Local

Tony Humphreys and Tony Dale, who live in a neighborhood off State Road 47, carry bags of ice from a trailer at the Southside Sports Complex to their truck on Sunday afternoon. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Ice the hot commodity at distribution centers

TONY BRITT

Sunday, September 29, 2024

With thousands of residents reeling from Hurricane Helene — plunged into darkness with no power, no ice and limited access to fresh water and food, the county stepped up its resource distributions, providing the commodities at several community centers on Sunday.

Susan Kroh (middle) and Columbia County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Rix (right) attempt to figure out what to do with 1,000 pounds of ice delivered to the Deep Creek Community Center on Sunday afternoon in the back of a Honda Pilot. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Hurricane relief supplies flowing into Columbia County

TODD WILSON

Sunday, September 29, 2024

The first trucks bearing hurricane relief supplies arrived in Columbia County Sunday morning bearing ice, bottled water, tarps and MREs for distribution, easing the tension between county commissioners and public officials and the public aid distribution process was launched at six locations around...

Carl Lynn carries his MREs and water out of the Fort White Community Center on Sunday afternoon. Lynn's biggest concern moving forward without power is for the welfare of his animals on his 30 acres in southern Columbia County. (STASI WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Residents thankful for supplies after storm

JAMIE WACHTER

Sunday, September 29, 2024

FORT WHITE – Carl Lynn has plenty of experience, both from the National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in dealing with disaster response. Hurricane Helene, though, provided a different vantage point of that response for Lynn, a Fort White resident.

Keith Brown (from left), Sherri Woods and Kate Reeves talk to CCSO Deputy Greg Williams on Sunday while utilizing laundry units in Southside Sports Complex. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Supplies, comfort stations available around county

TONY BRITT

Sunday, September 29, 2024

As restoration efforts continue, Columbia County officials have established services for residents in various areas of the county to address the basic post-storm needs.

Assistant County Manager Kevin Kirby (left, blue shirt) gives a road debris cleanup report to county commissioners Saturday during the daily briefing at the Columbia County EOC bunker. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

500-plus locations need trees & limbs moved off roads, Helene sets record for worst Columbia storm

TODD WILSON

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Columbia County roads with trees, limbs and debris that need cleanup from county crews and contractors number more than 500 locations throughout the county in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Columbia County Manager David Kraus listens intently to commissioners complain Saturday about the lack of execution by county staff and managers in regard to dispersement of state recovery items and services, such as temporary showers and laundry facilities. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Commissioners demand better action, information from staff in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

TODD WILSON

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Columbia County Commissioners asked the chair and county staff for more specific communication and more accurate information in regard to relief supplies and actions provided by the state and county to local residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

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)

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, 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)

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.