GLYNN COUNTY, Fla. – Glynn County is recovering after an ice storm left debris scattered across neighborhoods and caused widespread power outages.
On St. Simons Island, residents and Georgia Power crews are hard at work, clearing fallen limbs and restoring electricity to thousands of homes.
Walking through the property of longtime resident Henry Worthy, the damage was plain to see. Massive tree limbs littered his yard, and one had even fallen onto his roof.
“It was about 4 a.m. when we heard that crash,” Worthy said. “It was loud. I hope it didn’t do too much damage, but we’ll find out when all this ice melts.”
Despite the mess, the decades-old roof held up against the impact, and Worthy has spent the day clearing away debris.
Dialo Cartwright, Georgia Power’s Brunswick Area Manager, detailed the impact.
“I think at peak, we were about 30,000 customers out, and that occurred in the early morning. When the ice started falling, about four o’clock. We were in good shape till about 4 a.m. in the morning.
By late afternoon, Cartwright was optimistic that most customers would have power back by evening. “By the end of the day, I’d say by sundown, six o’clock, we expect to have most everyone back in that we can serve back in with the lights back on,” he said.
Take a look at the moment power was restored on Reynoso Avenue in St. Simons.
Glynn County officials said the following warming stations are open on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- CCGA Conference Center at 1 College Drive, Brunswick, Ga.
- The Club at 2929 Demere Road, SSI
- Risley Annex 2900 Albany Street, Brunswick
Camden and Charlton were closed on Thursday and said they aim to reopen on Friday.
Glynn County Schools said it will remain closed on Friday due to storm-related damage.
Staff are expected to report to their designated locations on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Classes will resume on Monday, Jan. 27.
To make up for weather days, school will now be in session on Monday, Feb. 17, and Monday, March 10, which were previously scheduled as teacher workdays.
Georgia Power said they should have most of the power restored by the end of the day.
Click here to see the outages tracked by Georgia Power.