Helene causes headaches: Barnwell County cleans up after hurricane leaves mark

Hurricane Helene devastated the East Coast, but Barnwell County was spared major damage and fatalities.

The Category 4 storm hit Florida around 11 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26 with 140 mph winds before moving through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Helene weakened as it made its way inland early Friday morning, Sept. 27, but still caused millions to be without power, toppled trees, washed out roads, blew off roofs, and soaked multiple states, even flooding some areas. At least 90 deaths are attributed to Helene, including six in Aiken County, but there are no reported injuries or deaths in Barnwell County, according to emergency management officials.

“It has been very comparable, if not worse than the ice storm in 2014,” said Barnwell County Emergency Management Director Roger Riley of the debris and power outages. “Our community has really come together to help one another.”

LOCAL IMPACT

Helene brought trees down across Barnwell County. Some landed across roadways while others came down on homes and vehicles. Others knocked out power lines.

The Creech family was sleeping Friday morning when a “big boom” awakened them around 6:30 a.m. They soon realized three trees landed on one end of their mobile home in Williston, completely wiping out one son’s bedroom.

“Caden’s bedroom is completely gone and that end of the house is ruined. I’m thankful my son wasn’t in his room because he wouldn’t be in this world if he had been asleep in his room. God was watching over us,” said Victoria Creech, who lived in the home with her husband and three children.

While Caden would normally be sleeping in his room, they had a fear of trees falling on that end of the house during storms. That’s why Victoria and her two younger children slept in her room while her husband and Caden slept in the living room the night Helene came through.

“It was very scary in the moment. Seeing those trees right on top of where my child sleeps every night and knowing what could have happened to him is just soul crushing,” said Victoria.

The family is currently staying with relatives. While they have insurance, they are uncertain what will be covered. Anyone wishing to help the Creech family as they deal with their loss, including replacing Caden’s belongings that were destroyed, can donate via GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/2a5505c6, via Cash App to $vzcreech, or via Venmo to @VCreech-2.

Though their home is not livable, they are just glad their family is safe.

Many other homes and businesses were damaged in the storm, either by falling trees or high winds that tore off roofs.

Rev. Robert Altman’s home in Barnwell had a huge tree fall on it, crashing into one of his son’s bedrooms.

“The glass and debris went off like a bomb inside that room and a lot was in his bed,” said Altman.

Thankfully, his son Malachi was not in his room as the family was gathered in a safe room downstairs. “If Malachi had been there, we could be planning a funeral. Thank God we are not! Big thank you to Blake Austin and Alex Causey for answering my messages at 4 a.m. We have awesome people in this community,” said Altman.

POWER OUTAGES

Riley estimates 70-90 percent of the county experienced power outages at some point.

“Power companies are doing the best they can, but it may be a while,” he said Sept. 27 of everyone having power restored due to the widespread nature of the outages.

Williston seems to have had the worst impact while Blackville fared well. Barnwell city had widespread outages and trees down, said Riley.

“Please be patient. (The linemen) are doing all they can with very little sleep. They want to return to their families as well. Please be kind to each other. Remember as bad as you think you have it, someone else is in worse shape. Many towns (elsewhere) have been destroyed and lives were lost,” said Barnwell Mayor Ron Still.

Many in the community remain without power; however, crews are working around the clock to restore electricity. Crews have also been called in from other parts of South Carolina and even other states to help.

“Dominion contractor just pulled up to our home. He’s all the way from Chicago! He said 20 energy trucks are following behind him to help fix the damage here in Barnwell. He was so pleasant and eager to get to work. He said he is looking forward to S.C. cooking. So y’all, be kind to the crews. They’ve left their personal lives behind to help us resume ours,” said Barnwell resident Susan Eichman Sandifer on Sunday, Sept. 29.

Barnwell resident Kallie Stanfield encourages everyone to be patient as linemen, including her husband, work to restore power, which is not a simple process.

