Crime & Safety
Storms Cause Power Outages, Downed Trees in Columbia
More than 2,000 SCE&G customers in the Columbia area were out of power Wednesday as thunderstorms rolled through the area.
A thunderstorm moving through the Midlands Wednesday afternoon knocked out power to more than 2,000 SCE&G customers in the Columbia area.
More than 60 trees and 10 power lines were reported down after the storm, city officials said.
The Shandon and Heathwood neighborhoods were the hardest hit by winds, with many trees falling down or crashing into homes, according to a report from The State.
The Columbia Police Department reported problems with several traffic lights and flooding in some areas downtown.
Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins said in a release that his department responded to more than 80 calls for service over the three-hour period during Wednesday's severe weather.
As of 11:35 p.m., more than 1,200 SCEG customers were out of power, according to the company's outage map.
An emergency shelter was opened late Wednesday night at the Martin Luther King Park located at 2300 Greene Street for those displaced by the storm, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin tweeted.
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