GBI, Georgia National Guard in Wheeler County to aid in Hurricane Helene relief

The GBI is working alongside members of the Georgia National Guard to get residents the supplies they need like water, food, ice, and tarps.

WHEELER COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Wheeler County is still hard at work to recover from the damage of Hurricane Helene last week. On Monday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) set up an operation center in Alamo to store resources from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA).

Eve Rodgers, a GBI inspector and Wheeler County resident, says that power outages and the lack of cell service following Hurricane Helene has affected rural areas like Wheeler County the most. The GBI is working alongside members of the Georgia National Guard to get residents the supplies they need like water, food, ice, and tarps.

“All those immediate needs that people are realizing that they have to have right now, we’re asking them to come and pick those things up,” Rodgers said.

There are two points of distribution (Pods) in Wheeler County, one in Alamo and one in Glenwood. The resources are also available for those who don’t have transportation.

“We have personnel,” Rodgers said. “We’re loading up vehicles and actually going to them and taking the things to them that they need.”

Rodgers’ work didn’t stop there. Volunteers say she played a major role in coordinating events all across Wheeler County to make sure the needs of people in Alamo and Glenwood are being met.

Casey Miller, a Wheeler resident, credits Rodgers for helping her and other church members of Calvary on Aimwell secure a location in Glenwood to serve free water, hotdogs, and hamburgers. Miller believes many people are unaware of the havoc that Helene caused in Wheeler because it was unexpected, and communication has been nearly impossible due to lost power and service.

“I don’t think people have realized how bad the eye came right over us,” Miller said. “It was rough. I will tell you, it was rough.”

This, Miller says, is why people in the community have to help one another until federal aid makes its way down.

“It’s been really good to see people coming together over in Alamo yesterday,” Miller said. “It’s been good to see a lot of people here that have come together and are helping each other.”

Rodgers says that the GBI and the Georgia National Guard will be in Wheeler in the weeks to come to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) when they arrive, and will remain in Wheeler for as long as residents express need.

For more information about these services, contact Wheeler County Emergency Support at 912-423-0919.