ATLANTA – Georgia’s cleanup from this week’s storm has moved from response to recovery, as the heavy rains and flooding brought by Tropical Depression Debby continue moving toward the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states.
“The storm is behind us, but certainly the recovery is not,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in Savannah Friday after touring damaged coastal communities by air.
Kemp said eight dams were breached after Debby hit earlier this week, four in Bulloch County alone.
About 138,000 customers had lost power at the height of the storm, while 59 schools were closed. Those numbers were down by Friday to fewer than 1,200 without electricity, while 13 schools remained closed, Kemp said.
Seven emergency shelters were opened, which ended up accommodating 142 evacuees, the governor said. Four shelters were still open on Friday, while the number of evacuees was down to 42, he said.
But the most serious damage occurred to farm crops and livestock. Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper said the state lost about half of the tobacco crop, while other crops including peanuts also sustained heavy damage.
Some poultry houses were completely flooded, and some cattle also drowned, Harper said.
Kemp urged farmers and ranchers to document their losses to they can compile accurate applications for federal aid. President Joe Biden approved the state’s request for an emergency declaration covering 55 counties.
“It’s hard to get relief if we don’t have the proper documentation,” Kemp said.
There was one storm-related death in Georgia, which occurred on Monday when a tree fell on a home in Moultrie and killed a 19-year-old man.
“It could have been a lot worse,” said Chris Stallings, director of the Georgia Emergency Management/Homeland Security Agency. “But thanks to the rapid deployment of resources, we were able to get in front of it.”
The ports of Savannah and Brunswick were closed on Tuesday but reopened the following day. Kemp said it will probably take a week for them to resume normal operations.