In the week ending Sept. 29, the senators visited communities affected by the hurricane, worked on requesting the Department of Justice look into the safety of prison staffers in federal prisons, proving infrastructure upgrades and job creation to Laurens County, honoring families of fallen service members, and improving services for violent crime victims.
More than 90,000 residents in a county east of Atlanta have been told to keep sheltering in place a day after a chemical plant fire sent a massive plume of dark smoke high into the sky that could been seen for miles.
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.
More than 600,000 people were still without power Sunday morning in Georgia, a couple days after Hurricane Helene swept through the state, causing more than a dozen deaths and extensive damage, according to state officials.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta closed Egleston Hospital on Sunday, Sept. 29, using 65 ambulances to move 202 patients into the brand-new Arthur M. Blank Hospital on North Druid Hills Road.
Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated and others told to shelter in place after a fire at a chemical plant. Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel told reporters that a sprinkler head malfunctioned around 5 a.m. Sunday at the BioLab plant in Conyers.
At least 40 people across four states have died in the storm including 15 in Georgia. Emergency crews rushed Friday to rescue people trapped in flooded homes after Helene roared ashore as a powerful Category 4 hurricane in Florida, generating a massive storm surge and knocking out power to millions of customers in several states.
Early Friday morning, long time Atlanta based meteorologist Bob Van Dillen was reporting live for FOX Weather when he heard screams coming from a car submerged in the flooded Atlanta Street near Peachtree Creek. Van Dillen called out to her and said he called 911 and to hold on. Quickly realizing that she was frantic inside the car and that EMS may take too long, he jumped into action.
On the Friday, Sept. 27 episode of Georgia Today: Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed deaths in Georgia in the wake of Hurricane Helene; we take a trip around the state and get updates from hard-hit communities. Plus, some good news: the Super Bowl is expected to return to Atlanta.
Fulton County Schools took a moment during the academic year to celebrate the opening of what is being described as a college- and career-focused high school: The Promise Career Institute.
Helene is moving through Georgia and has been downgraded to a tropical storm. All of Georgia remains under warnings through Friday as this storm may still have tropical storm force winds, flash flooding and tornadoes, among other hazards. Residents are advised to follow guidance for all warnings.
