Mike Petchenik recaps the week that was with Helene, including some canceled business events and how companies stepped up to help out.
Area Chambers of Commerce are most known for networking and educational workshops and conferences. Since Helene devastated the CSRA, legislative advocacy is more critical than ever to make businesses whole. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce put together a survey that business leaders are asked to participate in. This survey aims to gather information from business owners regarding the impact of Hurricane Helene on their operations, including property damage and the current status of their business. Survey Link: https://forms.gle/UqtW112V7WnEsGtt7
Editor’s note: Pictures are worth a thousand words. The one above is in Harlem, where folks are waiting in line to get nourishment from the Cantina Food Truck. Those scenes are being played out across neighborhoods. Families still can’t get out of their driveway because of downed trees, others need ice to keep insulin cold for their diabetic family members. They are your neighbors. They are employees of businesses. They and we, are all trying to survive and put the devastation behind us. Today, there is some good news. Financial
Local tourism and hospitality leadership is assessing the impact Helene has had so far, and will have in the coming days, on Metro Augusta. Destination Augusta estimates as much as $8.5 million has been lost in economic impact from events that have been canceled and will be canceled for the foreseeable future. “With the news that hurricane Helene was going to impact Georgia, we began to see conferences and conventions cancel their plans. Obviously, the first major thing to go last week was the Iron Man event that was supposed
No power, no gas, boiled water advisories, and limited access to food have felt like the apocalypse for businesses and residents of the CSRA. The minutes turned into hours and the hours turned into days, a week ago today to be exact. According to insurers and financial institutions, damage caused by Helene could run into the billions of dollars. The lights out before and after Helene map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides a dark and daunting perspective of the storm’s impact. Georgia Power’s response to Hurricane
Editor’s note: The largest non-manufacturing employer in the CSRA with an annual economic impact of 2.4 billion dollars is Fort Eisenhower, but even a military installation is not immune to the impact of a major hurricane. In the latest update on Fort Eisenhower, based upon continued degraded conditions on the installation, Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Ryan M. Janovic extended the installation closure through Friday, October 4, 2024. Only mission essential & emergency operations persons, as well as residents, will be allowed to enter the gates. “The safety, health, and security
As the CSRA continues to fight back from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, area businesses are stepping up to the plate, one of them literally. The Augusta GreenJackets announced plans to open SRP Park from noon until 5 p.m. yesterday offering air conditioning, a chance to recharge phones, and hot dogs and soft drinks from noon until 2 p.m. People will also be able to take home two – 10lb bags of ice. “We’re kind of monitoring around here,” Tom Denlinger, GreenJackets Vice President, told ABD. “But we are fortunate
South Carolina’s request for an Expedited Major Presidential Disaster Declaration to provide federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Helene has been approved. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in Aiken and Barnwell, along with 11 other counties outside the CSRA can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362, or by using the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or others, give FEMA the number for that service. More information
One of the Augusta area’s primary transportation links is slowly taking steps back to full service. Herbert Judon, Jr., Executive Director of Augusta Regional Airport, told ABD the airport lost all its primary power, is operating off generator auxiliary power, and will continue to do so indefinitely. On Friday, just after the magnitude of the storm damage became evident, Lauren Smith, the airport’s Assistant Director of Marketing and Public Relations, sent a news release: “Out of an abundance of caution and safety for our customers and employees, Augusta Regional Airport
Editor’s note: There have been hundreds of social media posts about how the national media has not reported on the damage to Augusta. Hurricane Helene was catastrophic in the CSRA, but help is on the way. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) visited Augusta on Monday to review storm damage, get updates on recovery, and provide the latest information on what state agencies are providing. A news conference was held outside the James Brown Arena, where personnel from electric utilities and companies were staging with their vehicles. Those then fanned out
