Augusta, GA

Storm lays waste to Bamberg, downs trees, cuts power across region

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

Storm lays waste to Bamberg, downs trees, cuts power across region

BAMBERG, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – A severe thunderstorm swept through the Augusta region Tuesday, downing trees, knocking out power and damaging buildings, but perhaps nowhere was the damage more severe than Bamberg, where a possible tornado left the town in tatters.

In Augusta, the storm left its mark but may have been milder than many prepared for.

That wasn’t the case along the southern edge of the storm front, which brought a tornado warning in Screven County and a left swath of destruction in Bamberg and Allendale counties.

In Bamberg, debris, building insulation and even bricks were scattered over wide areas.

Multiple trees were uprooted, several businesses reported damage, one person was trapped and several roads were blocked.

Old Bamberg City Hall – a building that’s been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005 – may have been destroyed. Bamberg Rustic Furniture and More reported damage.

There were no injuries, according to state Rep. Justin Bamberg, but more than 1,200 customers were without power in the hours after the storm.

BAMBERG PHOTO GALLERY:

Characterizing the damage as “extreme,” Bamberg County spokeswoman Alisha Moore urged residents to stay off the roads so emergency crews could do their work.

In keeping with that sentiment, students will stay home Wednesday for a day of e-learning.

Moore said she was at home when the storm hit and her house shook and the windows started to rattle. She took shelter in her bathroom.

A tree came through her bedroom window.

“Not gonna lie – it was terrifying,” she said in a Facebook video.

The National Weather Service will send a team Wednesday to determine whether the damage was caused by a tornado or straight winds.

Not far away, Allendale also received some heavy damage as the storm passed through.

Trees were toppled and splintered, with vegetation and other debris strewn across yards.

ALLENDALE PHOTO GALLERY:

The experience was milder in Augusta, where trees came down on power lines and some roadways, but where limbs weren’t left in shards by the high winds.

Even though the storm was strongest in Augusta from noon to 3, it had rained all night and winds had begun kicking up during the morning commute.

That’s when there was a wave of power outages, leaving 8,492 customers without electricity in Columbia County as of 1:21 p.m. Within a few minutes, that number was cut to 5,737.

After leaving death and damage in Alabama, Florida and Atlanta, the first heavy line of the storm moved through Augusta around 1 p.m., then the next wave came through just before 2.

Gusts up to 60 mph and up to 2 inches of rain were expected as the storm moved eastward.

PHOTO GALLERY – AUGUSTA AND ELSEWHERE:

In Richmond County, two closed doors at an industrial storage building were ripped off their hinges by the wind near the intersection of Jimmy Dyess Parkway and Wrightsboro Road.

Elsewhere in Augusta, water mains broke at Wallace Street and Laney Walker Boulevard and along North Wheeler Parkway west of Bobby Jones Expressway.

A tree came down on some power lines along Walton Way near Fleming Drive, and crews were quickly on the scene cutting it up. A tree also came down on Walton Way at Carriage Drive.

In Columbia County, just before 1 p.m., a home was damaged in the 4400 block of Whisperwood in Martinez, where a tree fell on a house and went through the roof. Storm damage was also reported at 2227 Dry Creek Road.

Just before 2 p.m., Grovetown police were on the scene at the intersection of West Robinson Avenue and Wrightsboro Road after a traffic signal came down.

Also in Columbia County:

At Knob Hill Farm Road and Knob Hill Drive in Evans, tree limbs were blocking the road.
On Old Union Road in Harlem, a tree was downed by the storm.
In the 500 block of 524 McKinnes Line in Evans, a storm drain backed up, flooding a yard.
In the 4000 block of Lee Place in Martinez, tree limbs were blocking the roadway.
At Tom Bartles Road and Ray Owens Road in Appling, a tree was downed by the storm.
In the 6500 block of George Walton Drive in Harlem, a tree was downed by the storm.
At Baker Place Road and Kelarie Way in Grovetown, a downed tree was blocking the roadway.
At Mullikin Road and Eagle Trace Lane in Evans, tree limbs were blocking the roadway.
At Stevens Creek Road and St. Andrew’s Way in Martinez, a downed tree fell on a power line.
On Lietz Court in Grovetown, a tree was downed by the storm.
On Shucraft Road in Appling, a tree was downed by the storm.
On Ridge Road in Appling, a tree was downed by the storm.
Off Cobbham Road near Marshall Drive in Appling, trees were downed by the storm.

