Emergency Communications

Flooding

Flash flooding events have occurred within the City of Greenville. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) provides the following flash flood safety information.

• 6 inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing a loss of control and possible stalling. A foot of water will float many vehicles, 2 feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including SUV's and trucks.
• Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road, you and the vehicle can be swept away quickly. The depth of water is not always obvious, the road may be washed out under the water, and you could be stranded or trapped. If flood waters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground, when water is not moving or not more than a few inches deep. If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay in the vehicle, if the water is rising inside the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof.
• Do not drive around a barricade - barricades are there for your protection - turn around and go the other way.
• Do not try to take short cuts - they may be blocked. Stick to designated evacuation routes.
• Be especially cautious driving at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.
• Do not walk through moving water. Six (6) inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving and use a stick to check firmness of the ground in front of you.
• Listen to the radio or television for information or updates.
• Be aware that flash flooding can occur. If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move immediately to higher ground. Do not wait for instructions to move.
• Be aware of stream, drainage channels, canyons and other areas known to flood suddenly. Flash floods can occur in these areas with or without typical warnings such as rain clouds or heavy rain.
• Build an emergency kit for your vehicle in case you do get stranded or need to evacuate quickly.
• Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams, rivers or creeks, particularly during threatening conditions.

• Stay away from downed or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near a power line (i.e., trees or tree limbs, cars, ladders). 

• Keep children and family pets away from areas where lines may have fallen (backyards, fields, schoolyards, etc.).

• If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.

• Report all power line hazards to Duke Energy or your local emergency services department or agency.

If the tree is from your yard or your neighbors yard (not from right-of-way), you should contact your insurance company.

If the tree fell from the right-of-way into your yard, call Greenville Cares, the City's customer service call center, at 864-232-2273 and provide your name, street address, mailing address (if different) and phone number. They will contact the City's tree crew to inspect.

If a tree or limb is in the right-of-way or in the street, call Greenville Cares at 864-232-2273. During a weather emergency, you may call the Public Works Department directly at 864-467-4335 during regular business hours. If the incident occurs in the evenings or on weekends, you may call the police non-emergency number: 864-271-5333.

Be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Is it blocking the entire street or part of the street?
• Is it blocking the sidewalk?
• What is the closest address?

Phone Numbers

• AT&T Phone Line Out: 888-757-6500
• Charter Cable Outage: 800-955-7766
• Duke Power Outage: 800-777-9898
• Greenville Water: 864-241-6000
• Greenville Water and Renewable Water Resources: 864-299-4000
• Piedmont Natural Gas: 864-233-7966

The following contact is for power lines down / power poles broken:

• Duke Energy: 1-800-777-9898

The following contact is for tree or limbs down on power line:

• Duke Energy: 1-800-777-9898
  Disclaimer: The city is not allowed to touch limbs/trees on power lines.

With dangerously cold temperatures in the forecast for the holiday weekend, the City of Greenville is asking residents to check on older or medically fragile loved ones and neighbors to make sure they are properly equipped. Freezing temperatures can be dangerous, especially for our most vulnerable citizens, so it is important to make sure the temperature of their homes is comfortable and that they are heating their homes safely.

Heating is the second leading cause of home fires. Follow these tips to help prevent fires and stay safe this winter:

 Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from all heat sources including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters or candles

• Never use an oven to heat your home
• Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed
• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected each year by a professional

If you are concerned about a neighbor or loved one over the long holiday weekend and would like for someone from the City to do a wellness check, please call the non-emergency dispatch number at 864-271-5333. 

Long term, the Greenville Police Department’s Community Care program is a wonderful resource for residents who need periodic contact to ensure their safety and security. Residents who are eligible for this free program include:

• Individuals with life-impairing disabilities
• Individuals who are homebound
• Individuals without local contacts to check on their welfare

Through the Community Care program, residents receive an automated call each day and if they are okay, they press 6 and hang up. If they require assistance, they press 9 to request that an officer responds to their location. If there is no answer or the resident hangs up without pressing a number, an officer is dispatched to their location. 

Register for the Community Care program  

Priorities

All streets in the city are assigned one of the following priorities:

• Priority A: This includes primary routes, hazardous bridges, arterial streets, steep grades and major collector streets, and will be the first roadways to be cleared of ice/snow. Examples include Church Street, Laurens Road, Roper Mountain Road and Pleasantburg Drive.
• Priority B: This includes collector streets. On these streets, snow and ice will be removed or they will be spread with salt to make travel as safe as possible. Salt will only be used whenever it is deemed necessary. Examples include McDaniel Avenue, Rutherford Road, Verdae Boulevard and Parkins Mill Road.
• Priority C: This includes residential collectors and commercial streets. These routes will be plowed once "A" and "B" streets have been addressed. All hill and trouble spots will be covered with salt as soon as possible. Examples include Cleveland Street, Lowndes Hill Road and Wembley Road.
• Priority D: This includes select neighborhood streets with steep hills or other trouble spots. These are only plowed if all other priorities have been addressed and if resources and supplies are available.
• Driveway Entrances: The removal of snow, both on and off the public right-of-way is the responsibility of the property owner.