Hundreds of people still have no power on Daufuskie Island after Tropical Storm Elsa
Over 400 residents on Daufuskie Island, many of them elderly, were without power Thursday after Tropical Storm Elsa brought pelting rain and gusty winds to Beaufort County.
Jodee Brunning, who came with her husband to the island nine years ago from Atlanta, lost power around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in the storm.
“It’s the worst storm we’ve had in a while,” Brunning said. “I think it caught everybody a little bit by surprise that it was as bad as it was.”
Dominion Energy crews are trying to fix the issue, company spokesperson Paul Fischer said. Helicopter patrols on the island have identified significant damage to power lines, including broken poles, downed trees and fallen wires, he said.
“While we may be able to restore power to some customers throughout the day today, our estimated time of restoration for all customers on Daufuskie Island is 5 p.m. [Friday],” Fischer said.
There were no injuries reported after the storm, Interim Fire Chief Shane Comparetto said.
Brunning said losing power on Daufuskie after a storm such as this one is “always a challenge,” especially because of the elderly community, many of whom rely on wells for water.
“We have a lot of older people here who don’t have generators, who don’t have air conditioning, so I know it is a hard day for them,” Brunning said. “If they don’t have power, they don’t have water.”
Adam Martin, vice president of sales and marketing at Haig Point, a private community on the island, said in an email that the community has no power and has several downed trees, but he reported there was no damage to people or property.
“A team of staff and resident volunteers are cleaning everything up now,” Martin said. “This community is AMAZING!”
It’s typical of Daufuskie residents, Brunning said. It’s simply what they do.
“You heard chainsaws going first thing this morning, and everybody is going to call their neighbors to see if they’re all right,” she said. “We’re a pretty self-reliant bunch over here, and we have to be when you live on an island with no bridge.”
