Customers should plan for multi-day outages in hardest hit areas

CAYCE, S.C. (Sept. 28, 2024) – An army of approximately 2,000 Dominion Energy employees and 700 additional contract resources worked around the clock to restore power to approximately 200,000 customers within 24 hours of Hurricane Helene’s arrival in South Carolina. With weather clearing, crews are expected to continue making progress on approximately 180,000 customers still without power.

Shortly after 8 a.m. Friday, approximately 386,000 customers were without power due to the storm’s devastating, unprecedented and extensive reach. Heavy rain and severe winds downed trees, poles and power lines across hundreds of miles of South Carolina. With damage stretching from the mountains to the coast, the hardest-hit areas include the Midlands and the western portions of the company’s service territory, where the massive, labor-intensive restoration and rebuilding efforts are expected to continue into next week.

“We made significant progress in the first 24 hours, but those numbers don’t mean a lot for our customers who woke up in the dark today,” said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “With widespread, severe damage reminding you of Hurricane Hugo 35 years ago, we understand customers will be frustrated until lights are back on and their lives return to normal. I am thankful for every one of our fellow South Carolinians for their resilience, patience and understanding as we work hard to rebuild our system in the days ahead.”

Damage assessors, tree crews and lineworkers make up the more than 2,700 Dominion Energy employees and contract crew members deployed across the state. The team of skilled resources includes 125 Dominion Energy Virginia employees and additional out-of-state assistance from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas.

As we continue to monitor impacts across the state, Dominion Energy has begun flowing water through the Saluda Hydroelectric plant's generators and will open a spill gate at the Lake Murray Dam. Personnel at the plant will continue to monitor the storm’s impacts and make any adjustments if needed. 

Tips for customers to stay safe and be informed:

• 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.
   
• Check the outage map. Customers can use the Dominion Energy outage map for up-to-date information on restoration progress.
   
• 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.
   
• Follow Dominion Energy on social media. The company will provide regular updates and additional tips to help keep customers informed and safe.
   
• 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.

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.