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GREENVILLE, S.C. —

Schools have made announcements regarding changes due to widespread power and internet outages from Helene:

The latest information will be at the top of this list:

South Carolina

USC Upstate:

USC Upstate has cancelled all classes for the remainder of the week and will resume on Monday. The university is closed today, and except for essential employees, employees will work remotely through the rest of the week.

As our priority is to keep our Spartan Family safe, we encourage them to continue checking their university email, Spartan Text Alerts, our website, and social media for more updates.

Pickens County Schools:

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Live updates on recovery across SC, NC following Helene

The School District of Pickens County (SDPC) has announced that due to ongoing power outages at homes and schools, numerous unsafe road conditions, and the need to keep roads clear for emergency workers, the district will close schools on Wednesday, October 2, and Thursday, October 3, 2024.

These days are not eLearning—we are closed.

Oconee County Schools:

All chromebooks and chargers should be returned to school with students

Bob Jones:

Bob Jones University will resume full operations and classes on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Tri-County Technical College

All Tri-County Technical College campuses will be open on Wednesday, October 2, and in-person and online classes will take place as scheduled on Wednesday through the remainder of the week.

Limestone University:

Limestone University classes are canceled on Wednesday, Oct. 2. There will be no classes, no e-learning, and no assignments/tests/activities due (On-Campus and Limestone Online Program).

Staff supervisors will contact their employees to discuss their circumstances regarding reporting to campus and/or remote operations.

Decisions on classes will continue to be made on a day-by-day basis.

Students, faculty, and staff are asked to continue checking Limestone’s social media pages and the University’s email for updates.

Spartanburg Community College:

All Spartanburg Community College campuses will be closed for the remainder of this week (October 1st through the 4th) due to the impacts of the weather on our community. Students do not need to log in to online classes, and no assignments are due during this closure.

Greenville County Schools

Closed through Friday

Furman University:

Closed through Friday:

For Students:

For Faculty and Staff:

Continue to check www.furman.edu/newsfor updates.

Anderson County

All Anderson County Districts will cancel school for Tuesday, October 1, and Wednesday, October 2, due to continued widespread power outages.

Anderson 3 will have Flat Rock Elementary and Iva Elementary open from 10-2 on both days so that families can stop by and charge devices. Free food will also be served at these locations from 11-1 on both days.

Clemson University

Clemson's main campus and Upstate locations will be closed, and classes are canceled across all statewide campuses on Monday, Sept. 30.

Lander University

The campus will be closed for students and non-essential employees through Wednesday, Oct. 2. All classes are canceled through Wednesday.

The school said students who are not able to return home safely will be accommodated by the University to ensure their safety and basic needs are met.

Essential employees should work with their supervisors to determine when they need to report to campus on Monday, Lander stated.

Oconee County Schools

The Oconee County School district will be closed on Monday, Sept. 30. No students or employees will report to the schools. Reminder: Monday will NOT be an eLearning day.

Pickens County Schools

The Pickens County School District has announced all schools in the district will be closed on Monday (Sept. 30) and Tuesday (Oct. 1).

The district said, "These days are not eLearning - we are closed. No assignments will be given for 9/30 and 10/1, and extreme grace will be provided for the eLearning assignments from Friday."

Greenwood County Schools

Greenwood County School District 52 is on Fall Break from Monday, September 30 - Friday, October 11.

Tri-County Technical College

The college will have no classes, virtual or in-person on Monday. An update will be sent Monday about Tuesday.

Abbeville County Schools

Abbeville County Schools will have an e-Learning Day on Monday, September 30.

Fall break for Abbeville County School District begins Tuesday, October 1 through Tuesday, October 8.

Teachers return on Tuesday, October 8.

Students return on Wednesday, October 9.

Parents, students not able to submit assignments electronically for e-Learning will be given flexibility for submission of assignments, which will not adversely affect their attendance or grades.

