Augusta city leaders hold press conference on the next steps for the city after Helene
(AUGUSTA, Ga) WJBF – Augusta City leaders held a press conference on Saturday to discuss recovery efforts and answer questions in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
At the press conference, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson expressed sympathy for those lives affected by Hurricane Helene, and said social media rumors of Augusta Utilities shutting down water are false.
"Augusta Utilities will only be isolating water mains as needed to repair some of our main lines to stop leaks until the roads can be cleared to repair broken water mains. They're currently low pressure city-wide. Augusta Utilities is working to provide as much water as possible and I want to reiterate that. Realizing that, as I mentioned throughout the city there are water mains broken as a result of the uprooted trees. We're having trouble accessing some of those areas. So, I highly encourage you just to be patient. Do not use any water that you don't need. We're asking our residents to conserve as much water as possible, and that'll help us to get through this."
Augusta EMA Director and Fire Chief Antonio Burden says multiple non-profit agencies throughout the area are supporting the EMA's efforts.
"We're working with local, regional, and national organizations including The Red Cross and the United Way to secure additional food and water donations. GEMA is assisting in providing bulk resources to the city to support those efforts. Distribution centers are being established at the following locations: Diamond Lakes (Robert Howard Community Center: 103 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah, GA 30815) Augusta Municipal Building (535 Telfair St, Augusta, GA 30901), and Southgate Plaza (1631 Gordon Hwy Augusta, GA 30906). "We will provide updates when those sites are up and running", said Chief Burden.
Chief Burden also had a special message to the citizens of Augusta.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude for your resilience, your patience, and cooperation during this most difficult time. Please continue to look out for one another. Stay informed and follow official advisories. Together, we will overcome this, and restore our community. bigger and better. Thank you."
Augusta University President Russell Keen also updated us on closures due to the storm.
"For Augusta University, we've announced that our campus will be closed Monday and Tuesday. We'll continue to provide updates to our community within 24 hours. As we continue to assess and reassess the situation on the ground. Our students, our patients, our faculty, our staff, and our stakeholders are our priority. So, we're going to do everything we can to keep everyone safe, and that we do so in a responsible manner."
To watch the full press conference please visit:
