Hurricane Irene winds blamed for SC power outage

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Hurricane Irene doesn’t appear to be causing much havoc for South Carolina electric utilities as it lashes the state’s coast.

By late afternoon Friday fewer than 4,000 customers lacked power from the state’s two largest providers of electricity in coastal-area counties.

South Carolina Electric and Gas said it had more than 3,100 power outages and state-owed Santee Cooper had fewer than 100. Both utilities were working to repair damage and restore power as the hurricane marched up the coast.

The damage early Friday included a power pole knocked down with its lines blocking a bridge to Folly Island near Charleston. While the road was cleared in a couple of hours, the power repairs were still ongoing at 5 p.m. to more than 2,500 customers.