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Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Williams listens to updates from FPL and Clay Electric and wants more info from Duke Energy and Suwannee Valley Electric, two companies not present at Saturday’s meeting. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Williams listens to updates from FPL and Clay Electric and wants more info from Duke Energy and Suwannee Valley Electric, two companies not present at Saturday’s meeting. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Power may return slower in remote areas of county

TODD WILSON
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Columbia County residents still sweating and miserable in the dark, moving toward 48 hours without power in the late-summer aftermath of Hurricane Helene, got mixed reports from two power companies plugged in to Saturday’s Columbia County Commission meeting and emergency operations briefing.
Florida Power and Light Emergency Operations Center Representative Colin Hughes (left) and Carol Saviak, FPL External Affairs Manager - North Florida, discuss recovery and restoration operations in Columbia County Saturday afternoon in Lake City. FPL says 95% of its customers in Columbia County will have power sometime Monday. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Florida Power and Light Emergency Operations Center Representative Colin Hughes (left) and Carol Saviak, FPL External Affairs Manager - North Florida, discuss recovery and restoration operations in Columbia County Saturday afternoon in Lake City. FPL says 95% of its customers in Columbia County will have power sometime Monday. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

FPL ramps up restoration effort, may have all local power restored on Sunday

TODD WILSON
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Lake City and Columbia County residents who are Florida Power and Light customers may find their power restored and the sweet air flowing from their air conditioning units as soon as this weekend as crews from the state’s largest power company focus intently on Columbia and Suwannee Counties in an...
Columbia County Schools will remain closed Monday after Hurricane Helene. (FILE)

Columbia County Schools will remain closed Monday after Hurricane Helene. (FILE)

Columbia, Lafayette, Hamilton schools closed Monday

NEWS STAFF
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Columbia County Schools will remain closed Monday from Hurricane Helene. As will Florida Gateway College and both Hamilton and Lafayette county schools.
A pair of trees were knocked over in the Lake City Hall parking lot by Hurricane Helene on Friday in front of the Blanche Hotel in downtown Lake City. City crews had the trees cleaned up and removed by Friday afternoon. (JACK WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

A pair of trees were knocked over in the Lake City Hall parking lot by Hurricane Helene on Friday in front of the Blanche Hotel in downtown Lake City. City crews had the trees cleaned up and removed by Friday afternoon. (JACK WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

HAMMERED BY HELENE: Category 4 storm leaves widespread devastation, power outages in its wake

JAMIE WACHTER and TONY BRITT and TODD WILSON
Friday, September 27, 2024
The third hurricane to impact the Suwannee Valley in 13 months brought with it unprecedented devastation. Hurricane Helene, which made landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 storm in Taylor County, walloped Columbia County with winds as high as 112 mph at 12:22 a.m.
A splintered power pole sits along State Road 47 in front of Columbia City Baptist Church after Hurricane Helene passed through early Friday morning. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

A splintered power pole sits along State Road 47 in front of Columbia City Baptist Church after Hurricane Helene passed through early Friday morning. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

More than 99% of area in the dark following Hurricane Helene

TONY BRITT
Friday, September 27, 2024
Electricity is an essential tool most Columbia County residents lost Thursday night when Hurricane Helene blew through the area with its hurricane force winds.
All 40 of the SunStop stores were open for business in the Suwannee Valley region Friday and will continue business operations daily, such as this store at the intersection of US 90 West and Lake City Avenue in Lake City. Seventeen of the stores in Columbia and Suwannee Counties operate under generator power, sell gasoline, cold beverages and accept debit cards, while the others take cash for snacks and warm drinks. The generator stores are open normal business hours. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

All 40 of the SunStop stores were open for business in the Suwannee Valley region Friday and will continue business operations daily, such as this store at the intersection of US 90 West and Lake City Avenue in Lake City. Seventeen of the stores in Columbia and Suwannee Counties operate under generator power, sell gasoline, cold beverages and accept debit cards, while the others take cash for snacks and warm drinks. The generator stores are open normal business hours. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

SunStop first to open after Hurricane Helene, has plenty of fuel

TODD WILSON
Friday, September 27, 2024
SunStop stores in the Suwannee Valley region turned the key and opened for business the best they could at 6 a.m. Friday and did not look back. At some locations, their loyal customers were waiting on them. And in most areas, they were the only business open.
A tree leans over State Road 47 near SW Walter Ave. on Friday after Hurricane Helene passed through Columbia County. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

A tree leans over State Road 47 near SW Walter Ave. on Friday after Hurricane Helene passed through Columbia County. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Top to bottom, county road cleanup ‘massive’ after Hurricane Helene

TODD WILSON
Friday, September 27, 2024
Kevin Kirby said it didn’t take long after first light Friday morning to realize the damage Columbia County residents and property owners had suffered from Category 4 Hurricane Helene’s romp through the area was cataclysmic compared to other recent storms.
Hurricane Helene is now a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall in Taylor County. (NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER)

Hurricane Helene is now a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall in Taylor County. (NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER)

Helene an ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 4 storm

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Thursday, September 26, 2024
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents of the Big Bend region, including people in hard-hit Taylor County. to make final preparations for Hurricane Helene, which grew into a Category 4 storm forecast to make landfall late Thursday night.
The current projected path for Hurricane Helene as of 8 p.m. Thursday. (NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER)

The current projected path for Hurricane Helene as of 8 p.m. Thursday. (NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER)

‘WE WILL SEE IMPACTS’: Hurricane Helene now a Category 4 storm as it nears Florida

TONY BRITT
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Helene strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane hours ahead of its expected landfall on Florida’s northwest coast Thursday night, and forecasters warned that the enormous storm could create a “nightmare” surge in coastal areas and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S.
The Columbia County Commission approved opening a pet-friendly shelter at the Records Storage building behind the old Lake Shore Hospital on NE Franklin Street.

The Columbia County Commission approved opening a pet-friendly shelter at the Records Storage building behind the old Lake Shore Hospital on NE Franklin Street.

Columbia opening pet-friendly shelter

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, September 26, 2024
A sixth shelter will be opening today in Columbia County for Hurricane Helene. During a special meeting Thursday morning at the county’s Emergency Operations Center, the Columbia County Commission unanimously approved opening a pet-friendly shelter.