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Steve Runyan, ERT
Hurricane Helene impacted the southeast United States from September 24-27, 2024. On Thursday, September 26, Augusta, Georgia received approximately 8-10 inches of rain. In the very early morning hours of Friday, September 27, at approximately 2:30 am, severe winds hit the area. Estimates indicated winds of 100+ miles per hour. The combination of heavy rain soaking the ground and the strong winds resulted in devastation of the community as numerous trees were ripped from the ground, roots and all. Homes were destroyed, as were cars, fences, sheds and everything else to be found in yards and homes.
On December 1, I departed for Augusta with plans to meet up with ERT’s from the Upper New York Conference on December 2. We had housing arranged and provided by Advent Lutheran Church in Augusta. They also provided all our meals. They were a true blessing to our mission.
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On Tuesday, December 3, we started our work. Our arrival was about 10 weeks after the storm, and the devastation observed and the number of people still waiting for any type of assistance was beyond what I can put into words.
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I operated a chainsaw, along with one of the Upper New York ERT’s. We cut any small trees and brush as well as limbing the very large trees that were downed. All material was then transported out to the curb, which was not always a simple feat.
We worked a typical ERT schedule…3 days. We took a day off to rest and recuperate a little, and then worked a second rotation.
We worked at the homes of 10 residents. They were among those most in need and awaiting help. A single mother with 7 foster children, a 73-year-old man with lung cancer, a woman with a disabled daughter in a wheelchair, a man confined to a wheelchair, a widow...the list goes on.
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The work was hard, but the looks of hope and thanks from the homeowners when we finished made it worth the sore muscles. Most of the properties we worked at, we did not finish the job…the trees were simply too big for us to deal with. We cleaned up all the small stuff and prepped the big trees for follow-on teams that were coming with heavy equipment.