Laurens County Schools

Laurens School Districts 55 and 56 will have eLearning days Monday through Wednesday (Sept. 30-Oct.2).

Fall Break will still be held from Oct. 3-11. So, no school will be held until Monday, October 14.

Laurens District 55 will offer a food pickup on Monday, Sept. 30, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at all schools for multi-day food supplies.

Spartanburg County Schools

All seven districts will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Cherokee County Schools

Cherokee County Schools will remain closed through Friday, October 4, 2024. There is no eLearning due to the lack of power and internet services.

No after school activities through Wednesday. We will not put students on the road as long as traffic signals are not working properly and there is debris on the road.

The Blacksburg High School football game with Chesnee has been canceled. There is no final decision regarding Gaffney High School Football game, but it is highly unlikely.

The District will announce a decision for Administrative and 12-month Employees on Wednesday. Employees will not be required to report.

University of South Carolina Upstate

USC Upstate is closed Monday and Tuesday. All classes have been cancelled. The campus will be running on a remote schedule for nonessential employees due to inclement weather.

Union County Schools

Union County Schools will be closed this coming Monday and Tuesday. All remediation programs scheduled for Thursday and Friday have also been canceled at this time.

North Carolina

UNC Asheville:

UNC Asheville remains at Condition 3 (Closure) and is currently operating without electricity, running water, cell service, or internet. The University will be closed until at least Monday, October 7. Classes are suspended until at least Wednesday, October 9.

Western Carolina University:

The communities surrounding the university have experienced significant adverse impacts from the previous storm event. As a result, retroactive from Thursday, September 25, through Friday, October 4, 2024, Western Carolina University will operate under Condition Level 3 (Closed), as defined in the Adverse Weather Policy.

Classes are cancelled, and all non-mandatory offices are closed. However, administration, university public safety, dining, and residential services will remain operational.

Non-mandatory employees must not report to work and must leave campus. In Condition 3, employees are not required to use personal leave time when absent from work.

For additional information, please visit www.wcu.edu.

Henderson County Schools

Henderson County Public Schools will be closed until further notice to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Once essential services are restored, the School System will make a determination on when we can safely reopen schools and communicate this to County families.

Asheville Schools

Asheville City Schools will be closed on Monday, September 30, and Tuesday, October 1, due to the ongoing impact of Hurricane Helene on our community.

Greenville News

(This article will be updated. Read our earlier coverage here.)

Relief efforts continue in the Upstate region after Tropical Storm Helene left communities devastated, roads impassable and thousands without power.

Check back for live updates as they roll in throughout the day on Tuesday.

Greenville shares progress on roads, trees, traffic lights

City of Greenville has shared its progress on roads, trees, and traffic lights.

"We sent our a "reconnaissance team" of folks who typically work in the office to drive all roads and roads in city limits and put eyes on where we need to focus efforts. We confirmed 101 route closures. We opened up 39 of those routes.

"We have a remaining 62 route closures, of these 38 involve powerlines and 24 are trees that need to be removed. Many of these are only partial closures.

"Our Engineering team designed, executed and implemented a plan to ensure safe roadways, 174 signals out of 207 are now operational.

"Public Works took over 500 calls today to assist residents with questions and concerns.

"We began flying drones today for FEMA assessment footage. We are flying every zone in the City.

"Every building in the floodplain will require an environmental assessment following the storm. The team is working on the plan, and we will send that to you once complete.

"We continue to work hard for you and are grateful for the continued arrival of more power crews and out of state contractors. Stay safe."

Disaster Declaration for Greenville approved

A major Disaster Declaration was approved for Greenville County for both Individual and Public Assistance. According to a City of Greenville social media post, citizens can apply at www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.

35 E. Antrim Drive is a distribution site for bottled water-contained meals, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A Medical Needs Shelter is open at the Bon Secours Wellness arena for those with electricity-dependent medical needs and their caregivers. To reserve a space, call the SC Department of Public Health in advance at 1-855-472-3432.

