Thursday was a busy day in the CSRA when it came to the weather from Hurricane Helene.
A tornado watch was issued for the CSRA until 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 due to Hurricane Helene, which became a category 4 storm Thursday night. According to Shawn Granato, director of Columbia County EMA, the wind and rain are expected to continue throughout the day and night.
“We will feel the winds pick up this evening and reach approximately 30-35 mph sustained in the early morning hours with gusts nearing 70 mph. Be prepared for the potential for flash flooding as we should receive up to six inches of rain over the next 24 hours. There is always the potential for more if the storm slows down. Please prepare now. Bring in loose items from outside. Take care of your animals and bring them in if you can,” Granato said on Thursday.
In the 7 p.m. update on Thursday, Granato said the National Weather Service was predicting tropical storm winds around 40 mph throughout Columbia County between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. The wind gust prediction speeds has increased to approximately 75 mph.
“In the past 18 hours, our area already received six – and in some places eight – inches of rain,” Granato said. “This unexpectedly large amount of rain prior to Helene reaching out area will make the high winds even more dangerous as the ground is saturated, increasing the probability of downed trees. The extra rain also compounds the potential for flash flooding throughout our county.”
Granato stressed that the storm would be significant and residents need to stay home and off the roads until at least 8 a.m. Friday. Wide spread power outages for possibly days are also expected.
Many roads and creeks saw flooding on Thursday throughout the CSRA.
Residents were urged to make sure electronic devices are charged and that they have a way to receive alerts. Columbia County residents can sign up for Hyper Reach and Augusta Richmond County residents can sign up at ever bridge.
Both Columbia County EMA and Augusta EMA post updates on their respective Facebook pages.
Richmond County School System
Richmond County School System has announced that Friday, Sept. 27 will be a learn from home day for students.
”The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority as we continue to make plans for impending weather. Due to the possibility of high winds and weather that may impede bus transportation, all schools will observe a Learn from Home Day on Friday, September 27. Students will take home their devices today and complete assignments at home tomorrow,” the school system said in a press release.
Columbia County School District
Columbia County School District announced that all schools and facilities will be closed on Friday, Sept. 27 due to the anticipated weather from Hurricane Helene.
“Current forecasts indicate weather conditions will improve significantly throughout the day on Friday. Even though school athletics and activities are canceled, high school football games will remain as currently scheduled unless other notification is provided by the school,” the school district said on its website.
McDuffie County School District
McDuffie County School District announced that the district would be closed Friday, Sept. 27. Normal operations will continue on Thursday, but asks that parents who live on the following roads contact the Department of Transportation at 706-986-4091 to meet buses at designated points: Temple, Foster Sprouse, Rock House, Fish Dam, Mason, Heaton, Goett, Carolyn Lake, Lakeview, Greenbrier, Reeves, St. Paul, Dogwood, Jones, Whitaker, Radford Gay, Chalker, and Rabun.
The football game for Friday, Sept. 27 has been rescheduled to Friday, Sept. 18.
“For future emergency announcements, we request that all families ensure contact information is up to date at each of our schools. The safety of our faculty, staff, and students remains our top priority,” the school district said in a statement.
Columbia County
Columbia County has announced the following road closures:
- The Pass at Saddletree Lane
- Reynolds Farm Road
- Mill Branch Road
Patriots Park gym remained open overnight from Thursday, Sept. 26 to Friday, Sept. 27, for Columbia County residents who do not feel safe in their homes and need a safe spot. It is recommended to head to Patriots Park before the worst part of the storm hits sometime between midnight and 8 a.m.
The County announced that the Board of Commissioners and county administration will be closed on Friday, Sept. 27.
Columbia County libraries (Evans, Grovetown and Harlem) will close at 5 p.m. Thursday and will remain closed through Friday, Sept. 27. They will resume normal business hours on Saturday, Sept. 28.
County departments are on standby to clear debris as soon as safely possible.
Columbia County Tax Commissioner Wayne Bridges announced that the Motor Vehicle and Property Tax offices would be closed on Friday, Sept. 27 and would reopen at 8 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 30.
Augusta Richmond County
Augusta EMA distributed sandbags to residents on Thursday ahead of Hurricane Helen making landfall.
City administration offices closed at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26 and will remain closed on Friday, Sept. 27. Public safety operations will continue as normal.
According to Augusta Richmond County Emergency Management, there are several key concerns including flood risk with a major concern of flash flooding, wind and tornado threats, power outage.
The city has provided information for the following shelters:
- Salvation Army Center of Hope: Capacity for 130, with five family rooms. Contact: Olga Gonzales, 706-504-6792
- Garden City Rescue Mission: Room for 60 men. Contact: Patrick Feistel, 706-724-6960
- Augusta Rescue Mission: Accommodates single men. Contact: Chris Jones, 706-564-1834
City of Grovetown
The City of Grovetown closed its offices on Thursday due to the inclement weather from Hurricane Helene. The offices will reopen on Monday, Sept. 30 at the normal business hour. Liberty Park is also closed until Saturday, but will open at 8 p.m. on Thursday as an emergency shelter as needed.
Augusta University
Augusta University has announced that campuses will close at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26. In-person instruction, campus events and activities will be canceled. On Friday, Sept. 27, classes will be held remotely and employees are encouraged to work from home. Updates will be posted on Jagwire Alerts.
Augusta Tech
All Augusta Technical College campuses and sites closed Thursday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m. All evening classes, activities and events are cancelled. Campuses and sites will be closed on Friday, Sept. 27. Operations will resume as normal on Monday, Sept. 30.
USC Aiken
The University of South Carolina Aiken will be closed on Friday, Sept. 27 due to predicted inclement weather.
Campus operations and classes will return to normal on Monday, Sept. 30. For updates, visit the link here.
Aiken Tech
The Aiken Technical College campus and college offices closed at 5 p.m. Thursday and will be closed Friday, Sept. 27. All classes scheduled for 4 p.m. or later on Thursday and all classes on Friday are canceled.
Campus operations and classes will resume regular hours on Monday, Sept. 30.
Check back to the Augusta Press throughout the day for updates on Hurricane Helene.We’ll have a new story on Friday regarding any weather updates .