The storm’s approach was being monitored at the Columbia County emergency operations center on Jan. 9, 2024.(WRDW/WAGT)

Elsewhere in the CSRA, damage included:

Just before noon, lightning struck a house in the 8200 block of Gregory Road in Aiken County. No flames were reported, but there was smoke.
Treetrops were snapped off in Lincoln County, as recorded in a photo sent to News 12 by a viewer.
Multiple trees and power lines were down across Saluda County, with roughly 500 power outages. Trees were down on Rock Hill Road, Greenwood Highway, Summerland Highway at Corley Bridge Road and Chappells Highway between Centennial and Highway 702. There was also a broken power pole with lines down on Ridge Spring Highway.
Just before 2:30 p.m. in Edgefield County, a tree was reported blocking Red Hill Road between Antioch Baptist Church and Martintown Road. Trees also came down on roadways near Johnston Highway and Long Cane Road, near Sleepy Creek Road and Timmerman Road and in the 2100 block of Highway 23 West, blocking both lanes.
Trees were down in Burke County on Seven Oaks Road near Botsford Church Road, Story Mill Road at Spread Oak Road, Quaker Road and Cohen Road, and Thompson Bridge Road at Cox Place Road.
In Washington County, multiple trees were down across the area, and rescuers were on the way to a report of a tree falling on an occupied camper.
Just before 2 p.m., Highway 171 North was closed in Glascock County between Beall Springs Road and Chalker Road after a power pole came down.

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Augusta, GA

17-year-old hit by two vehicles after I-520 crash, officials say

Published

3 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

17-year-old hit by two vehicles after I-520 crash, officials say

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 17-year-old driving a possibly stolen vehicle was critically injured Thursday after fleeing Richmond County deputies, crashing near I-520 and running into interstate traffic, authorities said.

Richmond County deputies went to the area of Barton Chapel Road and Old McDuffie Road at around 8:19 a.m. Thursday for a possible stolen vehicle described as an orange Dodge Challenger.

Deputies located the vehicle at the intersection of Barton Chapel Road and Old McDuffie Road, and as deputies attempted to turn around and make contact, the driver sped away going eastbound on Old McDuffie Road, officials said.

Deputies attempted to follow the vehicle but lost sight of it shortly thereafter.

A short time later, a deputy saw that the Challenger had crashed at the dead end of Old McDuffie Road after traveling through a private fence, authorities say.

The vehicle stopped on an embankment along the southeast shoulder of I-520 eastbound near mile marker 4, according to the sheriff’s office.

As deputies approached the vehicle, deputies said the driver ran across the eastbound lanes of I-520 into oncoming traffic, and was hit by a passing vehicle.

The impact from the first vehicle caused him to hit the windshield of a second vehicle traveling in the same direction, according to officials. He was then propelled over the center barrier wall into the westbound lanes of the interstate.

The driver was transported to Wellstar MCG by Central EMS for treatment and is listed in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said.

Georgia State Patrol has been notified and is leading the investigation into the incident. Any additional information will be released as it becomes available.

The crash shut down all lanes on the interstate for hours on Thursday morning, reopening around 11 a.m.

On Wednesday morning, Richmond County deputies responded to another “serious” crash on Barton Chapel Road, which turned out to be deadly.

According to data provided by the sheriff’s office, traffic collisions in Richmond County decreased by 3% in the past year, from 10,672 in 2024 to 10,402 in 2025.

