PROJECT ALERT NOTICE (GA NC SC) 10/01/2024 USGS SAWSC response to post-Hurricane Helene flooding

Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 23:14:47 EDT

Summary: The USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) continued post-storm field operations for sites safely accessible following the catastrophic flooding arising from the passage of Hurricane Helene across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina on September 26-27, 2024.

(1) All personnel in the SAWSC field office region where home power outages and limited personnel services were still in effect were accounted for as of this morning (10/01/2024).

(2) Since rainfalls associated with the passage of Hurricane Helene on September 26-27, a total of 165 discharge measurements have been made by SAWSC Data field crews at 85 streamgages across the three-state region.

(3) Post-storm responses neared completion today for six SAWSC field offices where 10+ crews from Tifton (1), Savannah (2), Norcross (1), Charleston (1), Columbia (4+), and Charlotte (1) obtained final storm-related measurements and/or completed streamgage repairs/rebuilds. Personnel in these field offices are now beginning preparations to assist the Asheville Field Office in western NC where the most catastrophic floods occurred and where the most damage was sustained by the SAWSC Data network.

(4) Four field crews in the Asheville Field Office along with the support of 1 field crew from the Raleigh Field Office continued field operations to repair streamgages, flag high water marks for peak verifications, and survey high water marks as well as continue preparations of upcoming post-storm field operations for completion of indirect discharge measurements that will be needed at 40+ streamgages (estimated).