‘Just a chaotic mess.’ Helene brought deadly damage to Augusta area

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson declared a state of emergency for Augusta-Richmond County Friday after storm damage left several dead and caused widespread flooding and downed trees and power lines.

“Our community has been deeply impacted,” Johnson said.

Credit: Charmain Brackett

Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen confirmed three deaths involving fallen trees. Bowen said the damage had made responders’ jobs more difficult.

“It’s hard to get to these places because trees are down. It’s just a chaotic mess,” Bowen said.

A person died in Grovetown in Columbia County after a tree fell on a mobile home, Augusta-area news station WRDW reported.

In Washington County, a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl died after a tree fell on their home, WRDW reported.

Aiken County, South Carolina, across the state line from Augusta, had four deaths, coroner Darryl Ables told WRDW.

Credit: Charmain Brackett

Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree, who confirmed the fatalities in his area, urged people to stay off roads to allow emergency responders to pass. Shawn Granato, director of the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency, echoed the plea to motorists.

Augusta Fire Chief/EMA director Antonio Burden said crews have stayed busy responding to multiple calls and that officials were in contact with the National Weather Service to determine whether a tornado touched down during the storm.

Augusta Regional Airport closed Friday and advised travelers to check with airlines directly about status of Saturday flights. The annual Ironman 70.3 event scheduled to take place in Augusta over the weekend was canceled.

“As things worsened overnight, it became very clear that this was the only decision that could be made in the interest of the safety of our athletes, volunteers, staff, and the wellbeing of the Augusta community,” event organizers said in a statement.

Hotels are being made available for displaced residents in Augusta. Shelters are also opening up across the city.

Wellstar MGG and Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia were on emergency power Friday morning, The Augusta-Chronicle reported .

Credit: Provided by Tonya Bonitatibus

Savannah Riverkeeper Executive Director Tonya Bonitatibus said the Savannah River reached flood stage and expected it would take weeks, if not months, for the area to get back to normal.

“There is a tremendous amount of damage,” Bonitatibus said. “It is an active and ongoing very dangerous scene. There is still a lot of downed trees, natural gas leaks and a community that is reeling with a new reality today.”

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