What About the People in Augusta? The Untold Story of Hurricane Helene!

Imagine waking up, opening your front door and seeing a tree down impeding your exit. Imagine waking up with no power, and water pressure significantly low. Imagine in a world where news, fake or real is instantly and constantly streamed into your mobile devices, yet the total destruction that you are seeing is not being shown on mainstream news outlets. All the headline news outlets are focused on other areas such as, North and South Carolina which is totally fine HOWEVER what about the people in Georgia??? Specifically, Augusta and the surrounding areas!

Charles and I were actually in Augusta, the Summerville area. We didn’t have to imagine the effects of Hurricane Helene because we survived it. I am sharing our experience with Hurricane Helene to spotlight, inform, and invite assistance to an area that was devastated yet for whatever reason, mainstream news outlets are simply not reporting the devastation.

Everything happens for a reason!

Charles and I believe that we were in Augusta at the time of the storm; to tell the story that is simply not being told. Now 30 days post Helene, Augusta is still recovering. How do I know this? Surely not because of a 60-Minutes news story, or something I have seen on any news broadcast. I know this because although we evacuated, we have remained connected with our friends and family there in Augusta.

There are so many ways this article could go however I choose to proceed in Love.

*In full transparency I had to take an intentional pause before writing this, because I was truly saddened, frustrated, and angered, initially.

Unbeknownst to Charles and I, as we were sleeping Hurricane Helene was ravaging Augusta Georgia. We woke up to a power outage and trees and debris tossed around like matchsticks, including a tree blocking the front entrance to the condo where we were staying. Wait!?! Did we miss the warning alerts alarming to inform us that Augusta Georgia was about to take a direct hit from Hurricane Helene? Nope! There were no warnings just the devasting impact! WHACK!

The first day was surreal people were dazed and confused navigating the destruction from Hurricane Helene. How this catastrophic event that required the National Guard and Red Cross to be activated; yet did not make headline news is definitely something ponder!

Driving out of the neighborhood was a tactical adventure, our street was obstructed in both directions by large fallen trees. We literally had to navigate through the parking lot of the neighboring condo and carefully make our way through roads blocked by fallen trees and powerlines. The scene was unreal with people wandering and driving in circles trying to find a way onto an open main road.

The sites around Augusta on September 27th, 2024, were frightening and heartbreaking. The few open stores and restaurants had packed parking lots with people lined up around the building. Cars were abandoned on the side of the road as people ran out of gas looking for open gas stations. Charles and I drove around for about an hour just looking and processing, thankfully we were good on gas and the condo we were staying, had no structural damage inside, just a tree blocking the front door.

There’s always a first time for everything!

According to friends and family in Augusta, Hurricane Helene was the worst storm in the history of Augusta Georgia. As Charles and I processed day one over a candlelight dinner with gratitude, we knew for the moment our plan of action was to “BE STILL”

By Sunday September 29th, 2024, we were packed and ready to evacuate, the water was turned off early Sunday Morning in our area and water stations were set up for people to get cases of water. My heart was heavy as we drove away from Augusta because we left so many people behind in turmoil, with curfews in place, without power and many without water; and no mainstream news coverage of what was going on!

The day before we evacuated Charles, and I walked the neighborhood and had the opportunity to spread love drops on several people we encountered on our path.

One young man by the name of Mel, crossed our path and he was visibly distressed. We stopped and spoke with him giving him words of encouragement. Speaking with Mel revealed that he was a husband and father of two small children under the age of five years old. Our conversation lasted about fifteen minutes and when Mel walked away there was a peace and calmness that we knew came from a higher source than Charles or me. As we walked away, I wondered why was Mel walking, did his car run out of gas? Did Mel even have a car? I continue to send love and light to Mel and every person we encountered during our after-math walking meditation as One Love Ambassadors!

The drive away from Augusta Georgia was a slow crawl on I20 Eastbound until were past Aiken, SC. People were driving in search of gas stations and every exit with a gas station had lines backed up onto the freeway, with some people running out of gas while waiting in line. We passed several cars that had ran out of gas on the side of the freeway and in the median. The scene was unbelievable and shocking to Charles and me; we had never witnessed anything like that before.

Staying in Augusta was not our assignment. We are grateful for our friends in Augusta that continue to be ambassadors of love and light. Shout out Carol and John for opening their home to friends without power/water. Carol and John offered friends a place to shower and do laundry. Carol and John are serving the community and helping to restore Augusta Georgia alongside of so many others

Just the other day Charles and I were out and about here in Charleston, SC and we had a conversation with a woman about Hurricane Helene. She began to talk about all the damage and destruction that has occurred in Greenville SC and Ashville NC, stating that she feels so bad for all the people in those areas. I replied that Augusta Georgia and surrounding areas were also hit hard with people still recovering for the massive devastation. Once again, I heard the familiar yet unsettling response, “I haven’t heard anything about Augusta Geogia”.

I simply choose not to go into the many ways of wrong that has occurred in how the various news outlets have omitted to cover the story around the people of Augusta Georgia. The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene has been downplayed or simply ignored on a National/Global level. Instead, I invite each of you reading this to check in on the people in and around AUGUSTA, GEORGIA!

If we really are all in this together, then I leave you with this question to ponder:

HOW CAN YOU HELP THE PEOPLE IN AUGUSTA GEORGIA?

“IT TAKES A VILLAGE!”

~One Love…Diane

Thank you for reading and sharing!