(Cleveland)- White County emergency crews responded to dozens of weather-related incidents Tuesday night after severe thunderstorms moved through the area, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and widespread power outages.
According to White County Emergency Management, the most intense period of the storm occurred between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., when the White County 911 Dispatch Center received 69 emergency calls.
At 8:38 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for White and Towns counties after radar indicated rotation within a thunderstorm. White County activated its CodeRED emergency notification system to alert residents of both severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Outdoor warning sirens were also activated when the tornado warning was issued.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy advised that the storm system continued moving across White County until approximately 11:30 p.m. Although no tornado was confirmed, emergency officials reported significant storm damage throughout the county. No injuries were reported.
Emergency crews responded to 19 reports of trees blocking roadways, seven reports of downed power lines, one weather-related traffic accident and one report of a tree falling onto a residence.
Murphy noted that Fire departments, Emergency Management, law enforcement, Public Works and 911 dispatch personnel implemented emergency response plans, with additional personnel called in to assist with operations that continued overnight and into Wednesday morning.
The storms also caused widespread power outages. As of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Habersham Electric Membership Corporation reported 904 customers without electricity in White County, while Georgia Power reported 94 customers remained without service. Utility crews continued working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
As of mid-morning Wednesday, several roads remained closed because of downed trees, including:
Rabun Road near Bean Creek Road
Poplar Stump Road near Myra Branch Road
Chimney Mountain Road near the 199 address point
Mauldin Road near the 767 address point
Claude Sims Road at Shepherd Drive
In addition to local response efforts, White County Emergency Management was also coordinating a mutual aid request for a portable generator to assist the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
Murphy said they are thankful for many agencies involved in the response, including local law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, Emergency Management, Public Works, the Georgia Department of Transportation and utility crews, for their efforts to protect the community and restore services following the severe weather.