Augusta will have more than 5,000 linemen in the area Monday in an effort to address “the worst natural disaster in our city’s history,” Mayor Garnett Johnson said in an afternoon update.
Hurricane Helene left widespread destruction, and most area residents without power and more recently, water as it crushed the area Friday morning. At least six people died in Richmond County from falling trees.
All court proceedings scheduled Monday and Tuesday have been postponed, DA Jared Williams said.
MORE: Water is provided in Augusta to combat temporary outage after hurricane
The Augusta Commission will meet online at 2 p.m. Monday instead of Tuesday. Johnson said the commission had important personnel actions to take in light of the storm.
Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to visit the area Monday morning to update Augustans on state relief efforts.
Augusta has shelters open at the Henry Brigham Center, run by the American Red Cross, and May Park, where residents can obtain food, shelter and water and be in air-conditioned surroundings, officials said. Power supplies for charging devices are limited, however.
Water service is suspended, Johnson said. Augusta’s pumps are still functioning but must be frequently stopped to clear debris, he said. Officials said earlier Sunday the outage would last from 24-48 hours.
Residents are again asked to not use 911 except for true emergencies and stay home if possible, Johnson said.
“If you don’t have a need, please don’t clog our lines. Please don’t travel our roads,” he said.
A curfew remains in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., the mayor said.
Augusta is also working closely with Atlanta Gas Light to make sure the gas lines are ready and not leaking once the power is restored, Fire Chief and EMA Director Antonio Burden said.
Area gas stations are bringing in generators that will soon enable residents to fill their tanks, Johnson said.
“Once we get either generators or power restored, we have plenty of inventory of gasoline,” he said.
View the news conference below:
