A crew from McAllister's Tree Service clears a roadway in Alto Tuesday morning, hours after Tropical Storm Irma wreaked havoc on the area. (photo/Kara Usher)
A crew from McAllister’s Tree Service clears a roadway in Alto Tuesday morning, hours after Tropical Storm Irma wreaked havoc on the area. (photo/Kara Usher)
Irma blew through Habersham Monday night with a vengeance. The storm toppled hundreds of trees and downed power lines across the county. Here are just a few of the images Now Habersham captured throughout the duration of the storm.
Little Caesar’s Pizza in Cornelia was gave out free pizza after their power went out at the start of the storm Monday afternoon. THANK YOU!
Cornelia Police work a traffic accident with no injuries on South Main Street as the storm starts to pick up Monday evening.
This billboard was down early Monday. By Monday evening the tree followed.
Small trees snapped like twigs in the high wind.
Cornelia firefighters keep an eye on a damaged power line on Highland Avenue.
First Baptist Church of Cornelia opened as a storm shelter at noon Monday.
By late night, Habersham County was bathed in darkness from power outages and littered with debris. Here a Clarkesville Police officer directs traffic away from downed trees and power lines on Rocky Branch Road. One woman was sent to the hospital after running into a tree.
Bradley Chastain took in hundreds of reports of downed trees across the county and dispatched Habersham County Road crews to clear them. The entire County Road Department worked through the worst of the storm to try to keep roads clear for motorists and emergency personnel.
A large tree at the entrance to Cornelia City Park couldn’t withstand the high wind.
Road signs pointed in all sorts of directions.
Habersham County Sheriff’s deputies and EMS personnel gas up at the county fuel pump. Public safety officials worked through the night. Ambulance drivers had a hard time getting to calls because of all the downed trees.
This tree stretched across Camp Creek Road, blocking one lane of traffic.
By Tuesday morning the winds had died down and all that was left was a smattering of rain. The Chattahoochee Mountain Fair carnival rides survived unscathed. The fair was shut down Monday night for the first time in its 42 year history.
North Georgia Technical College lost several large trees. Classes were canceled and cleanup was underway by early morning.
Rocky Branch Road in Clarkesville was completely blocked by multiple downed trees and power lines.
Rocky Branch Road was rendered virtually impassable.
Still, some drivers found a way to get around the debris. Power Company officials urge drivers NOT to drive under damaged and dangling power lines. It’s dangerous!
McAllister Tree Service crews were among hundreds of workers and volunteers who took to the streets and yards of Habersham to clean up after Irma.
As much damage as she caused, Irma was no match for Habersham’s Old Oak on Orchard Road in Turnerville. The oak tree is the oldest in Georgia and it withstood the 50+ mph winds.
Since the fair was closed and so were Clarkesville’s restaurants, one fair vendor decided to set up shop away from the fairgrounds. Rance Reese, owner of Huddle House, welcomed them with open arms.
