Repairs and storm debris removal continued along Gilmer County roads last week.
At one point, there were 102 entries on the county road department’s damage list following the destructive line of thunderstorms and at least one tornado that moved through May 8-9.
“Those are either 911 calls or calls here to the road department,” said Ryan Steingruber, public works director. “We’re still getting calls (about storm damage). Everybody we’ve talked to has been incredibly patient, and we appreciate that.”
The destructive winds and deluge of rain caused extensive damage to pipes, culverts and roads. Mud slides and fallen trees — lots and lots of fallen trees — were also attended to by the road department, Steingruber noted.
“There was a mud slide on Talona Road right by the 515 underpass where mud had washed down over the road, and we got that taken care of. We had pipes and culverts that were blown out. We were getting many of those repaired in the first 24 hours (after the storm),” he added.
“On North Bull Gap, they were shut off and completely stranded. As soon as the water stopped flowing and the sun came up and started to dry (things out), that was our primary one (to get repaired). We also had two culverts blow out on Pleasant Valley Road and one on Orchard Lane. ”
One of the worst washouts was on Sunlight Road, where a culvert stopped up and water had cycled back, washing away the earth underneath the asphalt. If it had not been caught in time, it would’ve turned into something like a sinkhole, Steingruber noted.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), which can declare disaster areas in storm-damaged counties, was here doing damage assessments last week. Steingruber said it’s not yet known whether the county will be eligible for any storm repair reimbursement funds.
“It doesn’t look like they’re going to just because it’s been so long. That usually happens pretty quickly,” he added.
Georgia Forestry Commission chainsaw crews were a huge help in getting the multitude of downed trees removed from roads following the storms, Steingruber noted. The local forestry commission office was among the structures wrecked by a confirmed EF1 tornado on Ellington Road. Since their equipment wasn’t damaged, the forestry crews still intended to help with cleanup around the county, noted Chief Ranger Mason Turner following the storms.
“The forestry commission saw crews helped us clear the roads incredibly fast. They were a godsend, clearing roads in hours that would’ve taken us days,” Steingruber said. “We had them out on Old Parker, Tickanetley and Owltown. It was so bad on Owltown, I couldn’t see the road because it was so covered up with trees.”
Last week, the road department was still assessing secondary storm damage as they continued to clear debris from roadsides.
“What we did before was cut the trees to clear the roads and push them off to the side. Now we’re going back through and getting the debris out of the way. As we’re getting the debris pulled up, we’re seeing if there’s any crushed culverts or anything that will affect drainage. As we’re discovering secondary damage, we’re addressing it,” said Steingruber. “We’re hoping for some dry weather so we can continue with these road repairs.”
A damaged culvert on Keener Road, where a pipe blowout occurred, still awaits repairs. Steingruber said pipe had to be ordered before the repairs could be done.
“We have that area closed off, but it is still accessible through Sutton Road. As soon as (the pipes) come in, we’ll be putting them in,” he added.