KEY POINTS
- Over 97,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Georgia and the Carolinas following Hurricane Helene.
- Duke Energy has restored power to 2.6 million customers, but widespread outages persist.
- Hurricane Helene, the deadliest U.S. storm since Katrina, claimed over 200 lives.
Over 97,000 homes and businesses across Georgia and North Carolina remain without electricity following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The storm, which hit the Florida Panhandle and other southeastern states, caused widespread damage to power lines and infrastructure.
Widespread outages across states
According to PowerOutage.us, the largest number of outages were reported in Georgia, with nearly 49,000 homes and businesses still in the dark.
North Carolina faced significant outages as well, with more than 31,000 customers affected. Florida, also grappling with the aftermath of Helene, is preparing for the impact of another looming hurricane, Milton.
Duke Energy, a key power supplier in the Carolinas, has worked around the clock to restore power. According to Reuters, the company reported that it had managed to restore power to over 2.6 million customers in both North and South Carolina since the storm made landfall. Despite this progress, tens of thousands remain affected.
The deadliest storm since Katrina
Hurricane Helene has claimed more than 200 lives, making it the deadliest named storm to strike the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which took nearly 1,400 lives.
The storm’s aftermath continues to pose challenges for power companies and emergency responders across multiple states. Many areas are still grappling with downed power lines, damaged infrastructure, and widespread flooding.
Helene’s destructive power has caused significant damage to both residential and commercial properties. The focus is now on restoring power as quickly as possible, while also preparing for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west-central coast soon.
Ongoing restoration efforts
As Hurricane Milton approaches, efforts to restore power in affected areas are intensifying. Energy companies are bracing for additional disruptions, especially with Hurricane Milton expected to retain its strength as it moves across the Florida peninsula.
In preparation, the U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued warnings, and power companies in the Gulf of Mexico have already shut down some platforms as a precaution.
With emergency crews working tirelessly, power restoration remains a priority in the affected regions, but officials warn that it could take several more days to fully restore services due to the scale of the damage.
