One year after Hurricane Helene devastated the Central Savannah River Area, Augusta paused Saturday to remember the seven Richmond County residents killed when trees fell on their homes.
Mayor Garnett Johnson grew emotional as he addressed their families. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what their contributions were,” he said. “The contributions they made to your family and to the community won’t go away.”
Those honored were:
- Daverio Carter, 51, of Wedgewood Drive — devoted husband and family man.
- Stephen Donehoo, 72, and great-grandson Izaac, 10, of Old Waynesboro Road — loved fishing and building together.
- Uyen Xuan Le, 36, of Lake Avenue — remembered as a quiet, caring presence.
- Katherine McCall, 62, of Morningside Drive — artist with brightening effects.
- Andrea Warner, 62, of Windsor Spring Road — nuclear monitoring technician.
- Caffee Wright, 52 — counselor and horticulturalist.
Their names are now inscribed on a plaque unveiled Saturday at the Heroes’ Overlook at Riverwalk and 10th Street.
The storm was the deadliest Augusta had seen in many years. The seven are part of 31 who died around the CSRA as a result of it.
Saturday reminded Johnson of searching for “those that were trapped under those areas that we couldn’t save” nor “recover and retrieve immediately,” he said. “It just brought back a flurry of memories,” he said.
Augusta Administrator Tameka Allen said the memorial will remind the public the storm victims will not be forgotten.
“We speak their names and we’ll continue to speak their names. So don’t ever think because they’re not here in physical body that we have forgotten or will ever forget,” she said.
