Downpour downer

Heavy rains throughout last Thursday night and early Friday morning caused plenty of property-related troubles but reportedly no injuries in White County, even as crews conducted a river rescue.

White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said responders were busy with multiple weather-related events during the period.

“Flash flooding caused flooded roadways, landslides and prompted calls for assistance near streams and the river due to high water,” he said.“Units spent most of the evening and early morning hours responding to power lines down, trees down, roadway blocked, cabins and vehicles flooded and gas leaks due to overturned propane tanks. These events were widespread, and clean up continues throughout today in most areas.”

There are reports of culverts, roadways, and infrastructure damaged due to flooding, and damaged assessments are underway, Murphy said.

In Helen, Jerry Elkins, Helen city manager, said the city had some of its worst flooding. The Veterans Park was flooded and the fencing around it was destroyed from the high amount of flooding. The parking lots on Edelweiss Strasse were also flooded and covered with mud and debris.

“We also experience damage to a residence on Ridge Road when the excessive rain water washed the bank and the debris down the slope causing damage to residence,” Elkins said. “The bridge on Hamby Street is filled with trees and debris causing a severe blockage. We hope to have the trees and debris cleaned up by the end of the week.”

Elkins added that the public works employees had been cleaning up since Friday, March 26, and have continued to clean this week.

In an emergency called meeting by the Helen City Commission on March 31, commissioners approved closing a portion of Ridge Road due to part of the road washing out. The washout occurred on top of a hill on a portion of Ridge Road not too far from Escowee Road.

There was no damage reported within the Cleveland city limits, said City Administrator Tom O’Bryant.

“After an inspection of the city streets, there were a few areas where water had breached the drainage ditch and left sediment and brush debris on the roads or in intersections,” O’Bryant said. “City crews spent the morning cleaning these areas up.”

Following the storm, firefighters had to conduct a river rescue around 9:50 a.m. Friday, March 26, in the Buck Shoals area on the Chattahoochee River, according to a statement from White County Fire Chief Seth Weaver. Some people were going down the river, which was at a high water level following the rainfall. A victim called 911, and dispatchers were able to ping the phone through the enhanced 911 system.

“Units arrived on scene, and the caller was actually on the Habersham side of the river hanging on to a tree,” Weaver said. “The victim advised that there was another person down river that was on the White County side. Habersham Fire was called to assist the victim on their side of the river, while firefighters and DNR (Georgia Department of Natural Resources) walked the river about one mile and found the second subject on the bank.”

There were no injuries to the rescuers and victims, and units were at the scene for three and a half hours, Weaver said.