The message citizens have been getting from their county, state and federal governments since the COVID-19 pandemic hit has been stay home. The message they're getting today from Dade County, since what may or may not have been a tornado roared through the area late last night, is stay home and we mean it this time. Or even, in some cases, stay home or you'll be arrested.
Power is out in spots all over the tri-state area. In livestreamed broadcasts this morning and this afternoon, Dade County Executive Chairman Ted Rumley said Georgia Power has estimated it may be midnight Tuesday before electricity is restored in all households.
Some county roads are closed due to flooding. Others are closed because fallen trees have blocked them. And some are closed because trees have fallen, tangling in power lines on the way down, presenting a real danger of electrocution to those trying to move them. Rumley said at the county's daily 3 p.m. livestream--which is usually about the COVID-19 crisis but today did double duty as a briefing about storm damage--that county road crews are waiting for Georgia Power to give them the all-clear before they begin trying to open eight roads.
A train had to stop dead on the north-south railroad that bisects the county due to massive treefall on the tracks. Dr. Jan Harris, superintendent of schools, said the storm had damaged the Dade County High School fieldhouse and concession stand as well as the school system's bus barn, county board office, fences and electronic signs.
Georgia Power, the Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Forestry Service, county road crews, the sheriff's office, all the volunteer fire departments and other volunteers are toiling feverishly to clear up the mess. And amid all of this, said Rumley, Emergency Services Director Alex Case and Maj. Tommy Bradford of the Dade Sheriff's Office, sightseers are gumming up the works.
The road into Canyon Estates, said Rumley, has been a particular problem today. "It seems to be a magnet for people out riding and looking," said the county boss. But if that sounds interesting, he warned, it's not interesting enough to endanger yourself and the volunteer workers. "Don't go. You need to stay home," he said. "There's already been some really close calls."
"If you don't have to be out, don't get out," said Maj. Bradford, speaking at the 3 p.m. briefing.
But Alex Case, who as Dade's emergency services boss had been out all night trying to get Highway 136 East clear enough for ambulances, was the most forceful. "If you get caught up there, you will be arrested and charged," he said.
Case, speaking at an 11 a.m. livestream about the storm damage, described joy riders removing the county's DO NOT ENTER tape to drive into flooded areas. He urged anyone observing such activities to call 911 immediately and report them. "It's not a good time to go play," he said. "It's not worth risking our volunteers' lives."
County could not estimate the number of houses damaged. Officials in their 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. briefings said Brown Tire atop Sand Mountain had suffered some damage, but there have been no reports The Planet could gather of deaths or serious injuries in Dade. Alex Case said in his 11 a.m. report that three people had been injured but that their injuries had not been life-threatening.
Here, courtesy of the county, is a list of roads in Dade closed due to either downed trees/power lines or flooding.
Gulch Road Daniels Road
Back Valley Canyon Park Drive 120 Hickory Street Gentry Avenue Newsome Gap Road
Cave Springs Road Slygo Road Mason Road Melissa Lane Poplar Avenue Walnut Avenue Edgewood Street Cedar Lane (city) Cedar Lane (county)
1899 Creek Road 3030 Mason Road and Lookout Creek bridge
Michael Road down to 301 - single lane due to downed trees
Brown Gap Cemetery Road - single lane due to downed trees
Mountain Shadow Subdivision - the only entrance is through the gate at the high school
Ted Rumley announced that the back of the county transfer station would be open today and later to take brush from county residents clearing their properties. But he and Alex Case both warned about the very real danger of electrocution from coming across live wires in the mess. "If you think it's got a line in it, leave it," said Case. "I would encourage you just to hang on a while."
Both officials reminded residents they are allowed to burn brush in place rather than bring it to the transfer station. If residents haul brush to the roadside, the county will pick it up--eventually. But right now, warned Rumley, the priority is getting closed roads open so it might be a while before the crews can work a road to pick up brush.
Alex Case reported at the 11 a.m. briefing that the county had opened up its buildings and a wing of Dade Elementary Sunday night and estimated 10 to 20 people took cover there. Case did not come back on for the 3 p.m. briefing. Sgt. Chad Payne of the Dade County Sheriff's Office reported for him he was out with National Weather Service staffers tracking the Sunday night storm's progress through Dade and trying to determine if it was a tornado.
Gov. Brian Kemp reported in his talk a bit later in the afternoon that tornadoes had in fact touched down in Walker, Catoosa, Chattooga and Floyd counties near Dade, among many other Georgia counties. There were seven deaths in Georgia as well as multiple injuries, said the governor.
The county is advising anyone who needs help or shelter to call (706) 657-4111. The county website, dadecounty-ga.gov, also has links to GEMA for emergency assistance, and residents with homes damaged from the storm are advised to take pictures of the damage for their insurance companies. But again, residents are asked not to get in rescuers' way taking pictures elsewhere. "Please, please help us," said Alex Case. "Please let us do our work."
Coronavirus
Now, back to the COVID-19 crisis.
Today's state numbers, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, are 13315 total confirmed cases and 464 deaths. Dade still has only a total of two cases, including one death. Rumley--who vowed Friday to try to cut through the red tape that prevents local officials from learning precisely where in their counties cases of sickness are located--was asked during the 3 p.m. briefing where the second case was. He answered it was on Lookout Mountain but did not elaborate on how he had ascertained that.
Rumley pointed out that, though the state figures continue to soar, cases seem to have leveled off in the counties surrounding Dade, in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. Walker has only six, Jackson 26, DeKalb 27.
Over the weekend, the issue of Cloudland Canyon as a vector for bringing COVID-19 to Dade County again arose as tourists crowded into the state park. Rumley livestreamed triumphantly on Saturday that the state had finally acceded to Dade's request to close the park after an official flew over and saw the surfeit of cars. Then, on Sunday, Rumley had to come back on and report grimly that his announcement had been inaccurate: Georgia had closed the park to further visitors for that day only. The park reopened as usual on Sunday.
At today's 3 p.m. briefing Rumley said that the advent of the storm had delayed a planned meeting among himself, the county attorney and the sheriff about controlling visitation to the park through policing the county road that goes into it. That meeting will take place later, he said, and promised to speak about it at Tuesday's update.
Speaking at his own briefing later in the day, Gov. Kemp said nothing about closing any of the state parks.
Otherwise, Superintendent of Schools Harris said delivery of free kids' lunches had not resumed today after spring break as planned because of road closures. The free meals will be distributed this week Tuesday and Wednesday instead of Monday and Wednesday. Again, meals are dropped off by school buses roughly four hours after the buses' usual pickup time, or parents may instead pick up their children's food at Davis or Dade Elementary from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays or Wednesdays.
These briefings are livestreamed every day at 3 p.m. from the Dade County Ga. Facebook page. "Like" the page and you will be alerted when the county goes live.
