Erica Van Buren

Helene reached hurricane status on Wednesday and is expected to reach Category 4 strength winds as it makes landfall starting Thursday and marches up through much of Georgia to possibly include the Augusta area.

Thanks to the advancements in technology and social media, staying up to date on severe weather during hurricane season is easier.

“I think the takeaway from this is we have entered a weather climate era in which hurricanes are no longer just coastal threats,” he said. “The intensity of storms is increasing, taking them longer to wind down. Don't just look at Helene. Go back to 2018 when Hurricane Michael made landfall in Georgia. Look back earlier this year with Hurricane Debby.

While typically not a concern, even small wind gusts could knock down limbs already weakened by Helene.

A debris removal expert estimates that Richmond and Columbia counties have as much as half a million cubic yards of tree debris.

The Farmers' Almanac was created in 1792 to provide weather forecasts, planting schedules, and astronomical events.

An estimated 11.3 million tons of clothing per year ends up in landfills, according to experts at the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Georgia Power recently was awarded $160 million in federal funding by the federal Department of Energy to improve grid flexibility.

Augusta Chronicle The week of Halloween is also Bat Week and is meant to illustrate the important role bats, often cast as scary creatures in classic cult horror movies, play in our ecosystems.

Augusta on Wednesday reached 32 days without rain, potentially headed toward a new dry spell record.