Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through the South over the weekend, but the storms weakened as they moved through Georgia, with no injuries and minimal damage reported in Gilmer.
The storms left dozens dead before reaching the state, according to National Public Radio. Governor Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency, Saturday, March 15, ahead of the extreme weather, urging families to make plans to stay safe.
The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that severe thunderstorms would peak in the county overnight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
On Saturday night, NWS issued a tornado warning in Gilmer County from around 9 to 9:30 p.m., warning residents to take shelter in basements or interior rooms.
Gilmer County Emergency Management interim director Al Cash said that’s when crews were dispatched to a tornado that touched down near Cherry Log, but the search was unproductive.
On Monday, NWS and Cash drove through the area where they found a cluster of about a dozen downed trees just off Boardtown Road and no structural damage.
Early Sunday morning, NWS reported that the county was under a flood warning, where rivers quickly rose due to excessive runoff. Coosawattee River usually runs about a foot and three fourths up, but the storm caused it to rise up to almost eight feet, which is the flooding stage, Cash said.
“[The river] was already in people’s backyards on Legion Road and Newport Drive,” he added. “Apparently, there was no intrusion, but the river was up within inches of flood stage. It’s still running at a pretty good pace, but for the most part, there’s been no flood damage.”
Fire crews were dispatched to two fallen trees, not involving power lines, overnight Saturday. One tree took some power lines down during the day Sunday along Legion Road. Cash said the road was blocked for several hours while crews worked to make repairs.
With less than a few hours notice, the Gilmer County Warming Center opened its doors from 5 p.m. Saturday to about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, after Cash received some calls requesting it. Volunteer Rachel Tarr said they housed 16 people, three dogs and one cat overnight, as they sought shelter from the storm.
“Most people came out of fear, not knowing what the storm was going to do,” Tarr recalled. “They just knew that [the Civic Center] was a safer place than probably where they were.”
Georgia Power reported minimal outages, while Amicalola EMC had about 1,060 members without power in the county by 3 a.m. Sunday. All outages have since been restored.