ElectriCities stepped up to support communities hit hard by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and South Carolina. ElectriCities members from across the state mobilized to restore power to impacted areas, showcasing the strength and resilience of public power. At the peak, approximately 48,000 public power customers were without electricity. Within five days, ElectriCities crews restored power to nearly 80% of these customers, reducing outages to 10,000, with full restoration following six days later.

Through a well-coordinated mutual aid response, 30 ElectriCities member communities sent line crews, equipment, and supplies to aid their neighbors. This effort, led by lineworkers, customer service representatives, and utility staff, helped safely restore power in record time.

“Power was restored quickly and safely, with no reported injuries among our lineworkers,” said Nick Whitley, Mutual Aid Coordinator. “Public power communities worked together to do what needed to be done.”

Even as Hurricane Milton soon made landfall in Florida, ElectriCities members answered the call to support southern neighbors, reflecting the public power spirit of resilience and cooperation.

Communities that Provided Mutual Aid After Hurricane Helene	Communities that Received Mutual Aid After Hurricane Helene
Albemarle	Abbeville, S.C.
Apex	Cherryville
Clayton	Drexel
Concord	Easley, S.C.
Fayetteville PWC	Forest City
Gastonia	Greenwood, S.C.
Greenville Utilities Commission	Kings Mountain
High Point	Laurens, S.C.
Kinston	Morganton
Lexington	New River Light & Power (Boone)
Lumberton	Newberry, S.C.
Monroe	Prosperity, S.C.
New Bern	Shelby
Newton
Rocky Mount
Statesville
Tarboro
Wake Forest

ElectriCities of North Carolina is a valued NC Chamber member. To learn more about the benefits of public power and how ElectriCities helps communities keep the lights on through access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy click here.