(UPDATED WITH TWO ADDITIONAL RICHMOND COUNTY DEATHS)
The Aiken County Coroner’s Office is investigating at least four deaths related to Hurricane Helene while Richmond County confirmed five deaths through Friday afternoon. The number is expected to climb.
According to a press release from Aiken County, the coroner’s office responded to several locations to pronounce several individuals dead as a result of tree damage from high winds.
At the 300 block of Church Road in Beech Island, S.C., 78-year-old Jerry Savage and his wife, 74-year-old Marcia Savage were pronounced deceased at 11:40 a.m. after a tree crashed through the roof of their home landing on the couple. Their adult son was in the residence at the time, but was not injured.
“Twenty-nine year old Michael Roukous of Dexter, New York, was pronounced deceased at 9:52 this morning after a tree crashed through the roof of a Bread and Breakfast home he was renting on the 100 block of Casnettie Road in Beech Island,” stated the press release from Darryl M. Ables, the Aiken County Coroner.
Ables also pronounced a 70-year-old gentleman deceased at 8:50 a.m. after a tree “crashed through the roof” of his home on Metts Park Circle, Aiken. “His name will be released after family has been notified,” Ables said.
Ables said all victims will be autopsied in Newberry, S.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Meanwhile, Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen said the Augusta area had confirmed five deaths related to fallen trees, including a Hephzibah death off Old Waynesboro Road and another on Morningside Drive.
Bowen reported that his office responded to five separate locations Friday, where individuals were pronounced dead due to fallen trees striking their residences. The incidents occurred at 5000 block of Old Waynesboro Road, 2100 block of Lake Avenue, 2200 block of Morningside Drive, 4500 block of Windsor Spring Road, and 3300 block of Wedgewood Drive. The identities of the deceased will be released at a later time.
Bowen said the number could continue to go up, adding that they are taking awhile to get to the scenes of some of the deaths because of the storm debris.
In Columbia County, County Administrator Scott Johnson told WGAC’s Austin Rhodes that the Grovetown area may have one potential fatality, but he added that it was not confirmed.
The Aiken County Coroner encouraged those with loved ones or friends in the area to check on them if that can do it safely. He also recommended a well-being check by law enforcement if the loved ones do not respond.
(Note: If you have information on local deaths or photos to honor those who died from the storm, please text it to us at 803-487-3224.)
Staff writer Liz Wright contributed to this report.