As residents clean up, they are encouraged to report their damage through the SC Emergency Manager App. This will help with damage assessment and request for federal assistance.

For immediate needs, call the United Way at 211.

Need help with damage cleanup?

If you need help with damage cleanup following Hurricane Helene, call Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386

Volunteers may be able to assist with:

-Mucking out

-Cleaning up trees

-Tarping roofs

-Clearing debris

All services are free. Service is not guaranteed.

If there is property damage from Hurricane Helene, report it using the Damage Assessment tool in the SC Emergency Manager app to notify authorities. Download the app on the App Store and Google

Play: http://onelink.to/dn92rx.

Where to report storm damage

Greenville County Emergency Management is continuing to assess Hurricane Helene's damage. Download the SC Emergency Manager Mobile App to report storm damage and get the latest information on shelters and power outages.

App Store: apple.co/2jXnDNE

Google Play: https://heyor.ca/nx1zun

FEMA individual assistance available

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in Greenville County can begin applying for assistance by registering online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or by using the FEMA App.

Bottled water, ready-to-eat meals in Greenville

Bottle water and ready-to-eat meals are being distributed at 35 E. Antrim Drive (McAllister Square). The distribution site will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.

United Way of Greenville sets up Relief Fund

Helene's impact in the Upstate has left many neighbors without access to vital resources like food, water, and shelter. To respond to the community's needs, the United Way of Greenville has launched the United Way of Greenville County Community Relief Fund.

Give today at unitedwaygc.org/uwgc-relief

One hundred percent of your gift to this fund will support these efforts to get resources into the hands of Greenville County non-profits and families struggling right now.

We are also helping families navigate local resources. If you or someone you know needs non-emergency assistance, please contact 2-1-1 by dialing 2-1-1 or texting "HELP" or "AYUDA" to 211-211.

Unmet Needs Line set up in Spartanburg

Spartanburg County has set up an Urgent Unmet Needs Line for Citizens who cannot get out of their yards, cannot get their critical medications, etc. If you need assistance, call 864-860-1644.

The Boil Water Advisory for the Inman Campobello Water District has been lifted.

The POD at 1875 East Main Street is open until 8 tonight.

The POD at 9070 Highway 11 is closed until supplies can be secured.

365 Grillin and Seafood feeding the community

365 Grillin and Seafood, 749 John B. White Sr, Spartanburg, will be giving free food from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

If you would like to help volunteer, come at 2 p.m.

Food, water, showers and shelters in Spartanburg

Spartanburg County will distribute bottled water and MRS at two locations and will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. until further notice.

--1875 E. Main Street, Duncan (SCC's Tyger River Campus)

--9070 Highway 11, Campobello

Additionally, they have compiled a list of other resources.

Shelters

--Medical Needs Shelter, 365 Hodge Drive, Spartanburg

--General Population Shelter, Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, 385 N. Church St., Spartanburg

Showers

Lyman First Baptist, 80 Groce Road, would like to open its gym to anyone in the community who needs a shower. All they ask is that folks bring their own towels and soap. The church will be open until 5 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. today (Oct. 1).

Jose Franco

'Better than yesterday'

Conditions in Greenville County are continuing to “get better every day,” Sherrif Hobart Lewis said Monday afternoon at a press conference regarding recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.

“Today is certainly better than yesterday,” Lewis said.

After Helene battered the Upstate, leaving trees blocking the roads and downed powerlines, the county has begun damage assessment with teams out until the foreseeable future, Hesha Gamble, an assistant county administrator for engineering and public works, said.

Conditions are also improving across South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster said during a state briefing Monday afternoon. Powerlines tangled in downed trees are slowing recovery efforts, with 745,593 utility customers without power, but that's down from 1.3 million after the storm cleared the state. McMaster said more workers are headed to the state to help.

