Preparing for Natural Disasters: Lessons from Greenville County, SC

Hurricane Helene was a stark reminder of two things: No community is immune from natural disasters, and every community needs to be prepared.

Home to 550,000 residents, Greenville is the most populous county in South Carolina. It’s an inland county with diverse geography that rarely faces hurricanes.

However, in September 2024, Greenville County was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. Despite being 420 miles from the storm’s landfall, its impact was devastating:

• 22 inches of rain fell in the county’s mountain region
• 77MPH wind gusts with sustained winds of 55–60MPH
• Power outages left 95% of Greenville residents without electricity
• 2,500 homes were damaged or destroyed
• 50 lives were lost across South Carolina

Greenville has eight PSAPs of varying sizes. Combined, they handle a monthly average of 32k 911 calls. Between September 27–30, emergency calls increased by 50% to 48k+. That’s a 16k increase in four days. The call surge was staggering, leaving dispatchers and first responders stretched thin and exhausted.

As Greenville discovered firsthand, preparation matters – even where disasters seem unlikely. As we recap the webinar Preparing for Natural Disasters Even When They Aren’t Common, we’ll share numerous strategies and tips recommended by Greenville County to strengthen readiness and protect citizens before the unexpected happens.

1. Test and Diversify Critical Systems

Redundancy is the most important element of disaster recovery and preparedness. When Hurricane Helene hit Greenville County, the county’s PSAPs proved the value of investing in resilient systems.

Despite widespread outages, 911 calls never went unanswered because Greenville had built multiple layers of protection. Two geo-diverse hosts – supported by point-to-point circuits from different vendors – ensured no single failure could take down operations. When both primary sites lost power, traffic shifted seamlessly to backup systems.

A fully equipped backup 911 center, or hotsite, provided another safeguard. It gave agencies a place to relocate and continue answering calls without interruption. Automatic rollover policies also kept calls moving to alternate PSAPs when individual centers went down. Even simple measures, like storing backup phone lines, made a difference for Greenville. Just remember to test these redundancies at least once a year for functionality.

2. Prepare Physical Infrastructure and Backup Sites

Physical infrastructure is often the weakest link in disaster response, which is why preparation is so essential. Greenville County experienced this firsthand during Hurricane Helene when one PSAP lost all power after its backup generator failed.

Four PSAPs lost their administrative phone lines, and staff were unsure how to reroute calls. This created confusion and wasted time. In some cases, responders had to improvise fixes under dangerous storm conditions just to keep systems online.

To avoid these risks, your agency should regularly test backup generators and fuel supplies. Backup 911 centers must also be stocked with non-perishable food, water and other essentials to support staff who may need to shelter there.

Finally, consider pre-positioning personnel at backup sites before the storm to avoid dangerous travel. Prepared infrastructure and well-equipped hotsites provide operational continuity when disaster strikes.

3. Plan for Surge in Demand

During a natural disaster, demand for emergency services will drastically increase. It’s inevitable. Greenville’s PSAPs typically process about 32,000 calls per month, but during Hurricane Helene, that number jumped to over 48,000. Without a plan, spikes like this can overwhelm staff, delay response times and leave emergencies unanswered.

Agencies can meet surges in call volume by developing flexible staffing models that allow for rapid scaling. Mutual aid agreements with neighboring counties are helpful, but of course, they may be unable to help during a widespread disaster. Monitoring call volume in real time can further support resource allocation, ensuring that personnel are deployed where they’re needed most.

Planning for increased demand isn’t about handling the average. It’s about expanding capacity to handle the extraordinary. Proper preparation ensures every call for help is answered.

4. Maintain Multiple Communication Channels

During a hurricane, clear communication is the first priority – and often the first casualty. Helene disrupted power and cellular networks, making communication and coordination difficult for Greenville. Without reliable updates, misinformation spread quickly, creating unnecessary panic in the community and wasted resources.

Greenville’s story highlights why communication planning is as critical as backup power or equipment.

Agencies should use multiple communication channels to avoid single points of failure. Splitting staff across different cellular providers and adding satellite options (i.e. Starlink) helps with connectivity when traditional networks go down.

Not only that, you should train staff on key administrative tasks, like forwarding administrative lines or rerouting calls. This prevents confusion and keeps operations running during outages.

Finally, agencies must find alternative strategies for informing the public. Examples include social media, backup hotlines, radio, etc. – anything to help counter misinformation and keep people safe.

Learn, Adapt, and Future-Proof

Disaster preparedness isn’t a one-time effort. It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and adaptation. Greenville County was fortunate to have many best practices already in place before Hurricane Helene struck, including redundant hosts, automatic call rollovers, and a backup 911 center. These measures ensured uninterrupted service during a historic storm.

But the county also walked away with important lessons. Infrastructure issues, like a failed generator and insufficient provisions at backup sites, highlighted the need to stock essentials and regularly test systems.

Their staffing strategies evolved as well, with the recognition that personnel should be pre-positioned at backup centers before a disaster to avoid dangerous travel.

Not only that, Greenville has implemented new communications strategies, such as splitting their staff between different cell providers.

Now, Greenville is more prepared than ever for a hurricane. It doesn’t matter how unlikely it is to happen – it could happen. Is your agency ready for natural disasters, even those that are uncommon in your region?

It’s time to be proactive. Schedule a discovery call today to learn how CentralSquare public safety solutions can boost disaster preparedness for your agency.