Twiggs, Cochran, Wilkinson avoid the worst of Helene

Against the odds, Twiggs, Wilkinson and Bleckley counties evaded the worst of Hurricane Helene when it hit early Friday morning. 

It turned out that the three counties were on the far western edge of the storm, in terms of downed trees, damage and disruptions. 

According to representatives from the local Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs), almost all power has been restored in Twiggs and Bleckley. The bulk of the damage, they said, were trees that fell in roadways and power lines going down. Cochran Fire Chief Brock Wilcher reported that a few homes sustained roof damage, but “nothing major.”

“We were fortunate,” Wilcher said. “If it would have taken the path that was projected, we would have had a lot more damage. We’re fortunate that it went to the east of us.”

Bleckley County Sheriff Daniel Cape encouraged everyone impacted by the storm to document the damage, call their insurance company and to hire a qualified general contractor to estimate the cost of and perform services.

“Remember, it’s important to deal with companies that not only can do the work, but properly communicate with your insurance company/adjuster the scope of work and appraisal of all damages,” Cape wrote on Facebook.

Bleckley County residents have also been asked to text photos of any storm damage to the EMA at 478-230-7300.

All things considered, Wilkinson County was also “lucky,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Tony Bentley.

“We were a lot more fortunate than many of our neighbors and other counties,” he said.

Bentley commended the coordinated effort between the local Emergency Management Agency, the Road Department, first responders and volunteer firefighters.

“By 1 a.m. (Friday morning), they were already out cutting limbs and clearing roads,” Bentley said. “They did a phenomenal job.”

Wilkinson EMA Director Darrius Patterson said that “Gordon and the western part of the county fared better than the eastern parts.” 

The overwhelming majority of homes in Wilkinson County had power restored in time for Saturday night’s Georgia/Alabama game. 

By Monday afternoon, fewer than 50 customers in Wilkinson County were still without power, according to the PowerOutage.us website. Contrast that with Johnson County, where nearly two-thirds of the county was still without electricity on Monday afternoon, as well as Washington County, where roughly half of customers were still without power. 

The local school districts went back on Monday like normal, except the Twiggs County Online Academy and the Cobra Academy Alternative Program, which went back Tuesday due to technical difficulties from the storm. The campuses experienced little to no damage. 

Both Twiggs and Wilkinson high schools rescheduled homecoming festivities and the football games, although dates haven’t been finalized for Twiggs at the time of publication. Wilkinson’s game against Glascock County was rescheduled to Oct. 17, and the homecoming activities will take place Oct. 11.