Gov. Kemp delivers update on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
“Georgia’s road to recovery will be long.”
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Hurricane Helene has left several parts of Georgia in complete devastation.
Governor Brian Kemp and other officials visited Lowndes County today, to survey the intensity of the damage and to provide updates on how the state will begin its road to recovery.
In the press conference, Gov. Kemp said that there was a substantial amount of damage state-wide and the total number of fatalities has risen. There are currently 17 fatalities in Georgia alone, with the youngest being a 1-month-old infant, of the 40 reported. Kemp finished that statement with, “and the number of deaths will grow.”
There are currently 1 million people without power in Georgia and several cellular services are down.
”Damage assessment is an essential part of efficient restoration and marks the first phase of the restoration process once the storm has left impacted areas. Damage assessment teams will continue to enter the field and begin the restoration process as soon as conditions allow. With outage numbers reaching more than double those caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018 — the most significant damage to Georgia’s electric system in decades — co-ops warn there will be extensive delays in total restoration.”
The governor also asked people for patience, and that crews are continuing to assess damage while simultaneously working to bring these substations back to operation. Officials with Georgia Power and other utilities companies also stressed the importance of being safe after events like these.
Several organizations have begun to offer refuge to survivors of Helene. There are currently 11,000 shelters available statewide, drinking water sites in place and food distribution centers, Kemp said in the conference.
WALB will continue coverage on Helene and to follow the recovery efforts all over South Georgia.
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