Community Spirit Shines in The Wake of Hurricane Helene: A Tale from Upstate S.C.
From Greenville County to Spartanburg, and from Pickens County to Union and the areas in between, the folks of Upstate S.C. have shown an exemplary display of unity, tenacity, and community spirit in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Helene.
“Thereโs people out there working, holding chainsaws; thereโs people working 16 hour shifts in this weather, battling through falling trees and avoiding downed power lines, all so that emergency services can reach those who need them the most,” says their local law enforcement, and their resolve is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
According to officials, despite the challenges, 37% of Greenville County is still soldiering on without power. This is a testament to the hard work of local utility companies like the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, Duke Energy, and Laurens Electric Cooperative, who have been working tirelessly to restore power to their customers. A spokesperson gives the weary but determined populace a ray of hope, “The good news is that weโre continuing to make progress on power outages.”
Community Aid and Distribution Efforts
Amidst the chaos, the Army National Guard has set up an outpost just outside McAlister Square, handing out ready-to-eat meals and essential supplies to the numerous drivers who have formed a queue waiting for this much-required assistance.
Rosalyn Moore, a Greenville County resident, who was one of the hundreds in line to receive aid, sums it up best, “It means a lot. It helps out in a very big way.”
A little known non-profit named after former South Carolina Police Officer Greg Alia, who sadly died in the line of duty in 2015, is doing its part to assist the community as well. A worthy initiative named Gregโs Groceries, it provides food boxes filled with essentials. They are preparing to distribute these to the hardest hit areas tomorrow. “We wanted to be able to give [recipients] something in a time of need, one less thing they have to worry about,” says an officer from Greenville County Sheriffโs Office.
Further north in Spartanburg, we meet two resilient women, Miya Carson and Zopora McCollum. They have been driving about all day, fetching clean filtered water from Spartanburg Water and ice for their neighborhood. They capture the essence of community spirit with simple words, “We mothers out there. So we out here, feed our kids and stick together.”
Looking Forward
As the people of Upstate S.C. soldier on, there is renewed hope with the forthcoming assistance expected tomorrow. The Army National Guard will be resuming their distribution of essential supplies and Gregโs Groceries Boxes will start to bring much-needed relief from the Greenville County Sheriffโs Office Central Annex.
Times are tough, very tough, but true to their spirit, the community continues to stand tall. Their united front in facing this adversity is a testament to what we, as humans, can achieve when we work together. The long road to recovery is ahead, but, they’ve shown that they can weather the storm, just as they’re weathering Hurricane Helene.
And that, dear readers, truly embodies the saying: We rise by lifting others.
