Hurricane Helen makes landfall in Big Bend, Florida The region is a powerful Category 4 storm, impacting millions of people in the southeastern United States. Over the past 48 hours, it has had a devastating impact on the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
That included Augusta, where winds gusted to 130 mph at the local airport. First responders in the city reported numerous trees falling on homes, cars and power lines. Floods also wreaked havoc in the area, resulting in several deaths in the area. According to , about 225,000 people are without power. augusta chronicle. The metro area, which includes Augusta, Georgia, and Aiken, South Carolina, has a population of about 600,000 people, and more than a third of the area's residents were without power.
In all, nearly 1.1 million Georgia residents are without power.
Accordingly, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley issued the following statement regarding the storm early Saturday morning:
“Our community of Augusta was impacted by Hurricane Helen in a devastating and historic way, and we are currently assessing the impact at Augusta National Golf Club,” Ridley said in a statement. Ta.
“In the meantime, our top priority is our staff, neighbors and business owners in Augusta. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, as well as those affected across Georgia and the Southeast.” My thoughts are with all those who have received it.”
“Our community of Augusta suffered a devastating and historic impact from Hurricane Helen, and we are currently assessing the effects at Augusta National Golf Club.
In the meantime, our top priority is working with Augusta's staff, neighbors, and business owners. our…
— The Masters (@TheMasters) September 28, 2024
Ridley did not mention any damage to club property. Instead, he focused on the community. The club has a long history of philanthropy in Augusta, supporting local charities and initiatives annually through the Masters Tournament Foundation. The club also provided augusta boys and girls club The $2.5 million gift went toward building a community center that will open in 2022.
But the area is now facing catastrophic impacts, and cleanup and restoration could take months, perhaps years. But Augusta National intends to be at the forefront of these efforts, reaching out to communities in desperate need. It's unclear if the course and clubs were damaged, but that's clearly not the priority.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
