post and Courier.

"With the ground already being pretty saturated, the winds coming in from Helene and the additional rainfall, you're looking at numerous trees down, power outages, flash flooding, landslides in the mountains," Chaney said. "So this is going to be a doozy of an event."

The Post and Courier's reporters are following the storm. Updates will be provided here as Helene unfolds.See something we should know? Send us an email.

Pickens County declares state of emergency

5:30 p.m. Pickens County Council Chairman Chris Bowers has declared a state of emergency for Thursday night going into Friday.

The declaration gives allows the county to mobilize emergency personnel and resources more quickly, according to a statement from the county, as well as recruit volunteers.

“The safety of Pickens County residents is our top priority,” said Chairman Bowers. “Declaring a State of Emergency allows us to take proactive measures to protect lives and property while ensuring our emergency responders have the resources needed to respond effectively. We urge you to stay informed, avoid unnecessary travel and take precautions ahead of the storm.”

City of Pickens to open storm shelter

3:30 p.m. The City of Pickens is opening a storm shelter at 5 p.m. today at the Cheri Anthony Recreation Center on Sangamo Road.

The shelter will be open to people who live in mobile homes, as well as those who live in areas prone to flooding and wind damage. The city has asked that those making use of the shelter bring supplies, such as bed rolls, flashlights, and medications.

Pckens is accepter water and food donations.

Upstate universities closing, e-learning

3:30 p.m. Clemson University and Furman University have announced they will close their campuses and cancel in-person classes as Helene approaches the area.

Furman will close at 5:30 p.m. today and postpone all on-campus activities, including family weekend events. The school's administration plans to reassess tomorrow afternoon.

Clemson will close at 7 p.m. and classes are cancelled.

University of South Carolina Upstate announced all classes will be virtual starting at 2 p.m. today. The school has not announced whether it will close its campus.

Spartanburg Community College has canceled all classes and plans to resume operations Monday.

Government services interrupted

3:30 p.m. Mauldin and Simpsonville have cancelled trash service Friday morning, with makeup days on Sept. 30 and Sept. 28, respectively.

Both cities will delay opening city hall until around midday. The City of Clemson's offices will also open on a delay.

Pickens City Hall will be closed tomorrow, while Pickens County government offices will open at noon.

Wet grounds make power outages more likely, Duke Energy says

3:45 p.m.As of this afternoon, power has been restored in virtually all of the Upstate, with only scattered outages remaining.

Crews are preparing for severe weather tonight and into Friday morning.

Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said the wet ground makes it easier for trees to fall over and take out power lines. Crews from Duke's midwest operations, who traveled south for the storm, and other contractors are using today as a prep and recovery day, Mosier said.

"We're making sure we get everybody rested, that everybody is in a good, safe place and taking care of their home situations," Mosier said. "They'll be prepared to travel over the next few days as we go and tackle whatever Hurricane Helene brings our way."

Calm before the storm

9 a.m.The Upstate is still business as usual ahead of Helene's arrival overnight Thursday.

Rain has continued steady overnight, but it was noticeably more subdued than the microburst that left 12,000 without power Wednesday morning.

Joggers were making their usual rounds on the paths around Unity Park this morning despite a slight drizzle. Overnight rains had swollen the Reedy River to within five or six feet of touching the underside of the Spinx family Bridge along the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

The only other sign of possible trouble were barriers erected by the city of Greenville blocking foot traffic to Unity Park’s main lawns.

Greenville parks crews were clearing leaves and small branches from drainage ditches in Cleveland Park.

Neil Heuring, who works for the city’s parks and recreation department at Cleveland Park, wasworking with Storm Bruner, who has been on the job just three weeks.

“We are just getting ready for the flood,”Heuringsaid.

Bruner smiled at the irony of his name.

“I’m brand new,” he said.

The Reedy River, which courses through the park downstream from Falls Park downtown, was swift, but still at least six feet below the flood mark.

— Anna Mitchell

How has the Greenville area prepared for Helene?

The city dedicated significant resources to a surprising "microburst" storm Tuesday night, including 60 firefighters, 25 police officers and six engineering traffic operations staff. Twenty-two public works employees worked overnight on cleanup efforts and 34 worked throughout the day Wednesday.

City of Greenville Parks and Recreation crews reported over 25 trees down in Cleveland, Falls and Unity Parks, along the Swamp Rabbit Trail and at the Greenville Zoo. City staff worked Wednesday to block off unsafe areas, remove downed trees and clear park walkways and roadways, according to the city’s website. Crews also worked to remove damaged trees that could be hazards in the next storm.

The city also canceled all scheduled Thursday activities at the Prisma Health Welcome Center in Unity Park, as well as Moonlight Movies in Falls Park.

While the microburst was unexpected, it did not impact the city's resources or preparedness, city spokesperson Beth Brotherton said in a text message.

"We are a 24/7 operation when it comes to public safety and emergency response," she said.

Most of the storm burst was contained over the city, so the county did not have to deploy crews, county spokesman Bob Mihalic said. Like other buildings around downtown, the county headquarters in the West End of Greenville was without power until about 2 p.m.

Officials are preparing for the approaching hurricane by ensuring all the county’s generators have enough fuel, all county vehicles have full gas tanks and the chainsaws are working. Storms usually cause lots of downed trees in the northernmost and southernmost parts of the county, Mihalic said.

Miracle Hill opened its severe weather shelters to those displaced by the storm Sept. 25 and said they will keep them open until Sept. 27, according to a news release.

The shelters offer 200+ additional beds for men and women with children needing protection from the storm.

This is a live story. Check back throughout the storm for more updates.