WAYCROSS, Ga. – Recovery efforts continue across southeast Georgia after Hurricane Helene went storming through the area.
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Many people in the area said they’re still without power and are running out of supplies.
To help out, the city of Waycross is inviting food trucks from around the region to give residents options.
Priscilla McDaniel is a Waycross native.
“I love Waycross,” McDaniel said. “I have been here all my life.”
And for the past 10 years, she’s been working with her daughter to make slushies.
“You know I want to help my daughter,” she said.
The strong winds left much of the roof scattered on the road and hanging from the powerlines.
“I was destroyed,” McDaniel said.
With the repairs set to cost thousands of dollars, that’s money McDaniel said they do not have.
And driving through the city of Waycross, she knew she wasn’t the only one.
“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “A lot of people do not have lights. A lot of people don’t have water and a lot of people don’t have food, so it’s just devastating for the whole Waycross community and surrounding areas. I mean it’s heartbreaking.” So when the city of Waycross opened up a Bit Tanner Field for food vendors to come and provide services to the community, she said it took her some time to get both physically and mentally ready but knew what she had to do.
She got the trailer and generator ready and brought her slushie-making supplies to the field.
“And you know you try to help people, but you know you don’t have much to try to have people with,” she said.
It’s a piece of the puzzle in the city’s recovery efforts and they try to find ways to get everyone what they need. “We are resilient,” Mayor Michael-Angelo James said “We are strong and we will do well in this storm and we’re looking forward to everyone coming out of this better than they went in.” Crews were out across the city on Monday to remove trees blocking the roads.
The city also handed out water and tarps at city hall and said they are working to get generators to those in the most need.
“Everybody, I know it’s a rough time but we’re going to get through this,” City Manager Ulysses Rayford said.
Rayford said anyone with questions can send those through the “MyWaycrossGA” app or email their local officials.
He said they post updates on the city’s Facebook every hour about resources available to you.