Bulloch County officials gathered Wednesday afternoon for a press conference to update the public on the responses currently underway in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby.
County Manager Tom Couch addressed the public on transportation and infrastructure, noting that nearly every dirt road in Bulloch County is impassible.
Highlights:
- The county will address roads on a triage basis, with the assessment already underway. The hope is to have all roads assessed by the end of next week.
- There will continue to be transportation delays, detours, and other issues related to the county roads.
- County officials are working on establishing an interactive mapping tool to keep the public informed on road closure and progress. This will be shared on social media.
- Officials have reallocated $1 million in TSPLOST for immediate critical infrastructure needs
- The county will rely on contractors as the county road department cannot handle all of the projects that will require repair at once.
- Officials are relying on emergency purchasing policies to obtain the necessary items in the immediate future and as needs arise.
- No interruptions are expected in getting waste to the transfer station in Statesboro, which will alleviate issues at trash centers.
Couch asked the public to be patient as the county continues to work. “It’s definitely all hands on deck,” he closed.
Bulloch County EMA Director Corey Kemp also reported statistics for the county, saying first responders have fielded over 1,000 calls since Tropical Storm Debby began impacting Bulloch County.
- 100 roads are closed in Bulloch County
- 4 dams have been breached at this point
- 10 rescue calls have been made
- 67 fire responses
- 75 EMS calls
- 1,431 calls to 911 overall
Kemp encouraged everyone to stay off the roads and avoid driving through barricades, but to call 911 if they need help.
Officials with the Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) said the more than 250 people from the Georgia National Guard are in the southeast Georgia region, assisting in various ways. “We’re here to get you as many resources as you need,” he said. As of 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, only one dam had actually failed but nine others are in danger of breaking. As far as preparation, officials said the key is to have a plan in place to leave quickly if necessary.
Other state agency officials, like those from the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office, are also assisting local officials.
