Ware County was among the worst hit in Southeast Georgia by Hurricane Helene. Residents were still digging out from the devastation on Monday as schools, libraries, government offices and more remained closed.
The school district announced that all Ware County schools and the Central Office will remain closed for the rest of this week.
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“We will reassess the situation on Friday to determine if we can safely resume school operations on Monday, Oct. 7,” the district said. “Please continue to check social media, our website, and Thrillshare for the most up-to-date information. Stay safe, and take care of each other!”
The city of Waycross distributed bottled water and tarps on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at 12 p.m. Monday at the City Auditorium at 865 Pendleton St.
And Ware County commissioners encouraged any local or out-of-state vendors to set up at Bit Tanner Field with no permits or fees required.
The Tax Commissioners Office in Ware County is closed on Monday and Tuesday. The Tax Sale scheduled for Tuesday is canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.
The County administrative offices are closed through Tuesday.
The Ware County Public Library is closed until further notice, along with all South Georgia State College campuses and all Southeast Health District sites.
A lot of debris remained on the road and power was out at some Waycross intersections on Monday.
“It’s a lot worse than what people thought it was going to be,” Waycross resident Amy Poole said. “There’s trees down everywhere, there’s downed power lines in residential neighborhoods, people that are still in the house. There’s just nobody coming to clean up. We haven’t seen any clean-up crews.”
One of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the area is Albany Avenue, where downed trees and power lines are causing widespread power outages.
“It is horrible,” said Waycross resident Callyann Brewington. “We’ve got trees all the way down Albany Avenue. We’ve got very low-hanging power lines. People have been coming through trying to get necessities.”
Brewington said it all makes for a potentially dangerous situation.
“I’m just afraid they’re going to snag something and rip down whatever power lines are left,” Brewington said. “Somebody is going to get seriously hurt.”
News4JAX reached out to Waycross Emergency Management but had to leave the area for the call to go through. We are waiting for a response on the recovery efforts.
In the meantime, those who can travel are stocking up on supplies at the Friendly Express gas station -- the only option for food within a 30-mile radius for Homerville resident Antoine Watson.
“I came from Homerville to bring my wife to work and then I’d come to get some gas and fresh food and stuff. Homerville is really devastated,” Watson said.