Work

Inter-agency Coordination for Rural Power Restoration After A Natural Disaster in the United States: A Qualitative Interview Dataset

Year: 2026

Type: data-paper

Abstract: In September 2024, Hurricane Helene inflicted unprecedented damage across South Carolina's Upstate and nearby inland counties in North Carolina, causing widespread, prolonged power outages that disproportionately affected rural communities and demanded tightly coordinated action among public utilities, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations to restore electric service. To capture time-sensitive lessons from this response, we collected a qualitative dataset on interagency coordination during power-restoration operations. This data descriptor presents a set of in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in 2025 with key personnel directly involved in the Upstate South Carolina restoration including 21 managers from utilities, governmental bodies, and community organizations. The interviews probe organizational adaptation, interagency alignment, and the emergence of team flow in coordinated restoration. The dataset is intended to help researchers and policymakers understand the complex, ad hoc collaboration that underpins disaster recovery and to provide qualitative context that complements quantitative analyses of infrastructure resilience.

Source: Scientific Data

DOI: 10.1038/s41597-026-06994-x

Authors: Rui Shao, Kalyan Piratla, Chien-fei Chen, Mark Abuanor, Chao Fan

Institution: Clemson University

Language: English

Topic: Disaster Management and Resilience

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,490

Funders: National Science Foundation, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation