News & Events

Hurricane Helene unleashed her fury on South Carolina in the early morning hours of September 27. Rain bands covered the entire state, and many areas were already saturated from previous storms. The highest recorded rainfall was over 19.5 inches at Jocassee in the Upstate, and Edgefield, Greenwood, and Oconee counties all set new 24-hour maximum rainfall totals. Three major rivers, the Saluda, Broad, and Reedy, all reached new record river crests. Tropical storm-force and hurricane-strength gusts, along with 21 confirmed tornadoes, blew through the state, toppling trees and snapping power lines.

As the sun came up and rain cleared out, we began to assess the damage. Of South Carolina’s 48 State Parks, 28 were closed due to power outages and downed trees. Many team members reported needing chainsaws to get out of their front doors the next morning. Nearly 1.4 million South Carolinians were without power – the most outages of any state impacted by Helene. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed and 912 roads and bridges were closed. In the hours, days, and weeks that followed, our teams got to work. Those living in impacted parks immediately began the difficult task of removing the thousands of trees that covered roads, buildings, and trails. Their efforts through long, hard days that many spent with a chainsaw in hand, are nothing short of heroic, and we are certainly only where we are today in our recovery because of their commitment to making their parks whole again. Staff from parks that were not impacted by Helene volunteered their services to aid in the recovery. We organized strike teams – comprised of managers, rangers, and personnel from across the State Park System – who worked to clear trees and repair damages so parks could reopen. Team members managed the rental and delivery of heavy machinery and equipment from every corner of the state. Staff organized systems for equipment dispersal and supply runs so those resources could be provided where they were needed most each day. Office staff in other parts of the state helped log hours and document recovery activities for FEMA. We were also extremely fortunate to receive manpower from the National Guard, Texas State Parks, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the US Forest Service, and various volunteer groups.

In many places around South Carolina, and certainly within our parks, some landscapes will be forever scarred by Helene. Rushing water, landslides, and falling trees changed Jones Gap State Park in the Blue Ridge Escarpment completely. The number of trees down at Hamilton Branch State Park, on Lake Thurmond near the Georgia border, has left it unrecognizable in some areas. We lost one of two slave quarters at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, and CCC-era structures and buildings were damaged at numerous parks.

By November, 25 of the 28 parks reopened, with some partial trail and area closures due to damage. Hamilton Branch and Baker Creek will reopen by Thanksgiving. Jones Gap will not open until sometime in 2025. As a revenue-generating entity, the extended closures during what is normally a busy fall season is a significant setback during an already challenging time. However, we are enormously grateful for the hard work of our team members, the generous support of our partners, and the sincere love of our visitors who have supported our recovery so far.