Tropical Storm Helene causes unprecedented damage in York Electric’s service territory
On the morning of Friday, Sept. 27, Tropical Storm Helene swept through York Electric’s service territory, causing widespread damage across the western and central parts of our system. By 10 a.m., we hit a record-high number of outages, with 34,000 members reporting power loss—the most in York Electric’s 83-year history. The storm brought down trees, snapped poles and downed lines on a scale we hadn’t seen since Hurricane Hugo.
For the next five days, our team, alongside contract crews and mutual aid from other cooperatives, worked tirelessly under dangerous conditions to restore and even rebuild parts of our power system. Meanwhile, every YEC employee contributed—whether answering members’ calls, delivering meals to field crews, managing communications or coordinating efforts with statewide and government officials.
By Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 4:10 p.m., power had been fully restored to all members affected by the storm. This monumental task was only possible thanks to the dedication of our employees, the patience of our members, the hard work of our fellow cooperatives and the generous support of our community.
As we reflect on this challenging time, we are reminded of the resilience and strength of our community. Together, we faced the storm, and together, we came through it stronger than ever. York Electric is proud to serve such a remarkable group of people, and we remain committed to providing the safe, reliable power you deserve—no matter what storms may come.
Community support
We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from our community following Tropical Storm Helene.
Thank you to the following restaurants, whose staffs often worked in the early hours of the morning to feed more than 175 York Electric employees and assisting crews. Many also either donated food or gave a discount.
- Bojangles (York location)
- Captain Steve’s Family Seafood Restaurant
- Chick-fil-A (Cherry Road location)
- Courtney’s BBQ
- Domino’s Pizza
- Eggs Up Grill (Rock Hill location)
- Jackson’s Kitchen and Catering
- McAlister’s Deli (Rock Hill location)
- Smokey Beard BBQ
- Subway (York locations)
- The Honey Baked Ham Company
- Wing King (York location)
We are equally grateful to the following community members who donated food with money out of their own pockets to support our crews. This included everything from providing snacks to laundering uniforms for out-of- town crews here to help.
- Black’s Peaches
- Bush-N-Vine Farm
- Greater Life Ministries
- The Gilbert Family and Friends
- The Nellums Family
- The Podmore Family
- York School District 1
Help for those still suffering
Our sister co-ops, particularly in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, are still facing catastrophic damage from Tropical Storm Helene. As you consider contributing to relief efforts in these areas, we hope you keep the Cooperative Development Foundation’s Disaster Recovery Fund in mind. Your donation will help them get back on their feet and continue serving their communities.
Please consider contributing today to support co-ops in need by scanning the QR code.
Staying safe after the storm
Utility scams and fraudulent schemes often arise after severe weather events like Tropical Storm Helene. Scammers use phone calls, texts, emails, fake websites and even door-to-door visits to try to steal from you.
First, please be aware of anyone pretending to be a Member Services Representative from York Electric who asks for your credit card information, banking details, or Social Security number via call, text or email. Our strict policy is to NEVER ask for personal information or payment methods over the phone or through texts or emails.
We encourage members to report suspected scams to local authorities and the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721 or online at justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.