September 26, 2025

Friday, September 27, 2024, was not business as usual. In almost every neighborhood in the CSRA, there were signs of destruction after Hurricane Helene blew through in the early morning hours. Helene left her mark by dumping as much as 13 inches of rain, equivalent to a once-in-500-year occurrence in many areas of Richmond, Columbia, Jefferson, Edgefield, and Saluda counties, and packing winds of 100 mph. Local tourism and hospitality lost millions of dollars from canceled events. The destruction left many business owners stuck in a maze of insurance-related uncertainties.