Restoration efforts to continue through next week in Aiken County, western portions of state

CAYCE, S.C. (Sept. 29, 2024) – With service restored to over 320,000 Dominion Energy customers in South Carolina, the company is estimating restoration work will continue through next week in areas hardest hit by the catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Helene. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, approximately 116,000 customers are still without power.

Dominion Energy has allocated additional resources to the hardest hit areas of South Carolina, including Aiken, Allendale, Edgefield, Beaufort, Richland and Lexington counties. The company estimates 95 percent of customers in 18 counties will have power restored by mid-to late week.  Estimates for the hardest hit areas will be available once damage assessments are completed.

“We understand that our customers are tired, frustrated and want to know when their lights will come back on,” said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “While we can provide estimates for some areas today, other areas will take more time. We have boots on the ground all across the state. Crews continue to assess damage even as we rebuild our system from the ground up in communities where the impacts were catastrophic. We will not stop until every customer in South Carolina that we have the privilege to serve can go home to lights shining and air conditioners blowing.”

Approximately 3,000 Dominion Energy employees and additional contract crews from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Virginia have been deployed to areas where downed trees have delayed access and toppled critical infrastructure, including nearly 90 transmission lines that deliver power to substations across the state. Once transmission lines are restored, crews move from neighborhood to neighborhood to repair primary and secondary distribution lines.

Dominion Energy is committed to keeping our customers informed before, during and after the storm. Listen to a message from Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam

The company expects to have power restored to approximately 95% of customers in the following areas: 

* Due to the extreme damage and access constraints on Daufuskie Island in Beaufort County, restoration times will be provided when available.

More tips for customers who are experiencing an outage:

• Crews can only repair electric service up to a home’s 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.
• Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume downed power lines are energized and dangerous. Keep in mind the downed lines may not always be visible and use extra caution when walking outside after a storm. Please remain at least 30 feet away and ensure that others avoid the downed line. South Carolina customers should call 888-333-4465 right away to report a downed power line.
• Properly connect your generator and follow all manufacturer’s operating and safety instructions. If you have a generator, make sure it is fueled, serviced, and properly connected. Always operate a generator outdoors and with adequate ventilation.
• Download the Dominion Energy app. To reduce call volume, customers who want to report outages should use the Dominion Energy app, which is the fastest and most secure way to report or track an outage. Customers may also report outages by going to DominionEnergy.com or calling 800-251-7234.
• Follow Dominion Energy on social media. The company will provide regular updates and additional tips to help keep customers informed and safe.

For more information visit Dominion Energy’s Outage Restoration & FAQs page.

About Dominion Energy

More than 4.5 million customers in 13 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

Contact: Media Relations, 800-562-9308