GMRS and Hurricane Helene
Augusta, Ga. Sept. 26-28, 2024

GMRS - General Mobile Radio Service
Radios that are useful for short range radio
communications when nothing else works.

GMRS Personal Experience
During Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene was a category 4 at landfall
 in Fla. Sept. 26, 2024.

Arriving in Augusta, Ga. feeling tired and
distanced to what was to happen
over the next several days, I went to bed.

My next morning plans was to prepare for a
weekend local event with family that included
getting gas, food, and tour the area.

I was not at all prepared for hurricane Helene.
After all, I was out of town.

Augusta, Ga. Sept. 27,2024  5:00 a.m.

After an all night of heavy rain I woke to
the sound of high winds and the lost of
electricity (AC).

Hurricane Helene was in Augusta, Ga.
about 300 miles from landfall ! ! !

You know me.  In the eye of  the hurricane
I went out.  No AC, low on gas, and no food
in the room, maybe a good time to go shopping.
I found nothing open, roads flooded, and trees
down everywhere.  Big Trees, the ones that
were massively tall with lots of foliage.

The wind was like nothing I can ever recall.
Augusta, Ga. Sept. 27, 2024  5:45 a.m.

By midday, the hurricane had passed
and the damage was more visible.

For the next two days in the area with no
electricity along with an overwhelmed
cell service network that at times was down.

Nothing was open yet locals including
myself were out and about looking for
food, fuel, while charging cell phones
and trying hit a working cell tower.

On the third morning Sept. 29 around 9 a.m.
I walked to a nearby shopping area that
had a Krogers and discovered it had opened
running on backup generators.  Great.

I grabbed a few things and headed to
self checkout.  Regular checkouts were closed.
Desperate customers grabbing things
like milk, eggs, baby formula, diapers, etc.
In no time the line grew long and shocking.

The first in line customers of small items checked
out but then the hoarders came from everywhere.
Are you kidding me, a self checkout line.
I put my few items back on the self and left.
It would have taken hours waiting in that line.

In conclusion, listening to road conditions
on my  GMRS Hand-Held Walkie-Talkie,
 I was able to leave Augusta, Ga.
a few hours later in the opposite direction
headed back home on I 20 West.
I 20 East was closed according to locals
on GMRS due to power lines and trees down.
 I would drive 50 miles East on low fuel to
the find the first gas station open,
thanks to GMRS.

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