Read more here

Schools close through Friday

Greenville County Schools will remain closed through Friday, October 4, according to a statement from district officials. Schools and offices will be closed to the public, there will be no eLearning, and all field trips will be canceled. The district will announce decisions about other activities, including athletics, on Wednesday.

Read more here

Is another tropical storm headed for the Upstate?

The last thing anyone wants to consider following Helene is another storm. Unfortunately, meteorologists have their eyes on several more storms as of Sept. 29.

With major power outages and repairs still active in the Upstate, AccuWeather expert meteorologists are talking about the risk of a new tropical development that could impact the United States by the end of the week.

The area from the western Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico will remain a potential tropical development zone into the first half of October, according to AccuWeather. Over the next week, it's possible a tropical storm capable of impacting the U.S. will develop in this zone.

The last thing anyone wants to consider following Helene is another storm. Unfortunately, meteorologists have their eyes on several more storms as of Sept. 29.

With major power outages and repairs still active in the Upstate, AccuWeather expert meteorologists are talking about the risk of a new tropical development that could impact the United States by the end of the week.

The area from the western Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico will remain a potential tropical development zone into the first half of October, according to AccuWeather. Over the next week, it's possible a tropical storm capable of impacting the U.S. will develop in this zone.

"A zone of low pressure will form across the western Caribbean, accompanied by clusters of tropical downpours and thunderstorms over the next several days," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Glenny. "This feature will shift into a zone with decent prospects for tropical development with abnormally warm ocean waters and where pockets of limited disruptive breezes are currently low. Due to these factors, our team of expert meteorologists is highlighting a high risk for tropical development."

Here's what we know about weather in the Upstate and which areas the potential tropical storm would impact.

Will there be another tropical storm to hit?

National Weather Service Meteorologist Doug Outlaw told the Citizen Times that the area has not organized. Even if it were to organize, the NWS does not expect the storm to affect the Western Carolinas.

"It's a large and disorganized area of low pressure located over the western and southwestern Caribbean seas," Outlaw said. "It's producing some showers and thunderstorm activity and could become more conducive for gradual development in the next few days as it moves north towards the Gulf of Mexico."

Outlaw added current projections show that if it were to form, the storm would move across the Florida Peninsula and out over the Atlantic, away from South Caarolina. It is also expected to be more than a week before it may form.

Weather in the Upstate this week

Following historic rain and wind speeds in the Upstate resulting from Tropical Storm Helene, the coming week is expected to be, to the relief of many, dry.

Expect nice, mostly sunny weather over the next seven days, with daytime temperatures in the high 70s to mid-80s and nighttime lows in the upper to mid-60s, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

More:Here's where to find Asheville-area food, water distribution sites

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

GREENVILLE — The day Tropical Storm Helene tore through the Carolinas, widespread power outages rendered gas stations dark and empty.

Without power or a backup generator, gas couldn't be pumped, sparking a wave of panic buying that appears to have since subsided, although officials urged the public to only buy enough gas that they truly need.

Some of the worst-hit places, like the mountainous rural expanse of Western North Carolina, had roads washed away, blocking access to resupply gas stations in those parts. But experts maintained that Upstate South Carolina has gas access.

“There are no problems in the supply chain,” said Patrick De Haan, a national expert on oil and gasoline markets and head analyst at GasBuddy. “Unlike a lot of hurricanes that can damage refineries and cause them to shut down, there's really no refineries that were in the path of this.”

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis told the public over the weekend that there are no food or fuel shortages and that resupply routes to the Upstate remain open.

There’s fuel flowing through the Colonial Pipeline’s 5,500-mile system that runs from Houston to New Jersey, De Haan said, and truckers can still refuel their tankers.

“If people are diminishing or depleting the supply at local stations, well, that's going to stress the network,” De Haan said. “That's what makes the situation worse.”

