Augusta, GA

Helene live updates from Augusta: Charities teaming up to help Augustans in need

Published

1 year ago

October 6, 2024

Press Room

Helene live updates from Augusta: Charities teaming up to help Augustans in need

Staff Reports
| Augusta Chronicle

Recovery efforts continue into their second week after Hurricane Helene devastated the Augusta area on Sept. 27.

Though thousands remain without power heading into this week, Georgia Power said that by Saturday, Oct. 5 80% of its Augusta customers had their power restored.

The Category 4 storm made landfall Sept. 26 along Florida’s Big Bend coast. The Augusta area saw isolated tornadoes and hurricane-force wind gusts exceeding 80 mph, downing trees and powerlines.

Below is the latest information on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Augusta and east Georgia. The Augusta Chronicle staff will update regularly.

Aiken County Public School System announced on Saturday that Paul Knox Middle in North Augusta and Aiken High School in Aiken will serve as shelters. But this was later updated to only Paul Knox serving as a shelter. Those sheltering at Paul Knox should enter at Wells Road and Pisgah Avenue.

Aiken County schools continue to be closed as they are currently on fall break through Oct. 11.

Many residents in communities surrounding Augusta remain without power as the area heads into its second week of recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.

“It’s going to be a multiple-week-long process,” Wayne Gossage Jr., president of Jefferson Energy Cooperative, last week said of efforts to restore power in more rural areas. “I was here during the ice storm of 2014 and I never thought we’d see anything close to that, but this is much worse for multiple reasons. The transmission that’s out, the damage to our distribution system is going to take time to repair. The ice storm was isolated more or less, but this is all over.”

Here’s a look of remaining power outages in some of the communities outside Augusta as reported by Dataminr on Sunday morning. The data is presented by electric utility, county affected and the number of remaining outages.

Jefferson Energy

Mcduffie County, GA: 3,153
Jefferson County, GA: 3,105
Columbia County, GA: 2,691
Richmond County, GA: 1,795
Burke County, GA: 1,116
Warren County, GA: 826
Glascock County, GA: 465
Emanuel County, GA: 435
Johnson County, GA: 229
Washington County, GA: 89

Aiken Electric

Aiken County, SC: 6,033
Edgefield County, SC: 4,126
McCormick County, SC: 535
Saluda County, SC: 146
Barnwell County, SC: 40

Dominion Energy

Aiken County, SC: 8,305
Edgefield County, SC: 1,418
Saluda County, SC: 1,008
Mccormick County, SC: 719
Richland County, SC: 91
Gloucester County, VA: 16
Abbeville County, SC: 11
Fairfax County, VA: 9
Petersburg County, VA: 8
Lexington County, SC: 8

United Way of the Central Savannah River Area, its 211 Helpline and the crowdsourced internet charity site GoFundMe.org are collectively raising funds for families harmed by damage from Hurricane Helene.The fund will offer unrestricted cash grants of $200 to help people pay for food, water, clothing, diapers and other critical supplies. “Additional grants will become available as new funds are raised through this impactful partnership,” according to Madison Jones, a communications manager with GoFundMe.United Way CSRA’s 2-1-1 is helping to identify grantees, and GoFundMe.org will issue the grants. GoFundMe has made an initial $50,000 contribution to begin immediately helping 250 people in Augusta.Tax-deductible donations also will be granted to support those in need.

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Augusta, GA

Peach Belt tournament: Augusta misses out for the first time in Metress era

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Peach Belt tournament: Augusta misses out for the first time in Metress era

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 2025-2026 Peach Belt Conference brackets are set, and there is plenty of shakeup this year.

Starting with the women’s bracket, Augusta University secured the #4 overall seed and will face #5 seed Middle Georgia in round one.

USCA’s women’s team did not fair as well, finishing in last place of this season’s standings.

On the men’s side, USCA’s men’s team secured the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament.

In a shocking turn of events, AU’s men’s team did not qualify for the tournament.

This marks the first time the program has missed the PBC tournament since Dip Metress took over the program in 2004.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Falls to Georgia Southwestern in Final Game of the Series – Augusta University

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Falls to Georgia Southwestern in Final Game of the Series – Augusta University

Augusta, Ga. – Augusta managed just five hits and one run and fell to Georgia Southwestern 12-1 Sunday as the Hurricanes win two of the three games of the series. The Jaguars are now 7-2 in Peach Belt Conference play and 11-8 overall. The Canes improve to 7-2 in conference play and 12-7 overall.

Georgia Southwestern scored runs in all but one inning including four runs in the first two innings and plated five runs in the fifth, highlighted by a grand slam.

The only Augusta run would come in the fourth inning. Landon Leonard would reach on an error and would come around when Kent Moon reached on a fielder’s choice that would plate Leonard.

Leonard, Moon, Davis Newman, Harris Bachelder and Jakob Cowart would collect the hits for the Jaguars.

Augusta will next be in action on Friday when the open up a three game series with Lander at Jaguar Field. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:00 p.m.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags.

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Augusta, GA

Protestors in downtown Augusta speak out after strikes on Iran

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Protestors in downtown Augusta speak out after strikes on Iran

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Local protestors made their voices heard after Israel and the U.S. announced strikes on Iran Saturday, ones that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reports say.

Protesters lined 13th Street in Downtown Augusta and walked across the river to North Augusta to make sure as many people as possible heard them.

50501 CSRA already had a march planned for Saturday, but in light of the strikes on Iran, decided to expand its focus.

Local leaders spoke about their concerns for the strikes, and roughly 60 people showed up to share theirs as well.

One of the event organizers said to make your voice heard your voice heard.

“Just call your people, call your representatives, if you don’t like that Iran was bombed, I don’t either. But call people and let them know, email them. Let it be relentless. Congress did not approve this. They have a say in this,” Zee Cook said.

The strike is being called “Operation Epic Fury,” with Iran responding with multiple missile and drone strikes across the Middle East.

In a social media post, President Trump said the bombing of the country will continue “as long as necessary.”

People across the world began lining the streets as well in support and against the decision.

Leaders across the world reacted to the news, including those in Georgia and South Carolina.

There’s a protest planned in Charleston and other regional cities this week.

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