Augusta, GA
Local Red Cross volunteers provide Debby aid in Savannah
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s been a little more than two weeks since Hurricane Debby swept through Florida and then hit Georgia and the Carolinas as a tropical storm.
While we got nearly a foot of rain in some of our southern counties, places along the coast like Savannah got hit the hardest.
Augusta became a hub for relief organizations to ship out supplies in the aftermath of Debby.
Now, Augusta volunteers are heading south as well to help with recovery efforts.
It’s been more than a few weeks, but people are still feeling the impact like it was yesterday.
“I know that we have a couple of Augusta people that are in the Savannah area right now, and what they are doing is that recovery type of stage. So, they’re doing disaster assessment, so literally driving down all the streets, looking at the houses, seeing what houses have been damaged or destroyed, so that we can help them recover,” said Susan Everitt, executive director of American Red Cross of East Central Georgia.
Since Tropical Storm Debby, more than 500 volunteers have passed through Augusta to help along the coast, passing out meals, clean-up kits and more.
Frank Spears lives in Augusta and arrived in Savannah Tuesday night.
“200 hundred households have been affected in the Richmond Hill area. I’m gonna walk you around a bit here. Red Cross volunteers are here now doing intake and as we are doing the intake we are meeting with the people that have the greatest need and serving them with financial assistance,” said Spears.
He is also helping assess the damage.
The Red Cross says at least 420 homes have been damaged or destroyed overall, but that number could increase.
“They’ve given us lists of people that have destroyed houses or major damaged houses, and they’re the ones that were immediately helping. But we’re discovering, is it, there’s a lot more flooding here than we knew, and we’re trying to assist and help them in every single way. So, what we’ve seen is just amazing damage from the floods,” said Spears.
Augusta was ready for any sort of impact but stepped up where the impact was greater.
“There’s still water in some of the streets, but you can’t imagine what’s been left in those houses. It’s not good. It’s not good. Most of them did not have flood insurance, so homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover it,” said Spears.
Spears says he’s helping in any way he can and encouraging others to also.
Everitt said: “At this point, we would love for people to volunteer to be prepared for the next disaster that comes because we know it’s going to be a very intense disaster season this year.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says 2024 could be one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record.
If you want to volunteer to help with disaster relief through the Red Cross, visit
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The second annual Juneteenth trail ride took place on Old Waynesboro Road in Augusta on Saturday.
The event featured trail rides with horses and ATVs, a mechanical bull contest and music.
People shopped at vendors, and there was entertainment for kids, including a petting zoo, inflatables and games.
“It’s really a privilege just to be able to have the opportunity to share my space, to share my area, and to share for an event with so much value, to give back to my community and a place to celebrate,” said Davon Wallace, chief of operations at Crimson Hills.
Wallace said they will be hosting more events, with a haunted trail coming in October.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made multiple arrests in a deadly shooting that left one teenager dead and another injured early Saturday morning.
According to deputies, the incident happened June 20, at approximately 12:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Warren Road, where authorities responded to reports of shots fired involving two gunshot victims.
When deputies arrived, they located two 18-year-old men from Augusta.
Officials identified the victims as Eric Markquis Bartley Miller and Joseph Lamar Thomas.
Investigators say Miller sustained at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas was also found with at least one gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, three teenage suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
18-year-old Dmihjay Collins, 17-year-old Tayshaun Thomas, and 17-year-old Joseph Thomas have all been arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Machine Guns. They are all currently being held at the Webster Detention Center.
A fourth teenager, 17-year-old Reante Byrd was also arrested, but investigators have not linked him to the murder case. Byrd has been charged with Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18. He is also being held in the Webster Detention Center.
No further details in the investigation have been released.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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