Most power should be restored Thursday, Colquitt County official says

Published 9:28 pm Wednesday, September 13, 2017

MOULTRIE, Ga. — After two days of recovery efforts there’s still a lot more work to do. But the finish line may be in sight.

Except for isolated addresses, power should be restored to nearly everyone in Colquitt County Thursday, said Russell Moody, Colquitt County Emergency Management director.

“I know we’re making good progress on getting things in order,” Moody said.

As of Thursday afternoon, Colquitt EMC had some 12,000 customers in its seven-county service area without power. Out-of-state crews have been assisting both that utility and Georgia Power Company, which has a much smaller customer base in Colquitt County, Moody said.

For those without power, ice is available at Moultrie Fire Department Station No. 3 on Highway 133 South. The Moultrie Y on 26th Avenue Southeast has opened its doors to allow people without power to get a hot shower.

The Colquitt County School System will remain closed through the weekend with food becoming a concern, especially at its two campuses that were still without power into Wednesday afternoon — Funston and Okapilco elementary schools.

In explaining the continued closure, Colquitt County School Superintendent Doug Howell also cited closed roads and the system’s students, parents and employees who are dealing with damage and being without power.

Residential and commercial buildings have been damaged, but Moody said it was not as bad as had been feared prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Irma on Monday.

As of Wednesday morning, there were 200 Moultrie electricity customers without power and crews were working to reconnect them.

The city will be picking up debris in coming days. The city asks residents to separate any household garbage and other non-vegetative materials and place them in their normal pick-up locations. Limbs and tree trunks should be cut to a length of 4 feet or less to allow the truck to pick them up.

“Our emergency service crews — everybody — has done an outstanding job,” Moody said. “They really have worked hard.”

One injury was reported on Wednesday, he said. A Colquitt County Roads and Bridges Department employee injured his shoulder while cutting trees. He was being checked at Colquitt Regional Medical Center.