The more significant decrease came with a 43% in traffic fatalities in the county. Fatalities dropped from 44 in 2024 to 25 in 2025.

More broadly, in Georgia, there were a total of 367,523 crashes in 2024, which is down from 374,006 in 2023, according to GDOT.

There was a total of 1,494 fatal crashes in Georgia in 2024, down from 1,666 in 2023.

GDOT says 76% of the time, fatal crashes are caused by unsafe driving behaviors, including distractions, impairment or driving too fast for conditions.

And in Nov. 2025, the sheriff’s office was one of 26 law enforcement agencies in Georgia to receive a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded the sheriff’s office with $192,286.36.

The Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic, or H.E.A.T., program is designed to combat crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seatbelt use and educating the public about traffic safety.

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Augusta, GA

Abercrombie’s Career-High 33 Lifts Augusta Past Middle Georgia in PBC Tournament Quarterfinals – Augusta University

Published

15 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Abercrombie’s Career-High 33 Lifts Augusta Past Middle Georgia in PBC Tournament Quarterfinals – Augusta University

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta opened Peach Belt Conference Tournament play with a win Wednesday, outlasting Middle Georgia 74-70 in the PBC quarterfinals atChristenberry Fieldhouse.

The Jaguars (19-9, 13-7 Peach Belt) move on to the next round of four and will travel to top-seeded Columbus State on Saturday, March 7, in Columbus, Ga.

Augusta got rolling early behind Quinasia Abercrombie, who buried a three in the opening minute and continued to set the tone offensively. The Jaguars built momentum on both ends, and Nadiyah Byard provided an instant spark off the bench with a layup late in the first quarter to help Augusta take a 16-13 lead after one.

The second quarter belonged to the Jaguars’ defense. Middle Georgia managed just six points in the period, as Augusta tightened the paint and forced tough possessions. Amari Jackson hit a pair of free throws early in the quarter and later added a layup, while Abercrombie finished the half with a strong push in transition to keep Augusta in control. The Jaguars took a 31-19 lead into halftime after holding Middle Georgia to 1-for-13 shooting in the second quarter.

Middle Georgia responded coming out of the break, but Augusta answered every push. Abercrombie knocked down a fast-break three early in the third, and Jackson followed with a layup to keep the advantage comfortable. Sa’Niah Dorsey connected from deep during the quarter, and Augusta shot 61.5 percent in the third to carry a 54-40 lead into the final 10 minutes.

The final quarter turned into a battle. Middle Georgia found rhythm offensively and closed the gap with repeated second-chance opportunities, eventually cutting it to a one-possession game in the final minute. Augusta stayed poised at the line down the stretch, with Elyse Autrey knocking down key free throws in the closing seconds to preserve the win.

Abercrombie led Augusta with a career-high 33 points, going 13-of-20 from the field and 3-of-6 from three. Jackson added 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Dorsey finished with seven points, while Autrey dished out six assists and went 5-for-6 at the free throw line.

Middle Georgia (17-11, 10-10 Peach Belt) was paced by Mauryah Jones with 20 points and Kristen Foglia with 18. The Knights also received 13 points and 15 rebounds from Kennedi Hawkins.

Wednesday’s game also featured a special atmosphere at Christenberry Fieldhouse, with the Lucy C. Laney High School Marching Band, the Pride of Augusta, providing in-game entertainment.

Augusta advances to face top-seeded Columbus State on Saturday, March 7, in Columbus, Ga.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Boxing Club faces financial uncertainty after nonprofit funding cuts

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Boxing Club faces financial uncertainty after nonprofit funding cuts

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Boxing Club is facing financial uncertainty after Richmond County’s 2026 budget left no room to fund nonprofit organizations.

The county’s decision removes one of the club’s main financial supporters, leaving the historic organization without a key source of funding.

The Augusta Boxing Club is one of the nation’s longest-running amateur boxing clubs and has served at-risk youth in the Augusta area.