'Athens County did a great job getting boots on the ground'

Hurricane Helene’s invasion caused power outages, trees to snap and kept first responders busy this past weekend.

Athens County Emergency Management Agency director Teresa Fouts-Imler said there were 14 weather related calls for service. Three calls involved electric lines/transformers, with 11 calls linked to road hazards, debris and trees down on the roadways and utility lines. Power outages were reported near and far across the county over the weekend with most power being restored as of Monday morning. No injuries were reported.

Athens County EMA Deputy Director Melissa Blank said it was busy Friday evening as the storm invaded the county. She offered high praise to dispatchers and first responders.

“I was in dispatch for several hours yesterday and all four dispatchers were constantly answering calls, one immediately after the other,” she said. “They did a great job staying calm and getting our first responders the information they needed. The majority of calls were for electrical lines being down, trees being over roadways, and a few medical responses. Our law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel across Athens County did a great job getting boots on the ground and handling the chaos.”

Blank continued, “I was in contact with our state EMA to keep them updated throughout the storms presence in Athens County, and they were ready to assist in any way they could if we needed them.”

Other places hit by Hurricane Helen were not so lucky.

At least 121 deaths in six states have been attributed to the storm — a toll that climbed Monday as a clearer picture emerged of the devastation it inflicted on an area stretching from Florida’s Gulf Coast northward to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. The North Carolina county that includes Asheville reported at least 35 deaths, while dozens were also killed in Georgia and South Carolina, according to the Associated Press.

Next stop — Tropical Storm Kirk formed Monday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and is expected to become a “large and powerful hurricane” by Tuesday night or Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was located about 700 miles (1,125 kilometers) west of the Cabo Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (70 kph). There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not a threat to land.