“It’s not a machine. It’s not a magic button. These guys are working long hours to make sure you’re back to your comfort level as soon as possible. The long hours have just started. While we miss our normal hours with our lineman at home, we sure are thankful for how hard he works for us,” she said.

Edisto Electric reported incidents where linemen were cussed at by people frustrated over being without power. “Please don't do that. Most of our employees are without power as well and they are here working. We understand how hard it is too, so please be patient. This is not a quick fix and unfortunately will take time,” according to a press release.

Despite some isolated incidents, most people understand the situation.

“We were blessed to be able to stand out and talk to the linemen working and they are absolutely worn out! They were hot and sweaty, but I sure hugged their necks and told them thank you! They are the true heroes right now!” said Williston resident Jamie Warren Campbell.

Riley said approximately 7 percent of county residents remain without power as of Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Dominion Energy expects to have power restored to 95 percent of customers in the county by 11 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2.

BUSINESS IMPACT

The storm also impacted local businesses, including the local gas supply.

Many gas stations have been experiencing shortages since the storm. Those that do have gas often have long lines that extend into the roadway, including people coming from Aiken and other communities in search of gas.

“We are getting fuel from N.C. and can’t get it. Until North Augusta terminal is back up and running, we are depending on N.C. for fuel. Please be patient with us as we all work through this together. We are not getting full loads, just enough to get by. So, please be respectful of others who are in need as well,” said Trixie Sanders, fuel management specialist for Pops Mart.

Law enforcement officers have been spotted at several stations to help with the refueling process and to provide traffic control due to people bombarding the fuel trucks and following them all over.

On Sept. 28, Lt. Lamaz Robinson of the Blackville Police Department and Blackville Mayor Ronnie Pernell directed patrons into the 76 station on the corner of highways 78 and 3.

“We received a call for service. A lot of gas stations are out, but this is one of the few with gas. A lot of people are flocking from other areas hit bad by the storm like Augusta and Burke County, Ga. The storm caused a lot of havoc among other communities,” said Robinson.

On Sept. 30, law enforcement was at Circle K in Williston to block off the area as a fuel truck brought a fresh fuel supply.

The number of people who are without power along with those who are visiting has also led to long lines at local restaurants, including those with drive-thru windows where lines of vehicles have run into the road.

Some businesses also experienced damage, such as Subway of Barnwell which had its front awning partially collapse. However, they remained open to serve the community, but are closed Oct. 1-13 for pre-planned maintenance not related to the storm.

There have also been reports of potential price gouging.

“Barnwell County Emergency Management takes these matters very seriously, and we urge our community to stay vigilant. If you come across any instances of price gouging, please report it to the SC Attorney General’s Office immediately,” said Riley.

File a report online at scag.gov/price-gouging or by calling (803) 737-3953.

SCHOOLS CLOSED

Hurricane Helene also closed schools in Barnwell and Allendale counties.

While the schools have power and escaped major damage, many students and staff remain without power. This was the main reason for the Barnwell County School District (BCSD) and Jefferson Davis Academy closing schools on Monday, Sept. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 1. These days are not e-Learning days since many students remain without power.

“The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are working closely with emergency responders to ensure the well-being of our community during this time,” said BCSD Superintendent Dr. Crissie Stapleton. “We extend our deepest gratitude to our county’s emergency management officials for their tireless work in preparing for and responding to this emergency.”

Schools resumed on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Barnwell Elementary School was used as an emergency shelter to house families affected by Helene who need a safe space, but it closed Monday evening, Sept. 30 after the last person last. The shelter provided food, water, basic necessities, and sleeping arrangements.

HELPING HANDS

Cleanup efforts in Barnwell County began immediately after Helene left the area Friday morning.

The Town of Hilda had at least six major roads blocked by trees and downed power lines. They also had several reports of scrap metal flying from roofs. Town personnel and Hilda volunteer firefighters responded to remove trees from roads. Similar efforts were made across Barnwell County by firefighters and other first responders.

“I’d like to thank all fire, law enforcement, and EMS who work tirelessly to help our citizens be as normal as possible in these difficult times,” said Riley.

