Hurricane Helene: Community updates from across CSRA

HURRICANE HELENE: Latest updates on the storm — 24/7

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Here are some Hurricane Helene updates from across the CSRA:

Augusta

Officials say city of Augusta operations will resume on Tuesday, October 8. The Judicial Center and court operations will resume on Wednesday, October 9.
The city of Augusta says it’s looking for subcontractors that can help with debris removal projects. City officials are looking specifically for businesses that specialize in removal and emergency response. You can apply on the city of Augusta website.
Commissioner Sean Frantom says to call 706-821-2300 as an alternate to 311.
The Augusta Greek Festival will be rescheduled for October 17-20.
The city now has 2,500 linemen based out of the James Brown Arena while they are in town to repair the heavily damaged Georgia Power electric grid. He also said 1,000 are based out of the Augusta Mall parking lot and 1,500 are being stationed in Wrens. By Wednesday night, there will be 8,000 additional linemen in the Augusta area, working to restore the power delivery system.
Natural gas crews are responding to gas leaks caused by trees being uprooted in the storm on Friday morning. He said crews have received 96 emergency calls about gas leaks and have responded to all of them. There are currently 456 customers without gas service, and utility crews are working to restore all of them.
The city has awarded some contracts for storm debris cleanup, and that work should begin next week. Residents should place debris at the curb and can pile it as high as they like. Crews will be coming through to pick it up at some point, and they will make three es. So you’ll have three chances. He said not to take debris to the landfill because you will be charged for it. Fire Chief Antonio Burden said not to burn debris.
People who are still trapped in their neighborhoods or homes by fallen trees should call 311 to get some help. Officials said there are National Guard strike teams with chainsaws and other equipment, and they’ll be sent in to help. Johnson said the city is trying to get extra help at 311, which is the city services hotline.
City Tameka Allen said that due to the storm, there’s a moratorium right now on penalties for unpaid tax bills.
The VA Augusta will return to full outpatient operations on Thursday at both the Uptown and Downtown Augusta sites. They will continue to offer limited surgery, dialysis and other invasive services until further notice.
Augusta Environmental Services contractors announced they would resume trash collection on Wednesday at 7 a.m. if your street is accessible. They will collect one day behind the normal schedule. They will collect household waste in cans only. They will not collect yard debris or bulky items at this time. They ask for you to please place your cans in an accessible location at the curb.
The Augusta Municipal Building is closed to the public for the remainder of the week.

Aiken

The latest update is from Aiken Electric Co-op with some long estimated times of restoration. In some places, it’s estimated four to five weeks. To learn about each outage, go to the website.
The Best Friend Express public transportation in Aiken with connection to Augusta will not run on Wednesday.
The city of Aiken will open for business at 8:10 a.m. Oct. 2. However, all city facilities will be closed Thursday and Friday.
Odell Weeks Activities Center is closed until further notice. The facility will be housing Dominion Energy Lineman. Large trucks and equipment will be parked throughout the parking lots. Please keep all public vehicles out of the parking lots during this time.
In response to the severe impact of Hurricane Helene, the Aiken Department of Public Safety dedicated significant resources to ensure the safety and well-being of the community, the agency said Tuesday.
From Thursday at 6 p.m. to Monday at 3 p.m., officers responded to 925 calls for service, totaling over 431 hours spent addressing urgent needs. Among the top were 97 burglar alarms, 64 reports of trees down on homes, 51 fire alarms, 44 hazardous materials incidents, 43 health and safety checks, 36 disturbances, 34 brush fires and 16 instances of trees blocking roadways. For comparison, in the same period the prior week, the department responded to 421 calls, spending 175 hours on scene.

Aiken County

People needing tree removal, tarping, general assistance on private property, are asked to call Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386.
Faith-based volunteer organization offering chainsaw work on private property: 334-613-2237
For medical needs to include oxygen, call South Carolina Department of Public Health Careline at 855-472-3432.

Barnwell County

Barnwell Elementary School opened as an emergency shelter for the county as of 4 p.m. Sept. 29. The shelter is at 10524 Marlboro Ave., Barnwell.

Burke County

Burke County has successfully cleared the roads in Vidette and now we’re moving full speed ahead to Gough and Keysville for the next phase of our road cleanup efforts.
Brad Capitosti (write-in candidate for Burke County sheriff) says he and his brother are using equipment from their land management company to help people who are trapped. Anyone in the Burke county area who’s trapped and needs help still can call him at 706-755-9937.

Columbia County

Columbia County officials have imposed a curfew for all residents beginning Wednesday at 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. Thursday.
Officials say water would be shut off in a certain part of Columbia County for a “short period of time.” Officials did not have a timeline for how long service would be out, but they said crews were out there Monday evening. The outage will affect neighborhoods and businesses in the area between Cox Road/Owens Road and Wheeler Road/South Old Belair Road down North Belair Road from Oakley Pirkle Road area over to Flowing Wells Road.
Columbia County Manager Scott Johnson says the community is making “great strides.” Power is coming back to Evans Towne Center and across the county, “thanks to Georgia Power and our dedicated linemen.” Almost 500 roads are now clear, he said, and crews are working hard on debris cleanup. “We’re going to continue with our debris management and cleanup,” Johnson said. “Again, all you need to do is get that debris out by the road and we’ll pick it up. It may take us a while, but we’ll pick it up.”

