Dougherty County spared; Helene claims at least one life in southwest Georgia

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By Alan Mauldin & Lucille Lannigan
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ALBANY – The situation in the Dougherty County Emergency Operations Center on Friday morning was akin to watching your team kick a last-minute field goal that hooks just inside the goal.

That was the good news for Albany and counties in the western portion of southwest Georgia, but it meant disaster for the loser, in this case Lowndes County, which suffered severe damage from Hurricane Helene, and counties to the east. The storm arrived there with winds of more than 80 miles per hour, and as of mid-morning, residents were without power and emergency workers were assessing damage.

The storm claimed one life in Colquitt County.

“We were just starting to see it move to the right,” Albany Fire Department Chief and County Emergency Management Director Cedric Scott said. “It was just amazing. … Slowly, slowly, slowly, Albany just moved out of the (storm) cone.”

The moment was bittersweet as Dougherty County’s good fortune meant that others were taking the brunt of the storm that, until around midnight, looked to making a beeline for Albany.

“I’m just heart-broken,” Scott said of his counterparts in other parts of the state that took the worst from Helene, which arrived in Georgia as a major hurricane. “My heart just goes out to them.”

In Dougherty County, there were no injuries or deaths attributed to the storm, and damage was minor. At the worst, there were about 2,400 utility customers without power, Scott said.

Some 125 people took advantage of a shelter opened at the Albany Civic Center. Although the storm was not as severe as anticipated, opening the shelter could have saved lives if the storm had not taken a turn to the east.

“I just say that we were spared this time,” Scott said. “We were fortunate this time. We’re relieved, but sad at the same time. We’re all part of the same team.”

Standing water in low-lying areas was visible all across the region Friday, and the initial estimate was that Dougherty County got between 4 and 6 inches of rainfall overnight.

As of about 9:30 a.m. Friday, there were about 726 Albany Utility customers who remained without power, and crews from the city and Georgia Power Co. were working to restore outages in the city and in unincorporated areas.

In Colquitt County, Emergency Management Director Justin Cox was on his way Friday morning to examine damage in the Berlin area. Several houses had been struck by trees in the area, he said.

The phone coverage was spotty in the area, which prevented Cox from giving details about the death.

In the region, Dougherty County has responded to an urgent call for assistance from Lowndes County.

“I told them we would do anything they need us to do to help,” Dougherty County Emergency Medical Services Director Sam Allen said.

Reports showed that in the immediate aftermath of the storm, nearly 1 million utility customers were without power.

In Albany, Rawson Circle Park was flooded the morning after Hurricane Helene hit. Some residents were walking around Friday morning, talking with neighbors and surveying damage.

Ronnie Zieminski has lived in the Rawson Circle neighborhood for a little over a year. She lived on Whispering Pines during Hurricane Michael and said she was without power for longer than a week in 2018. Still, she said she wasn’t too worried about danger from Hurricane Helene – that is until the local Waffle Houses shut its doors at around 2 p.m. Thursday.

Waffle Houses are known for staying open during storms while other businesses board up. On Wednesday morning, a Facebook post was shared in a local Facebook group noting that all five of its Albany and Leesburg locations would remain open to provide for folks through the storm, but that changed as concerns grew more serious later Thursday.

“When the Waffle House closes, that’s when you know,” Zieminski said.

However, on Friday morning, she enjoyed her walk, relieved that there was no damage to her home after the hurricane.

Edward Jackson, who lives on North Davis Street, was in a lively mood, talking with his neighbors Friday morning. The housing complex where he lives woke up to no Internet Friday morning, and it was still out as of 10 a.m.

Jackson said he wasn’t too concerned about Hurricane Helene.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be serious,” he said.

He said he sat on his porch until 7 p.m. Thursday night watching the trees.

“I said, ‘As long as the wind ain’t blowing, we are good,” he said. “When the wind’s blowing, that’s when you worry.”

A tall, dead tree was standing next to his house Friday. It’s been there for about two years, despite requests to the city to have it removed. He said he was a bit worried about strong wind knocking it over into his house; however, it still stood after Helene’s winds.

Officials cautioned drivers to exercise caution in the wake of the storm and to avoid standing water or debris in roadways. Dougherty County’s Thursday-night curfew has expired and the state of emergency declared ahead of the storm was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

The Emergency Operations Center will remain open through 8 p.m. Sunday to take damage reports and answer storm-related questions. Emergency personnel also will monitor the level of the Flint River in the wake of the heavy rainfall in and north of Dougherty County.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]

Workers from the city of Albany and Dougherty County staffed the county’s Emergency Operations Center all night Thursday. A direct hit from Hurricane Helene was averted when the storm took a turn to the east starting early on Friday morning.

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan

While Albany was spared the brunt of Hurricane Helene’s wrath, low-lying areas still were flooded by heavy rains.

Dougherty County spared; Helene claims at least one life in southwest Georgia

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