GasBuddy Availability Tracker

Despite the power outages, fuel never stopped flowing through the “superhighway” of pipelines that meander up the Southeast from the Gulf through the Mid-Atlantic, said Stewart Spinks, founder of Greenville-based Spinx gas stations.

However, power cut off at the Spartanburg and Belton terminals for about 16 hours where tankers fill up their trucks before heading out to resupply gas stations in the community, Spinks said.

“It's very unusual for the power to go down in both of our (terminals),” Spinks said.

That meant fuel shipments that Spinx, which serves about 20 percent of Greenville County, had ordered to be sent from the Gulf passed by South Carolina, losing about a day’s worth of supply but have recovered to about 80 percent of their typical levels and expect to be back to normal in the afternoon Oct. 1.

“If we lose one day, then it's gonna cause a little skip in the heartbeat of supply, and we are just one company,” Spinks said.

At the height of the outage, Spinx lost power at 46 of its 90 stations. Regular fuel was available at 80 of them around 4:30 p.m. Sept. 30, Spinks said.

They placed some emergency generators at distant locations spread out across the Upstate, including at a Travelers Rest location and the hilly locations in Dacusville in Pickens County and Gowensville in Greenville County.

On Sept. 28, more than 50 cars crawled along the right lane of northbound Greenville Street midday in Anderson, one of the Upstate communities hardest hit by Tropical Storm Helene.

Flowing petroleum has become a rarity in the Upstate, as power outages have limited options for low-on-fuel drivers. A day after Helene wreaked havoc, waits for fuel at gas stations across the Upstate pushed 30 minutes, even an hour sometimes.

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — Greenville County leaders provided an update Monday on efforts to clean up and restore power following Hurricane Helene.

“Things continue to get better everyday,” Sheriff Hobart Lewis said. “Today is certainly better than yesterday.”

Restoring power

Around 67% of the county remained without power as of Monday evening, according to county staff. That is down from 86 percent on Sunday.

Duke Energy has alerted many customers that power may not be restored until October 4 at 11:45 p.m.

Clearing trees and debris

Beginning Wednesday, the county will collect fallen trees and vegetation from homes.

“Any vegetation or tree debris that you have, just line it on the roadside,” Hesha Gamble, an assistant Greenville County administrator, said. “Line the trees on the roadside. No household garbage. No tree debris in bags.”

Free food, bottled water

The National Guard will hand out cases of bottled water and ready to eat food at McAllister Square, at 35 E. Antrim Drive, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Shelters

A shelter is open for those impacted by the storm at Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville.

A Medical Needs Shelter is open at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for those who haveelectricity-dependent medical needs. Caregivers are also welcome.

FEMA assistance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved individual assistance for those whose homes and businesses were impacted.

“This program provides direct federal assistance to residents who incurred uninsured damages to their property as a result of the storm,” Jessica Stumpf, Greenville County’s emergency management director, said. “Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in these areas can begin applying by registering online.“

FEMA has also approved public assistance for debris removal & emergency protective measures.

“Under the public assistance program, affected state and local governments are eligible to apply for federal funding to pay for 75 percent of approved cost under the certain categories,” Stumpf said. “The division of the remaining 25 percent will be determined at a later date.”

To register for FEMA assistance:

Burn ban

The South Carolina Forestry Commission will issue a State Forester’s Burning Ban for 20 counties, including all of the Upstate, effective at 6 a.m. on October 1. The ban does not apply for fires used to cook food.

“The fire service just doesn’t have the resources to be able to respond to events that could get out of control from a burn,” Chief Greg Farley, the president of the Greenville County Fire Chiefs Association, said.

Greenville Co. offices

Greenville County Square will reopen Tuesday at noon.

Building permits will not be available. Anyone who needs to pay taxes can pay them online. Credit card fees will be waived.

Greenville County Council will hold a council meeting Tuesday. Public hearings will be postponed.

Anyone in need of critical assistance in Greenville County can call (864) 467-3428 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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