NEWBERRY COUNTY — The Christmas holiday brought severe cold weather to Newberry County, with temperatures dropping to below freezing.
Freezing temperatures don’t just mean a night under a big blanket, but also the chance for burst pipes and other utility issues.
This was especially true in Newberry and City of Newberry Utilities Director Tim Baker said the weekend of the freezing temperatures was tough for all utility providers in the area.
“Early Friday (Dec. 23) morning, strong winds caused approximately 300 outages primarily in the area around the Main Street and Wilson Road intersection and areas near Amelia Street and Clarkson Avenue. We also had a few homes damaged by trees. Most power was restored by mid-morning on Friday. We had about five additional outages on Fair Street Christmas morning, caused by a failed transformer,” Baker said.
The City of Newberry had over 100 emergency calls for water shut offs over the Christmas weekend, per Baker, due to frozen or busted pipes on customer service lines, caused by the extreme cold weather.
“We also had to repair three city water mains due to leaks over the weekend,” he said.
During that time, crews informed customers about the warming center at O’Neal Street Methodist Church, if they needed a place to go during the outages, Baker said. During the weather, Baker said it was all hands on deck with other city departments assisting with notifying the Red Cross and offering additional family support, as necessary.
“The Public Works Department also sanded roads that accumulated ice due to water leaks,” he said.
More than likely, this will not be the last extreme cold weather event Newberry County will see, however, Baker said customers can prepare. In fact, Baker made the following recommendations to customers:
• Follow their social media accounts for tips and updates.
• Have an emergency plan in place should you lose power.
• Make a plan for those with critical needs well in advance – do not wait until it is an emergency. (Keep additional oxygen tanks on hand if medically necessary).
• Conserve electricity and water as much as possible during extreme events because capacity is often at a maximum level during these times.
• Know where your water shut-off valve is located for your home. Have one installed if one does not exist.
• If extreme weather is forecasted and you will not be at home during the event, weatherize your home before leaving (including shutting off water, draining lines, preparing water heater, etc.).
“These are just a few tips, but the ones that could have helped many of our customers during this most recent event,” Baker said.
Additionally, Baker advises that customers should also be aware that leaks are sometimes reported by a neighbor, passerby or noticed by one of their crews and water may be turned off to a home or business as a result.
“If a customer’s water has been turned off after an extreme weather event and they do not know why, it is likely due to a leak being reported while they were away,” Baker said. “Customers can always call our 24-hour number (803-276-0311) for assistance and to report outages, but this should not be the only part of their emergency plan. Our crews are limited, and it will take time to get to you if we are experiencing a high call volume. Customers may prevent damage to their property by making their plan in advance of an extreme weather event.”