Kemp comes to Thomson to view hurricane damage
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- How to protect your home in a big storm
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THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday made his second visit to the CSRA in three days.
He was in Thomson to look at damage from Hurricane Helene and offer an update on the state’s hurricane assistance efforts.
He had a news conference at 3 p.m., and News 12 was there.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
“When the first emergency declarations came down, there was only 11 counties in that. A lot of people were outraged, including me, because there was such devastation and, you know, up to 90 counties. So, we called the White House. We spoke to the president’s chief of staff, the FEMA , and said, look, your son in the signal, you’re not paying attention to some of these rural communities,” said Kemp.
TAX RELIEF:
- Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday he was suspending Georgia’s gas tax and extending the state of emergency he declared last week in response to Hurricane Helene. The suspension will take effect Thursday.
He was in Augusta on Monday on a similar mission.
In Augusta, a lineup of officials with Kemp said there’s a lot going on that people might not see as they suffer without water service and electricity, discouraged or even banned at certain hours from leaving their homes.
Biden says he hopes to visit Helene-impacted areas this week
President Joe Biden was briefed again on Sunday evening about the impact of the devastating storm on an enormous swath of the Southeast.
Stallings listed a lot of resources he said have been deployed across the state.
Part of what he said was promised and not actually in place in Augusta – even though state officials bragged at the news conference that Augusta was the first place they responded to after the storm hit.
Stallings listed these statewide statistics:
- 361 drinking water sites
- 78 water and wastewater treatment facilities
- 520 people in shelters
- 21,000 meals served Sunday
It’s not clear how many of those – if any – are in Augusta at this point.
In fact, speaking about 72 hours after Helene hit the area Friday morning, Stallings said it could be 72 more hours before there are any visible signs of that assistance, just because of the sheer volume of the destruction.
Mayor calls Helene ‘worst natural disaster in Augusta history’
Augusta’s mayor on Sunday called Hurricane Helene the “worst natural disaster in Augusta history.” Nevertheless, he says things have been improving since the storm hit Friday morning,
Among the promises were what he called PODs, or points of distribution offering water, food, and cleaning and hygiene items.
He said those resources, when they’re available, will be listed online at https://gema.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene.
As of Monday morning, the only local listings were the shelters at the May Park Recreation Center, 622 Fourth St., and the Henry Bringham Recreation Center, 2463 Golden Camp Road.
For his part of the news conference, Kemp said he’d spoken with President Joe Biden about assistance.
Kemp noted that Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock was also in Augusta on Monday morning.
Warnock visits, too
Warnock pushed for Augustans to one another.
“A glimmer of light in the midst of this darkness is the ways in which neighbors are responding and helping other neighbors. I stopped by a small town on the way here, and he’s just checking on the folks at the local gas station, and they were gathered around. One gentleman was talking about the fact that he had a generator, and so he had power. So, he spent all weekend cooking with his neighbors, making sure that they have enough food and making sure that they were okay. And so, I want to encourage that spirit of neighborly love and ,” said Warnock.
Kemp said the hurricane response will be a bipartisan effort.
Augusta Utilities announces temporary water service disruption
Augusta Utilities has announced a temporary water service disruption due to Hurricane Helene’s impacts.
Also speaking at the news conference was U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, who told of how a tree fell on his roof during the storm and shared the story of a dear friend who’d died in the storm.
He also said there were many miracles that morning, including people who happened to wake up at the right moment and leave their bedroom to see what was going on. Being out of the room where the tree fell is what saved their lives, he said,
Allen ended his portion of the news conference with a silent prayer.
Also in Georgia ...
- Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation requesting immediate federal funding to help Georgia farmers and producers recover from Hurricane Helene. The letter specifically requests federal aid be provided in the form of a block grant to the state, which state officials feel would provide greater flexibility than existing federal emergency relief programs.
- Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs issued a statewide judicial emergency order extending certain deadlines in ongoing court proceedings due to the effects of Helene. The order’s extensions apply only in cases where parties affected by Helene certify that they were unable to file or take other required action by applicable deadlines.
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The visit follows an appearance Sunday in Aiken by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
McMaster once again pleaded for people to be patient with the process. He called the storm a devastating event unlike anything this part of the state has seen before.
He said he ordered the National Guard to put to work any of its personnel not already deployed. They’re to go wherever they can be of the most assistance.
“We want people to remain calm. Help is on the way, but it’s just gonna take some time,” he said, promising resources like a website where people can see which gas stations are open and which roads are blocked.
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