CSRA residents heed lessons of Helene as hurricane season nears
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Eight months after Helene raked the CSRA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric istration predicts an above-average 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
That has some Augusta neighbors reflecting on lessons learned from Helene.
Augusta resident Heather Graham says she’s doing things differently this year.
“Four trees landed on our house and our vehicle,” the Augusta resident said. “So we could not move it at all. It completely smashed it.”
She says she’s heeding lessons from last year’s destruction so she can avoid a bad situation.
Give your input on Hurricane Helene relief fund allocations
The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) is looking for the public’s input on funding used for Hurricane Helene relief.
“Having to kind of ask: Are you going to the store anytime soon? Can we tag along? Are you getting fuel anytime soon? That sort of stuff,” said Grahm.
Those are questions she had to ask after her neighborhood was hit by the hurricane last September.
Could we be in for a repeat?
The outlook predicts a 30% chance of a near-normal hurricane season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
NOAA predicts there will be 13 to 19 named storms with about 10 becoming hurricanes.
Of those, experts think three to five will become major hurricanes, described as category three or higher, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
“You just kind of never know what’s going to happen,” Graham said. “So at least having a few days, at least three or four days to get you through, just in case you don’t have water, just in case you don’t have electricity or anything.”
Graham is making sure she is stocked up on food, charcoal and water. She’s also taking time now to get to know her neighbors.
“You at least know your neighbors so that you can ask for a ride or anything like that,” she said. “That’s better than nothing and then being stuck where nobody can help you.”
She may be glad for the extra effort ahead of hurricane season.
Experts are basing their above-normal predictions on a variety of factors, including warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, forecasts for weak wind shear, and the potential for higher activity from the West African Monsoon, a primary starting point for Atlantic hurricanes.
But the prediction comes as some federal agencies struggle to stay prepared.
NOAA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have both seen staffing cuts.
LAST HURRICANE SEASON
Helene: Recovery by the numbers
- As of May 14, FEMA has approved more than 402,710 applications for assistance and has approved more than $369.5 million in assistance to survivors for Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby.
- The assistance includes more than $11.7 million in rental aid to more than 4,839 Georgia families. Additionally, to date, FEMA secured long-term housing for nearly 288 families.
- FEMA has approved more than $556.1 million in public assistance to help communities remove debris and pay for management costs incurred by the state due to Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby.
- To date, more than 40.1 million cubic yards of debris have been removed.
As for what you can do to prepare for this hurricane season, the Red Cross says to have an emergency kit.
Stock it full of water and batteries and have your important documents ready to grab.
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