As the high winds and rains from Tropical Storm Helene began to move out of Aiken and Aiken County on Sept. 27, things were bleak . Trees, many of them a hundred years or older, were ripped out of the ground, S.
C. Sen. Tom Young Jr.
said at a news conference held at the Aiken Municipal Building on Sept. 30. Most of the county was without power .
Dominion Energy, provider of power to 62,074 customers in Aiken County, reported that over 56,000 of them did not have power. Over 1,000 of the company's power poles in Aiken County were damaged. Aiken Electric Cooperative, provider of power to most of the rest of Aiken County, only had two of its 29 substations working, CEO Gary Stooksbury said Sept.
29. And hundreds of the company's power poles were damaged. Colleges, schools in Aiken County closed after Helene leaves many without power In other words, Aiken County suffered unbelievable, catastrophic damage, that would have been impossible to believe Sept.
26 as the first rain drops from Tropical Storm Helene began falling, Young continued. "This has been a life-changing event for all of us here in Aiken and Aiken County and this part of South Carolina," Young said. Aiken City Councilwoman Kay Brohl said she drove through her district and had to pull over so she could cry after seeing the damage.
'Too many trees to count': Aiken, Augusta golf courses face damage from Tropical Storm Helene Brohl represents District 3 on the Aiken City Council. The district includes Houndslake, Westcl.
