Tornado sirens blared across Habersham County on Wednesday as severe weather rolled into the region ahead of Hurricane Helene.
Radar indicated circulation between Demorest and Clarkesville, but there have been no confirmed reports of a tornado touching down.
Students in Habersham and Rabun counties sheltered in place as the storm system moved through. The two school systems released students an hour later than usual, and they, and many other school systems in Northeast Georgia, have already called off classes for the rest of this week.
According to Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore, The storm did not cause any injuries but left behind scattered damage.
The high winds appeared to peel back the roof of a chicken house on Bob Patton Road. Tree limbs fell, blocking traffic in Clarkesville.
Downed trees and power lines were reported north of Clarkesville, and in Rabun County, school officials reported high wind and hail.
The storm knocked out power to hundreds of Georgia Power and Habersham EMC customers across Northeast Georgia, mostly in Habersham. The utilities warn more power outages are likely in the coming days as high winds combine with heavily saturated soil to topple trees and power lines.
Worsening conditions
The weather will worsen as the fast-moving Helene makes her way inland. The storm is headed for the Big Bend region of Florida and is on track to move into North Georgia as a Tropical Storm by early Friday.
Tropical storm-force winds of 60 mph are expected and could gust even higher.
Emergnecy management officials across Georgia are urging people to refrain from traveling if possible. Drivers should be alert to the possibility of fallen and falling trees.
The National Weather Service warns of “catastrophic” flooding, even in areas not usually prone to flooding. State and local officials are urging Georgians to take precautions — prepare emergency kits and prepare a plan for how to avoid being trapped by floodwaters.
Now Habersham is closely monitoring this weather situation, school closings, and other area impacts. Check back frequently for updates.
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