Hurricane Sally leaves damage in Bibb County

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Hurricane Sally made its mark on Macon-Bibb, leaving high water levels and storm damage behind.

Amerson River Park saw significant flooding. The river has risen over 16 feet. Bibb County EMA director Spencer Hawkins says it will rise more over the weekend.

“Everything drains into the river,” Hawkins explained. “We’re expecting over the next three or four days — this to continue to rise, and we planned for that. As we go through we’re going to be shutting down specific areas of the park based on what the river levels do.”

Amerson Park has seen most of the damage in Bibb County. Carolyn Crayton Park had minor flooding, and the Riverside Drive Bridge over I-75 had damage as well.

Carolyn Crayton Park has closed most areas, except for one playground and a skate park.

Despite the nasty weather, Gina James and Tina Bishop did not let it stop them from having a good time with their family.

“I said, ‘Hey there’s flooding in the park, I said dang we can go swimming,” Bishop said.

Carolyn Crayton and the Riverside Drive Bridge will remain closed for the next few days. Amerson River Park reopens next week.

Hawkins says each shut down gives crews time to clean up and fix damages.

“We come out here, and we have the best parks and beautification team in the business. They will assess everything daily and as things open up, we will get those notifications out,” Hawkins stated.

Bibb County EMA encourages everyone to stay home while they deal with flood cleanup. If you need to go out, Hawkins urges drivers to avoid traveling over large patches of water on the road. Turn around, and don’t drown.

If you see any damage in Bibb County

Bibb County EMA is working to remove trees and debris from the storms. The EMA team asks that if you see damage blocking a road or flood issues, call them at (478) 832-6300.