Work To Restore Power Continues

A couple of hundred Georgia Power customers in Stephens County appear to still be without power this morning after the ice storm Monday night into Tuesday morning.

According to information on the Georgia Power website, the main outage appears to be in the Martin area, where there are more than 100 outages, though scattered outages also remain in the Toccoa area as well.

Currently, Georgia Power is projecting that all power in the Stephens County area will be restored this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Hart EMC is still reporting an area of about 100 outages in the North Holcomb Drive and Old Seven Forks Road areas.

There is also an area off of Holly Springs Road without power.

The power outages came after freezing rain and sleet struck the area Monday into early Tuesday, bringing down trees and power lines.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said he feels city crews did a good job.

“Late Monday afternoon, things started going downhill very quickly,” said Morse, who said work continued on the roads into the night.

“It was a long and hectic night for those folks,” said Morse of public works, fire, and police who worked on roads and tree and limb removal throughout.

Meanwhile, Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said she felt the county was also prepared.

That said, Ayers said it was a long night for county crews.

“Their biggest problem was the debris and the trees falling,” said Morse. “They worked straight through, some worked more hours than they should have.”

Ayers says volunteer firefighters were also out to help as utility companies had to help with a number of trees that fell into utility lines and poles.

Meanwhile, Toccoa Police Chief Tim Jarrell says that there were no serious injuries to report in the city limits.

Also, Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley says there were 9 accidents or so Monday night into Tuesday.

Shirley says that in one wreck, a vehicle on Nub Garland Road overturned and went into a creek.

A person was taken to the hospital, but the injuries were not severe.

Other than that, Shirley says there were no injuries to report.