Crews, residents work to clean up damage in Telfair County caused by Hurricane Idalia
The hurricane brought down numerous trees and power lines in the county, and emergency services responded to several calls throughout the day.
MCRAE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Clean-up efforts are underway in Telfair County after Hurricane Idalia caused damage to homes and businesses Wednesday.
Emergency responders worked for nearly six hours answering calls as strong winds and heavy rains passed through the county.
The director of the Telfair County EMA, Lee Conner, says agencies were able to respond quickly because they prepared for the hurricane days in advance.
“We make sure that pretty much on a daily basis that our equipment is up and running, is cranked and has fuel,” Conner said. “So we’re prepared to respond any day, not just in the event of a hurricane or anything like that coming.”
Conner explained that leading up to the hurricane, his agency was monitoring the National Weather Service and communicating with partners in Dodge County to make sure that emergency medical services, fire crews and law enforcement were available to assist with storm relief.
During the hurricane, numerous power lines and trees were brought down by the hurricane, including one that fell on a vacant home in Shane Lapole’s neighborhood.
“All we did was just relax,” Lapole said. “We stayed in the living room, and once we heard the big bang, we came out and checked it out.”
Just months ago, Lapole moved to McRae from Florida. He says he wasn’t expecting to see the kind of damage caused by Hurricane Idalia in Georgia.
In Lumber City, a Dollar General was damaged by a tree that fell on the store’s roof, and sign’s were posted on the doors which read, “Closed until further notice.”
Also in Lumber City, a volunteer firefighter was injured by a fallen tree.
After the storm, crews were able to clean up the debris quickly and restore power to the county overnight.
Conner explained that clean up crews use a method called cut and toss, in which they clear storm debris from the road and clean it up later.
Although Conner says conditions in Telfair County are mostly back to normal, there is still work to be done.
“I’m definitely relieved that it’s over with,” Conner said. “There’s a lot of worry and a lot of stress that goes in before these things come, because you never know what they’re bringing.”
If you are a resident of Telfair County and need assistance with storm clean-up, contact the Telfair County EMA at (229) 868-5672.
