Update: Cleanup efforts in North Georgia are nearly complete as most of the roads are passable.
In Hart County, 14 residents reported damage to their homes from fallen trees caused by profuse winds brought by Helene. By early Saturday morning, only six road closures remained in Hart County as crews continued remove obstructions and debris.
Banks County reported one home damaged, a total of 86 trees down on roadways, 15 downed power lines and 104 calls for storm related issues.
On Monday, Rabun County Emergency Management Director Brian Panell said roads throughout the county have mostly been cleared and are now passable, though several Rabun County homes were damaged by fallen trees.
“We’re still gathering information on what extent those damages are,” Panell said. “I’m not aware of any total losses at the moment.”
Around 15% of the county remains without power, according to Panell, as utility providers work to restore service to those areas.
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At 3:30 p.m. Friday, most of the roads in Habersham and White counties had been cleared of debris left by Hurricane Helene. But recovery efforts in Rabun County are still underway.
According to Rabun County Emergency Management Director Brian Panell, a list of roads in the county are still “impassable” as a majority of residents remain without power.
“We’re still assessing the damage,” Panell said. “At one point this afternoon, we were 80% out of power. Now, that number has decreased to 60%. All three providers are working diligently to restore service.”
Panell said the severe weather earlier Friday morning also disturbed “a number of flood gates” – especially one along the Mathis Dam on Lake Rabun. This has led to significant flooding on the southern end of the county.
“It is flooding roads and blocking the ability of homeowners to access their homes,” said Panell, who added that the county is actively working to correct the breach in the dam.
Officials have confirmed so far that a total of four homes have been destroyed by fallen trees – two in White County and two in Habersham. White County spokesperson Bryce Barrett said two White County homes were struck earlier this morning.
“But both have no injuries,” he said. “We’re working with the families to make sure all needs are met and that they have places to stay throughout the night.”
The full extent of the damage in Rabun has not yet been determined, Panell said.
Barrett said “a majority” of the roads in White County are now passable, though he and other officials urge residents to stay home as cleanup efforts continue.
“Hurricane Helene has moved out of our area, but we will continue to experience rain showers and remain under a wind advisory,” Barrett said. “Road crews and power companies are actively working to clear roadways and restore power. We recommend staying sheltered for the rest of the day to allow these crews to work safely. Additional road closures and power outages may occur.”
Panell said an emergency shelter will be available in Rabun County for those impacted by the storm at 6 p.m. this evening. The shelter will be located at Clayton Baptist Church (87 South Church St.) in Clayton.
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As the last bands of Hurricane Helene exit North Georgia, people throughout the region are breathing a cautious sigh of relief.
The storm shifted eastward overnight, pushing the worst of the winds into the Carolinas.
As of mid-morning Friday, 98% of Spartanburg County, SC, was without power and 90% of Greenville County, SC, was in the dark.
Still, Habersham and Northeast Georgia saw their share of damage.
Regional damage
Roads throughout Northeast Georgia are strewn with fallen trees and debris and at least two Habersham County homes are possibly destroyed in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Clean-up efforts to clear roads are underway in Habersham, according to Emergency 911 Director Lynn Smith, who said the full extent of the damage is still unknown.
“It’s widespread,” Smith said. “It’s everywhere. We’ve got trees down. We’ve had crews out all night long. We’ve got roads that are flooded. Power lines that are wrapped up in some of the trees. We’re trying to stay on top of everything.”
Smith said two or three homes in the county were destroyed by fallen trees overnight.
“I’m going to say they’re probably destroyed because they’re going to have to be rebuilt because of the trees going through them,” she said.
White County spokesperson Bryce Barrett described a similar picture and said a “majority of the damage” he’s seen is downed trees and power lines.
“There’s a good number of roads that are impassable,” he said. “I would say that’s the extent of our damage – that and power outages. We came out a lot better than we thought we were going to.”
Rabun County Emergency Management Director Brian Panell said trees have fallen and roads are flooded in Rabun County, although there have been no reports of significant damage to homes so far.
As the eye of the storm passed over Habersham soon after sunrise, the weather calmed and damage assessments began. They will continue throughout the weekend as the full scope of Helene’s impact hits home.
At least 3 storm deaths reported
Helene rumbled into Georgia as a Category 1 hurricane. Within hours of landfall, the state’s first deaths were reported.
Some Atlanta residents had to be evacuated by boat from their apartment complex due to rising floodwaters.
Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed early Friday that two people died after a suspected tornado touched down in Wheeler County, about 88 miles southeast of Macon. Emergency management authorities in neighboring Jeff Davis County urged people to shelter in place due to high winds in the area.
At least one death was reported in Florida when a vehicle was struck by a falling sign.
Officials caution that rivers and creeks could still flood from storm runoff, and trees could topple in the rain-soaked soil. They urge people to stay off the roads, especially in areas where trees and power lines are down. If you encounter a flooded road while traveling, do not attempt to cross it, turn around.
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