October 1, 2025

A student at Augusta University (AU) is taking a deeper look at the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on the Summerville campus and the implications of tree loss for the future. Austin Plagens, an undergraduate honor student, realized there had been a dramatic shift in the appearance of the campus following the hurricane. He also realized the magnitude of the loss needed to be better documented. He’s cataloging the changes for his honor’s thesis. Since the storm, Plagens has walked the campus, creating an inventory of every missing tree, its type,