Storm cleanup continues across northern Georgia as flood waters recede in the wake of Tuesday’s storm.
More than a half dozen school systems in the region operated on a 2-hour delay Wednesday as downed trees and power lines continued to pose a risk. Sections of dirt roads washed out by flooding also added to the driving hazards.
By early afternoon Wednesday, utility crews had successfully restored power to over 70,000 customers in Georgia who lost service during the storm. Around 1 p.m. on Jan. 10, around 9,000 Georgia Power customers and EMC members were still without electricity.
Department of Transportation workers and local county road crews in Banks, Habersham, Franklin, White, and other counties continue to clear blocked roads from trees and other debris. Barricades have been set up to warn drivers of flooding and other road hazards.
Habersham County E-911 and other local emergency management agencies continued fielding calls about storm-related hazards throughout the morning Wednesday.
A Clarkesville business reported a problem with mud sliding into its driveway, blocking the entrance. Also, in Clarkesville, city police had to shoo boaters away after they were caught floating in a canoe through the town’s flooded Pitts Park.
Sprawling storm system
The wild winter weather that swept through on Jan. 9 was part of a sprawling storm system across wide swaths of the country that spawned tornadoes, flooding, and blizzards.
According to AP, the storm is being blamed for at least three deaths in the South.
A 78-year-old man was killed on a state highway in Jonesboro, Georgia, when a tree fell on his car during heavy rain.
And near Cottonwood, Alabama, close to the Georgia-Florida border, officials confirmed that an 81-year-old woman was killed when her mobile home was tossed from its foundation. A suspected tornado had touched down in the area.
There were several reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
Light snow fell overnight into early Wednesday in Blairsville and the higher elevations of Georgia. While in the Midwest, more than half a foot of snow fell, stranding people on highways.
