Aerial shot of damage caused by Hurricane Helene
In Georgia Power’s 141-year history, the company has never dealt with a natural disaster as big or bad as the damage from Hurricane Helene. I hope I never see another disaster like that.
To put it in perspective:
· With no warning (the weathermen predicted a southwest Georgia landfall and a path following I-75 North), we faced over two hours of winds gusting over 100 mph over 200 miles inland!
· The entire landscape has been forever changed. Trees that have stood for over 100 years are gone. So many trees are gone that one person said it looked like their neighbors had cleared their front yard to plant crops!
· Many were without water for a week (some longer), and most were without power for almost two weeks. Internet access took even longer to restore and is still not complete.
· At one point over 2,400 linemen lived in a tent city on one of our airport runways. These workers left their homes and families for nearly a month to help us recover.
· Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) did yeoman’s work; without their assistance, we wouldn’t have come through as fast and strong as we did.
More Helene damage in Vidalia, Georgia
· Debris removal companies have been hauling debris every daylight hour since the day after the Hurricane. So far, they have moved and chipped so much debris that if we piled it up and covered every single corner on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium, the pile of chips would be over 4,000 miles high. (And we still have months of debris removal to go!)
The Salvation Army, Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, Southern Baptist Convention and other faith groups responded in the first days. Companies like Wal-Mart, QuikTrip, the Georgia Auto Dealers Association, DraftKings, and others pitched in with supplies and cash. Rep. Lauren McDonald made at least four trips to bring food and supplies he had collected in his district and North Georgia Rotary Clubs. He brought more colleagues from the state House with him to help serve than I can possibly name. To modify a phrase from my friend and our governor Brian Kemp, we saw the worst of nature– but the best of Georgians. While there was some minor looting, we saw the BEST of people. Neighbors helped neighbors, and the government served its citizens. And we are stronger and more united than ever.
Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and state House Speaker Jon Burns arrived quickly and made sure to provide any resources we asked for. In the early days of the 2025 session, the Legislature will consider a package to help farmers, businesses, and individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene. The governor has also made pre-session moves to reconstitute the same aid provided following Hurricane Michael. President Donald Trump arrived in Valdosta with a planeload and truckloads of supplies. Joining U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and the lieutenant governor, state Sen. Russ Goodman and state Rep. John LaHood, Trump gave voice to what many were feeling. He provided hope that while we couldn’t see or hear what the outside world was doing, they knew we needed help. And help was on the way. The president-elect later showed up again in Augusta to do the same. With blue tarps covering many roofs in Vidalia, amazingly it did not rain in our area for over six weeks after the hurricane. I’m confident I know who to thank for that Miracle. While all loss of life is tragic, we saw very few deaths– another blessing considering Helene’s impact.
After Helene, a second disaster
When the rain finally fell in mid-November, we had a second disaster. Drainage ditches and streams were clogged with massive amounts of debris and fallen timber. Creeks began taking routes never taken. We lost several state highways and many local roads. The flood waters even closed Interstate I-16. Our leaders worked quickly to address this new issue, but it will take many months, if not years, to clear these streams. While we are not back to normal yet, we see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m reminded of how we all pull together during tough times. There wasn’t a South Georgia, North Georgia or Atlanta. There was Georgia. And Georgia’s leaders were at the forefront of helping their neighbors. After what I’ve seen, I’m proud of our neighbors. I’m proud to be a Georgian. And I’m proud to be a small cog in a state government that responded heroically to take care of our people. Yesterday, it was us. Who knows who will face the next major disaster? But no matter where it hits, our state stands ready to repair, rescue and get back to being the best state in the nation to do business.
District 19 State Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, was first elected in 2016 and chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
