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Devastating flooding, mudslides, widespread power outages affect Polk County

POLK COUNTY—Friday morning, around 8:30 a.m., Tropical Storm Helene hit Polk County, the Upstate, and surrounding counties with a ferocity unmatched by any storm in recent memory. The area has experienced devastating flooding and mudslides, widespread power outages, hundreds of downed trees, washed-out bridges, impassable roadways, and limited cell service.

According to Steven Siler of the Tryon Fire Department, evacuations were underway along Hwy. 176 between Tryon and Saluda on Friday. Harmon Field and the surrounding property flooded, and most, if not all, waterways in the area breached their banks.

Siler also shared that fallen trees and flooding damaged several homes in Tryon.

Multiple mudslides occured along Hwy. 176, destroying some homes and shutting down the road entirely. Officials couldn’t share an exact count of rescues as of press time.

The 3500 block of Hwy. 176 will be shut down for an extended time.

“We’ve cleared some trees and debris, but there’s a lot of work to be done there,” said Deputy Chief Josh Walton with the Tryon Fire Department.

Polk County Fire Marshal Bobby Arledge said this is the worst he’s ever seen.

“This is way worse than 2018 [when massive mudslides occurred in the same area],” Arledge said.

Extensive road clearing operations are underway by NCDOT and other organizations.

As of Saturday, water seemed to have receded, and many of the roadways had been cleared, although some roads were still blocked by large trees and many bridges were impassable.

Polk County High School had an emergency shelter set up Saturday, offering a safe haven for those who were forced to evacuate.

Clean-up measures are underway in many communities, although complete plans have yet to be announced.

Power outages are still widespread, but accessibility for repairs is limited. Currently, there is no established timeline for restorations. Duke Energy warns that western North Carolinians should be prepared for potential multi-day outages and says it has 11,000 workers working quickly and safely on repairs, including additional crews from 19 states and Canada.

More than 700,000 North Carolinians lost power due to the storm. Power for 281,000 of the initial 700,000 has been restored, but western counties face a unique challenge due to the high number of road closures.

Other steps are being taken to respond to and recover from Hurricane Helene. Potable water and meals are actively en route from central North Carolina to Western North Carolina, according to a statement released by Congressman Chuck Edwards. Air operations for food and water deliveries began Friday in areas without roadway access.

Trade Street Diner in downtown Tryon set up a generator and offered free Wi-Fi and coffee on Saturday, showing firsthand how neighbors pull together during hard times.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in all my years here,” said one community member on N. Trade St. “Just devastating.”

Many residents were actively calling and checking in on loved ones, as this was the first access they had to communication since the storm hit.

No deaths have been reported in Polk County due to the storm, although at least five were reported in Upstate South Carolina due to falling trees.