Internet Outages Drag on Weeks After Hurricane Helene
After sweeping through the western Carolinas, Hurricane Helene knocked out power and internet for over 974,000 customers. Rugged mountains and flooded roads delayed network restoration for weeks, with providers using generators, satellite assets, and self-healing technologies to reconnect communities. Yet fiber splicing and inter-agency coordination kept some areas offline long after power returned, underscoring the need for resilient internet infrastructure.
After Hurricane Helene swept unexpectedly into the western Carolinas on September 27, more than 974,000 homes and businesses lost power—and many rural mountain communities remained offline for weeks.
Helene’s Wake: Lingering Outages
With prior rainfall and rugged terrain fueling historic flooding, over 23,000 cable and wired internet customers were still cut off days after power returned. Aerial fiber lines snapped under debris while damaged roads delayed crews from reaching key network hubs.
Preparation Starts Long Before Landfall
Top ISPs—Optimum, Verizon and T-Mobile—monitor storms well in advance. They top off generators, stage crews, and communicate outage risks. “During Helene and Milton, we deployed over 800 generators throughout all impacted states,” says T-Mobile’s Stacy Tindall.
Building Backhaul in Rugged Terrain
In mountainous regions, aerial fiber is common but vulnerable. Falling trees, branches, strong winds and mudslides can down lines instantly. Rural roads buckled under floodwaters, forcing ISPs to coordinate with the Department of Transportation and power companies to even access broken cables.
Innovative Recovery Technologies
When aerial fiber fails, wireless providers turn to satellites and self-healing networks. Verizon deployed low-Earth orbit satellite assets. T-Mobile tested Starlink links, used temporary microwave units and ran over 121,000 automated antenna tilts to expand coverage remotely.
- Low-Earth orbit satellite assets for rapid backhaul
- Cognitive self-healing networks that reroute traffic
- Temporary microwave units for last-mile links
- Remote, automated antenna tilts to boost coverage
When Power Returns, Connectivity May Not
Restoring power doesn’t guarantee internet. Fiber repairs require splicing 12 to 120 glass strands strand by strand—a meticulous process that can leave neighborhoods offline long after poles are upright.
Keeping You Connected: Practical Tips
- Use a generator or power bank
- Enable your mobile hotspot
- Subscribe to cellular backup services
- Visit ISP-provided hotspots and charging stations
Even as ISPs offered free Wi-Fi and charging stations, many customers waited weeks for full service. The Helene aftermath highlights the need for resilient network strategies that keep communities online.
QuarkyByte’s resilience frameworks help telecoms simulate storm impact, refine recovery playbooks and coordinate multi-agency efforts—ensuring faster reconnections when the next unpredictable storm hits.
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AI Tools Built for Agencies That Move Fast.
Facing widespread outages? QuarkyByte’s network resilience analytics can simulate storm scenarios, optimize generator deployment and fiber-backhaul redundancy, and streamline cross-agency recovery planning. Leverage our insights to minimize downtime and restore connectivity faster when disaster strikes.