Idalia EOC Update 12:05 p.m.

From Lowndes EMA:Brookwood Drive

 Idalia EOC Update #1 6:10 a.m. - Lowndes County Emergency Management officially stood up our Emergency Operations Center at 6:00 a.m. Elected officials, public safety stakeholders and others will operate the centerthroughout the response and recovery phases of Idalia. The storm is currently a Category 4. Residents are encouraged to remain off roads for the remainder of the day. Idalia remains a threat to our area. Please follow us throughout the day for updates. Stay safe and know our first responders are ready and here for you. Stay safe.

 

STORM SHELTER UPDATE:
Lowndes County Emergency Management is working with Park Avenue Church to provide a safe location for those individuals living in mobile homes or substandard housing who need a location to provide shelter during the storm. This will not be a long-term shelter, and little to no amenities will be provided. This is simply a safe location to seek shelter from the storm.
The shelter will be open on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, beginning at 6 a.m. and will close no later than 7 p.m. or when the tropical storm force winds have moved out of Lowndes County.
Individuals coming to the shelter should park in parking lot B, which is on the corner of Park Avenue and Slater Street. The shelter entrance will be through the double doors facing Slater Street.
Pets are allowed but must stay in a kennel while inside and be on a leash while outside. Kennels will not be provided and are the responsibility of the pet owner.
 
 
Idalia EOC Update #2 8:50 a.m. - Conditions are beginning to deteriorate. 60 mph wind gusts have been reported west of I-75. Please shelter in place until conditions improve.
 
9:20 a.m. Power lines are down across I-75 between the 6 and 7 mile marker northbound. Northbound traffic should take Exit 5.
 
9:40 a.m. US National Weather Service Tallahassee Florida has issued a FLASH FLOOD WARNING for Lowndes County!
 
Idalia EOC Update: #3 10:00 a.m. - 67 mph wind gusts reported at the Valdosta Regional Airport. Please continue to shelter in place and stay off of the roads until conditions improve in Lowndes County.
 
If you are in the area, please be advised that local officials are urging everyone to shelter in place. 
This means that you should stay indoors and avoid going outside, if possible. Stay informed by listening to the news or monitoring social media. Remember to keep calm and stay safe!
 
11:10 a.m. From Georgia DOT - Southwest Lowndes County: power lines are down on Interstate 75 North in the area of Loch Laurel Road. This is about 1.5 miles north of Exit 5/State Route 376/Lakes Boulevard. Officials are routing northbound traffic off I-75 at Exit 5 and have set up a detour. They are currently waiting for conditions to improve/wind speed to drop so that the power company and Georgia Department of Transportation crews can safely respond. I-75 South is not affected. In addition, we have reports of a semi that has gone into a ditch on I-75 N at Exit 5. Stay home, avoid the area.

PLEASE SHARE 11:20 a.m. - Lowndes County 911 is not down. The number of calls coming in are currently exceeding the number of available lines. Please dial 911 only in the event of an emergency. 

11:58 a.m. Dr. Craig Lockhart with Valdosta City Schools has reached out to Lowndes County Emergency Management and asked us to report that all Valdosta City Schools will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, August 31, 2023, due to widespread power outages and trees down across Valdosta-Lowndes County. Once they have the capabilities to post on their social media sites, they will provide more information.

12:05 p.m. Due to the effects of Hurricane Idalia, all Lowndes County Schools and System Offices will remain closed on Thursday, August 31st. We will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates on when our schools will reopen. Stay safe!

Colquitt EMC currently has over 58,000 meters without power. There is extensive damage to our system with multiple broken poles, downed lines and fallen trees. Our personnel and contract crews have been dispatched and we have made contact with mutual aid. This will likely be an extended outage due to the severity of the damage. Thank you for your patience as we work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. We will continue to keep you updated as we have new information. 

𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄: As Hurricane Idalia heads out of our area and we begin the clean-up process. Please make sure the damage is well documented. Insurance agencies/adjusters should be contacted prior to clean-up. To protect your investment, work should be done by a licensed contractor. Ask for written documentation, especially in the event a large percentage of the repair cost is required upfront.

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