Edgefield County

Officials say the water treatment plant is off of generator power. Customers no longer need to conserve water.
Strom Thurmond High School and JET Middle School are hosting nearly 200 utility linemen who are helping with recovery efforts with food, water and resting areas. Several groups like Edgefield County Child Nutrition are helping to make it all possible. All extracurricular activities, sports events and school practices have been canceled until further notice.
The Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office is enforcing a curfew from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Only essential workers should be out during this time.
If you have farm animals that need help, please Clemson Ext. at 803-637-3161.
The county shelter is open at Merriwether Elementary School, 565 Springhaven Drive.
The Edgefield Water Authority is giving out water at its water department, but you have to bring your own containers. It’s off Augusta Road.
To get updates from the county, text “edg alerts” to 91896. It’s a free system.

Emanuel County

Using generators, the Swainsboro water system has been pumped to full capacity. A handful of homes had to be isolated from the system because uprooted trees damaged water lines, causing leaks. Water is up and running much better in Swainsboro. Teams have worked for the past few days to get generators running and track down water main leaks that have been caused by uprooted trees.
County officials still haven’t gotten an update on a request for tarps, but have been pressing hard for more information and as soon as they arrive, officials will begin distribution. Officials also haven’t gotten an update on a truckload of ice and a truckload of MRE meals.
Crews are still working hard to clear roads. The current goal is to make them able, with a more thorough cleanup over the next few months.
Swainsboro has already hired five crews and they have begun work. County officials have submitted requests with the Georgia Department of Transportation and forestry officials to get additional clearing .
Bottled water was distributed at the Boneyard in Swainsboro, with one case of water per vehicle. Officials handed out more than 1,000 cases. In all, there should be eight more loads coming of 1,100 cases each.

Glascock County

Multiple agencies in Glascock County are continuing to work to clear roads and make sure roads are able and safe.
Residents are urged to the Glascock County Sheriff’s Office at 706-598-2881 if they have any needs such as food, medical, or if their driveway is blocked and they can’t get out. If you have damage to houses or structures, let deputies know by calling from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Grovetown

Grovetown city officials announced Waste Management is planning to resume trash pickup operations in the beginning Wednesday. This will not interfere with the household trash dropoff the city has provided at Liberty Park.
On Tuesday, the city posted that no utility late fees will be applied for the month. There will also be no cutting off water if you’re late on your utility bill.
City Hall reopened Wednesday morning.

Jefferson County

Jefferson County officials say they continue to seek assistance from state and federal authorities on residents’ behalf. They say they feel residents’ frustration with the slowness of assistance at supplies but they will continue to seek the assistance.
If anyone has damage to your property that you need to report, email [email protected]. Please list your name, address, number, type of damage, and picture if possible.

Jenkins County

Officials say all paved roads are open, but about 90% of the dirt roads are closed.
There are plans to open the senior center as a cooling and charging location.

Lincoln County

Officials say debris removal crews are expected to be in the area within the next one to two weeks. Officials ask to separate you debris and place it in the road right-of-way. Black trash bags will be considered household garbage and will not be picked up as part of this program. Please do not bag vegetative or yard debris.

McDuffie County

Officials say there’s destruction from county line to county line, with damage on a scale they’ve never seen before
Water systems are running on generators, so officials are asking the community to conserve water. There’s no boil order at this point. But water systems are running at lower than normal pressure.
Partial cellular service and power are being restored
Georgia Power officials tell county leaders power could be back on Oct. 3. Other people in the county are served by Planters Electric Cooperative, which says to expect a multi-day outage, “potentially taking weeks to fully restore power in the hardest-hit areas.”
Piedmont Hospital is back on regular power. This helped some of the surrounding businesses get back online, including gas stations nearby. The lines are long, but the gas is there. Stations near the interstate were up and running Sunday morning.
The county is asking everyone to make with Red Cross at 800-REDCROSS to start the process to get assistance. You can also your home and car insurance companies to start your claim.

North Augusta

Mayor Briton Williams said: “I have said in every interview and any chance I get that the citizens of North Augusta are showing amazing resolve and an incredible positive attitude during this challenging time. I ask that you continue to keep that mindset which is necessary as we work to bring power back to each citizen. We must continue to be North Augusta Strong.”
The nonprofit Com for Hope set up its mobile shower units at Riverfront Park, where Dominion Energy linemen are based while they try to repair Hurricane Helene’s damage to the electrical system.
The city of North Augusta is working to open a community aid center in the community center across from the old law enforcement building. There are meals and water. It will be a drive-thru.
Parts of the city are starting to gain back power including much of Georgia Avenue and East Martintown Road.
City hall is still closed. However, on Tuesday, the city announced that no late fees for utility bills will be handed down this week. Water will also not be shut off this week for anyone late on their water bills.

Richmond County

Restaurants must have an emergency reopening inspection completed by the Richmond County Health Department prior to opening. As the power comes on, please the health department with your plans to re-open at (706) 251-7224.

Warren County

in Warren County, teams are currently on the ground, working diligently to clear trees and debris and to get more help.
Leaders hope to have resources such as water and meals available soon for those in need.

Waynesboro

The Waynesboro Police Department will be giving out dog and cat food at the department headquarters from 8 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday. Come in through the building though the front door and walk into their records office, which will be to the right.
The city of Waynesboro announced regular trash pickup is not possible due to downed trees, debris in the roadway, and low-hanging power lines. There is a roll-off located at the Ninth Street Park that all residents can utilize. Officials will let you know as soon as we will be able to resume regular trash services.
Also, when putting debris on the side of the road, please make sure trees are cut smaller than 8 feet. When you put debris by the road, please do not block the roadway.