The storm system that swept across parts of Georgia on Sunday was brief but violent. White County was one of the hardest hit areas in Northeast Georgia. The storm produced high winds, heavy rain, lightning, and small pea size hail.
The trail of damage left by the storm had some wondering whether a tornado came through, but White County Public Safety says, at this time, there is no indication of a tornado.
“The damage appears to be from straight line winds, with some measurements well over 60 mph,” says Habersham County Public Safety Director David Murphy. He says the majority of the downed tree reports were on the western side of White County, generally along a line from 129 North to Hwy 115 West to Westmoreland Road.
“While there is no exact number of trees down, many county roads in this area were impacted along with several private roadways,” says Murphy.
Impassable roads and power outages
Several roads remained impassible Monday afternoon or were down to one lane due to power lines impeding the cleanup.
Efforts to restore electrical service have been hampered by the large number of utility poles that were broken and had to be replaced.
HEMC reports the storm broke 44 utility poles across its service area. Partnering EMCs from Hart County and several locations in South Carolina are assisting with restoration efforts.
Several homes in White County were damaged when trees fell on top of them. Fire personnel assisted in some of those locations with tarps, officials say.
The White County E-911 Center received multiple calls and was inundated with reports for over two hours on Sunday. The public safety department brought in extra personnel to man the phones. Sheriff’s deputies and off-duty and volunteer fire personnel assisted them.
White County’s top emergency command staff reported to work Sunday to coordinate the county’s response to the severe weather. The public works department and CERT Chainsaw Strike Team were also activated to assist in opening roadways.
“We will continue to work with our public utility partners and public works partners to open roadways,” says Murphy. He urges the public to use caution when driving through areas where crews are working.
The debris cleanup along rights-of-way is expected to continue over the next several weeks.
For a current list of county road conditions, click here or visit the White County website.
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