Many of the people who still have access to social media have been complaining about the lack of coverage given to Augusta in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Drone footage of a hammered Augusta National Golf Club appeared along with the caption of: “Don’t they think this is news?”
The truth is that, with the national media, “If it bleeds, it leads” is still the rule of thumb. The devastating photos of houses in North Carolina being carried off their foundations by flood waters make for a much more compelling story than a few broken pine trees on a golf course, even if that golf course is internationally famous.
If the national media had taken more than a cursory look at Augusta, they might have discovered an amazing story of survival, bravery and true grit in the face of severe adversity.
No sooner than the last drop of rain fallen than the sound of chainsaws could be heard all over the CSRA. Neighbors joined one another in clearing debris, gasing up generators and checking on the homebound while electrical linemen (and women) from all over the Southeast began the process of restoring power.
Rather than just wait for the food in the freezers to melt and go to ruin, people set up communal grills and everyone feasted. Kids put down their useless electronic devices and roamed the neighborhoods on their bikes.
No one panicked.
On the streets, drivers mostly observed the “four-way-stop” rule, and grocery shoppers waited patiently in line to be allowed in and chatted away with one another as if it were just another day.
Sure, there were some who took advantage of the disaster by robbing and even looting smashed up houses, but our underpaid and overworked deputies pulled up their bootstraps, determined to keep the public safe. The result was that Augusta saw less crime than what would be considered a normal night in Detroit.
Augusta Administrator Tameka Allen calmly called together her department heads to deal immediately with water delivery issues before they became a crisis and addressed the Augusta Commission on steps they could take to ease the public burden.
Somewhere out there, Mayor Garnett Johnson could be seen wielding a chainsaw.
In Columbia County, Administrator Scott Johnson walked over two miles in the rain through impassable roads to where a county vehicle could pick him up for a ride to the Emergency Command Center. Grovetown Mayor Gary Jones acted as an “air traffic controller,” letting citizens know where churches and non-profits had set up camp offering food and water.
In short, the national media missed an inspiring story of how humanity can come together in the face of disaster and offer each other sustenance, a warm hug and a resourceful grin.
In the shadow of devastation, the people of Augusta proved what it means to be “Southern by the grace of God.”
Yes, the national media missed the story, but who cares? Who needs ‘em!