Local members of the Disaster Relief team from the S.C. Baptist Convention, who represent several local churches, quickly geared up to help their community. They were flooded with calls for assistance, but prioritized properties that had trees on houses.

“Thanks to all who worked with S.C. Baptist Disaster Relief in Barnwell County. Helping others in Jesus’ name,” said Rev. Dan Fogle of Rosemary Baptist in Williston.

One of the people helped was Barnwell resident Wilda Carden who had several pecan trees fall on or near her Pecan Lane home.

“They came down one at a time, from 2:30 to 5:30 a.m. It was constant,” said Carden, who’s called Barnwell home since 1999.

Carden, who has no family locally, has talked about moving away for a while to be closer to family. However, “I feel like I have family here,” she said. She thanked the volunteers who helped clear the trees from her home. “It’s a great relief,” she said.

The team also helped remove trees that had fallen on and beside the home of Rev. Bart Kelley, pastor of Barnwell First Baptist Church. This was a huge relief for the Rev. Kelley and his wife Tonya who were in Columbia during the storm for Tonya’s final chemo treatment.

“Taking care of Tonya with all the chemo and medications, coming back from Columbia in all the hurricane mess (including blocked roads), and all the above, was just a lot. But with all their help, it just warmed mine and Tonya’s hearts,” said Kelley of the crew’s help. “We saw God work in every minute of it.”

On Manville Avenue in Barnwell, the Baptist crew chopped trees that fell on two homes.

“These guys helped us as they help their own family,” said Supreethi Tadamatla, one of the residents helped.

She later accompanied disaster relief team member Coley Creech with other calls, including helping track who was in need. “All I saw was neighbors helping neighbors to clean up the debris,” said Tadamatla. “What a blessing to live in a small town.”

That theme of neighbors helping neighbors was evident throughout Barnwell County.

“I want to say a huge thank you to my neighbor. He was out cleaning my other neighbor’s yard up when I was leaving (for work on Friday). While I was gone, he came over and cleaned up my yard and cut my grass,” said Barnwell resident Brittany Lawson.

On Marlboro Avenue in Barnwell, the Grumbling family had been preparing for their large Halloween display prior to the storm. After Helene brought down several trees and blew around decorations, Melissa and Jayme Roberts, responded to help their friends.

“They were here in an instant when they heard what had happened to our house. There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but we are safe and the house was spared,” said Chad Grumbling. “The Halloween house will be back; we will have trick-or-treat.”

Further down Marlboro, the storm uprooted two 80-foot trees in the yard of Marilyn Powers.

“It was truly a miracle that these two trees fell in different directions and not directly across my house. I was a little overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do,” said Powers.

However, Anthony and Brookey Taylor along with their children responded to help their friend. They cleaned up debris and cut up trees.

“This beautiful family, who are very special friends, showed up for two days with amazing energy and smiles. Also, a very special thank you to my brother-in-law Norman and sister Debbie who came from Bamberg and to (Deanian) Scully for working so hard on Friday to help Anthony get the tree off the edge of the roof,” said Powers. She sends her love and gratitude to those who helped her and prays for those who lost their homes in the storm.

Owais Khan, owner of Green Tech Greenhouses, is used to losing the roof of one of his eight greenhouses each hurricane season; however, Helene took out four. The storm also left Khan unable to water his plants, particularly the baby plants that can be devastated without water, even for a few hours. That’s especially true once the sun came out.

“At that point, I had to get ready to go to the mosque, because it was Jumah (Friday). I'll bet you can guess one of the things for which I prayed. As is the case on a regular basis, the answers to prayers come in the form of loving family and friends. I never asked anyone to come help. My people just know these things,” said Khan.

Friends and family quickly got to work getting the well and pump operational so they could water the plants. Others worked to clear debris.

“For people all over the Southeast, it was a memorable, eventful day. In Barnwell County, the results of Hurricane Helene were inconvenient and because many of us are still without power in our homes, it's not exactly over. But when you think about the incredible level of flooding taking place in the mountains and the amount of dangerous work being done by so many people for the sake of providing power and safety, I'd say we are all very blessed. When you consider all the people who helped me today without even being asked, I'm the most blessed of all,” said Khan.

