“It looks like a war zone.” That’s how many people are describing parts of Habersham County this morning in the wake of Tropical Storm Irma.
While the winds have died down, local authorities are still urging everyone to “shelter in place” and to stay off the roads.
The Habersham County Road Department has received reports of over 500 trees down across the county. Roads are treacherous with downed trees and power lines.
Debris is so widespread that Habersham County deputies are carrying chain saws in their patrol cars, helping to clear roads when they’re not responding to calls, according to HCSO spokesman Lt. Matthew Wurtz. Travel conditions are bad throughout the county. “Highway 197 North is a mess,” says Wurtz, “and most of those trees down up there have power lines in them.”
As of 10 a.m. Georgia Power reports 38 outages affecting 7,021 customers. Habersham EMC is working to restore power to to over 10,000 members in Habersham. Nearly 25,000 HEMC members are without electricity in the local cooperative’s six county service area.
“When there’s a traffic light and they’re not lit you’ve got to treat it like a four way stop,” stresses Wurtz. “If you’re thinking of blowing through the intersection the other guy may be, too.”
Many businesses throughout the county are closed due to lack of power.
Authorities urge everyone who can to stay sheltered in place as crews work to restore power and clear roadways.
