Damage estimates continued to climb Monday from a massive weekend storm that raked the Augusta area with three and possibly four tornadoes.
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Augusta Emergency Management Chief Howard Willis said the damage in Richmond County should easily surpass $1 million, and neighboring Columbia County is projecting losses just below $300,000. Burke County -- Georgia's largest in area -- was still assessing damage Monday.
South Carolina officials estimated Aiken County's uninsured property damage at about $700,000, mostly from widespread destruction around Beech Island and Petticoat Junction.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was scheduled to tour the area this morning, beginning at Silver Bluff Fire Department Station No. 1. The fire station was destroyed and three fire trucks damaged during the storm.
"We're a tough crowd," said Silver Bluff Chief Kerry Green. "We try not to let it get us down, and we're moving forward."
The department, which has 21 volunteers, also has been getting help from fire departments in Beech Island, Jackson and New Ellenton. Beech Island has loaned a fire engine to Silver Bluff, which still has a substation off Silver Bluff Road.
Kevin Lancaster, an assistant chief and spokesman for Silver Bluff, said it could be three to six months before his department is back to just 80 percent of its capabilities. Officials hope to start clearing away debris from the site as early as today. Assistant Chief Lancaster estimated the damage cost at about $500,000.
About 200 tarps have been deployed by the Southern Baptist Convention to the Beech Island Fire Department, and 200 cases of bottled water are being sent to the area through the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
Augusta city officials moved Monday to help with cleanup.
City Administrator Fred Russell sped up the purchase of 12 roll-off trash dumpsters so they can be set out in damaged areas for residents to discard debris. The new dumpsters had already been put out for bid and were awaiting the Augusta Commission's approval to be bought from Lewis Steel Works in Wrens, Ga., but Mr. Russell got six commissioners to sign a letter so Solid Waste Director Mark Johnson could put the order in Monday.
Commissioner Joe Jackson took a more direct approach. He said he heard about the damage on his police scanner, so he called a lieutenant at the sheriff's office, told him he had a chainsaw and a pickup truck and asked where he could go to help.
Mr. Jackson said he and a neighbor helped clear about a half-dozen trees from Bungalow Road, Richmond Hill Road and Georgetown Drive near the south Augusta Wal-Mart. He said he was working from about 11 p.m. Friday to 3:30 a.m. Saturday.
"Government can't do it all," Mr. Jackson said.
Much of Friday night's damage, according to the National Weather Service, came from at least three -- possibly four -- tornadoes that emerged from severe storms pushing through the Augusta region.
"We've looked back at actually four of what we call 'super cell storms,' and out of those storms we ended up with two long-track tornadoes and two short-track tornadoes," said meteorologist Steve Naglic of the National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C.
The most devastating of the twisters began near Harlem late Friday before churning its way into Grovetown and crossing into Richmond County, he said. It then moved in a straight line through Beech Island to a point just southeast of New Ellenton.
The other "long-track" twister originated near the Burke County community of Gough and passed north of Waynesboro and continued east to the Savannah River, where it came within several miles of the Plant Vogtle nuclear power station.
"On residences, we had a total of 17 destroyed, seven with major damages and about 23 more with minor damage," said Rusty Sanders, the director of Burke County's Emergency Management Agency.
On Thomas Road, a critically injured storm victim, Todd Glassburn, was found by neighbors after his mobile home was destroyed by the twister.
The injured man was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital, where he was in fair condition Monday.
Although the twister passed close to Plant Vogtle, it caused no damage at the 3,100-acre site, said Amoi Jeter, a spokeswoman for Georgia Power Co.
The two short-track twisters touched down in the Burke County community of Keysville before dissipating a few miles east and near the Cave community north of Allendale, S.C., Mr. Naglic said.
The two tornadoes that traveled a lengthy path -- like their smaller counterparts -- simply vanished when the storms' intensity diminished, he said.
Staff Writers Donnie Fetter and Johnny Edwards and Sarita Chourey of Morris News Service contributed to this report.
GEORGIA TORNADOES
- Average number of tornado days per year: 6
- Tornado intensities of F2 or greater: 37 percent
- Month when most serious tornados occur: April
- April tornado fatalities from 1884 to 1998: 485
- Fatalities other 11 months 1884-1998: 460
Source: National Weather Service, Peachtree City, Ga.
TORNADO SCALE
All tornadoes are assigned a number based on the most intensive damage caused by the storm. The super cell storms that moved through the area Friday ranged from F0 to F3. Here's what that means:
F0 (WEAK): 40-72 mph, light damage
F1 (WEAK): 73-112 mph, moderate
F2 (STRONG): 113-157 mph, considerable
F3 (STRONG): 158-206 mph, severe
F4 (VIOLENT): 207-260 mph, devastating
F5 (VIOLENT): 261-318 mph, incredible
Source: National Weather Service
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It doesn't take too many buildings being destroyed to reach $2 million. I'd say, under the circumstances, the CSRA dodged another bullet. A short run through any of the more populated areas by a tornado would have done 10 times the damage and the loss of life could have been in the dozens. I wonder if Obama sent that storm.
no patricia it was Bush
Patricia Thomas that is not the work of Obama...the Bible that I read states that's God's Work...u can't compare Him with Obama!!!!!!!