Other residents offered their homes and resources to those who were without power and water.

Jessica Poole said her family is “forever grateful” to friend Jessica Lopez for opening her home to them after they lost power. “We have been able to shower, sleep without sweating to death, and get some food in our bellies,” said Poole.

Blackville resident Donna-Maria Conzalina thanked her neighbors for allowing her to charge her laptop and phone with power from their generator while also enjoying much needed coffee and using their pool. “I am so grateful! God certainly brought me to the perfect community. It's like being surrounded by family around here,” said Conzalina.

Barnwell city councilman Ricky Dixon offered to house people’s frozen food in an empty freezer he had. He also offered his air-conditioned garage for people to cool off in.

The Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Public Safety Banquet was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28. They cancelled the program due to many being without power and many of the first responder honorees having to help with storm cleanup. However, the meal was still served to anyone who showed up and plates were taken to first responders and linemen in the field.

“Enterick Lee with the Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber envisioned an event to honor our local heroes. It didn't turn out how we planned but true heroes were honored! Not only did we honor public service, we fed Dominion and Edisto Co-op crews in Bamberg, Barnwell and Allendale counties,” said Chamber board member Angela Cotton, who helped serve food.

Several local businesses, agencies and churches gave to those in need or the first responders, including:
• G&M Meats in Barnwell served free BBQ sandwiches to power company employees.
• Jerome’s Furniture in Williston opened Sept. 29 to allow people to charge their phones, wash up, and enjoy free water and coffee.
• The YMCA has allowed people – members and non-members – access to showers, Wi-Fi, charging devices, and food.
• Kinard’s Kitchen served free meals to linemen and other power company employees out of their Blackville location.
• Anovotek and Alexander & Alexander Attorneys-at-Law offered free laundry services to linemen and first responders.
• The Well in Barnwell delivered water to those in need. They asked the community for large containers/jugs to fill with water.
• Realtor Rebekah Grubbs provided a free drink or pastry from Accelerator Coffee to all linemen and first responders on Monday, Sept. 30.
• The Palmetto Innovation Center opened to the public for charging devices and cooling off.
• Ned Branch Missionary Baptist in Barnwell provided pizza and water to students at USC Salkehatchie who were without power in their dorms.
• The Blackville Police Department gave out free hotdogs, chips and water to the public on Monday, Sept. 30.
• Lavish Nails in Barnwell left an outlet outside their store for people to recharge devices after hours.
• Barnwell First Baptist Church opened it shower trailer to the public. Hours are from 12 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call the church office at 803-259-1128 at least 30 minutes before coming.

“We thank you so much for your understanding as we try and give some small help to families that are still without power and water,” said Chantsie Pickelsimer, director of the Barnwell County Family YMCA.

GOING FORWARD

As cleanup efforts continue, the damage assessment process is just getting started. Both will take some time to complete.

A debris contractor could arrive as early as the first of next week to begin clearing debris. Riley asks residents to place their yard debris along the right-of-way.

“We do not want people to take this stuff to the landfill because it takes up so much room,” said Riley. The contractor will collect debris, grind it, and recycle it.

The damage assessment process begins Friday, Oct. 4.

Riley has requested additional teams to help with the process that involves going out to the properties of people who reported damage. Photos and notes will be taken. This process “takes a while” because it will then be repeated by the state and FEMA.

Residents who have not already reported their damage to the Barnwell County Emergency Management office should do so by calling 803-541-1001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Riley warns the community to be on the lookout for scams, including people pretending to be from FEMA. “FEMA is not in Barnwell County yet,” he said, though he will make an announcement once they are.

Gov. McMaster requested an Expedited Major Presidential Disaster Declaration to support state and local response efforts to Hurricane Helene. The Presidential Disaster Declaration has been approved for 12 South Carolina counties, including Barnwell County.