WAYCROSS, Ga. – Officials in Ware County are closely watching Hurricane Helene’s track, and as of Wednesday afternoon, they are expecting the storm to be more of a wind event than a rain event for the county. Winds are expected to be sustained between 40-50 mph during the peak around 10 p.m. Thursday.
At Eldridge Hardware in Waycross, propane and power generators have been the hot items as locals brace for what’s next. People have also been stocking up on flashlights, batteries and water.
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Ware County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Daniel said power outages are a concern.
“At this point, we look like we’re going to have some tropical force winds in this area, some tornadic activity is possible in our area,” Ware County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Daniell said. “And so with that, could be downed power lines, power outages, blocked streets, roads from trees falling.”
He said they’re asking to people have enough supplies to last 72 hours, make sure their pets are taken care of, and bring outdoor items inside to prevent flying debris.
“As this thing comes in on Thursday night [we] ask people [to] stay off the roads and make sure that their home is safe for their family, and that leaves emergency response personnel the ability to get where they need to be without all the people out on the roads,” Daniell said.
Gearing up to clear downed trees are workers like Todd Braddy who was hired by the utilities.
“They said to pack for two to three days worth of work,” Braddy said.
But he said he doesn’t yet know how long cleanup could take.
Also preparing to clear roadways is Ware County Fire Rescue.
“We are getting all of our trucks full of fuel,” said Ware County Fire Rescue Chief Dee Meadows. “We’re getting our chainsaws ready. We’re getting gas for chainsaws. We’re just getting everything that we think we’ll possibly need.”