Editor’s note: This story is no longer being updated. Please visit macon.com for the latest information on Hurricane Helene.
Macon felt its worst impacts from Hurricane Helene early Friday morning, but damages were not extreme.
Emergency management officials said late Thursday that the highest-speed winds would hit Bibb County between 3 and 6 a.m., potentially downing trees, knocking out power and blowing debris around the city. While the city saw downed trees and power lines, as well as plenty of power outages, county officials said no deaths or injuries were reported.
Power outages across Georgia began to swell early Friday morning, exceeding 1 million, according to poweroutage.us , a national site that tracks outages across the U.S.
Here’s what to know about the storm in Macon.
Latest cleanup efforts in Macon
2:55 p.m. - Wesleyan and Rivoli drives still had some tree debris Friday afternoon, but crews had arrived to help clear it and restore power. The worst of the damage was on Wesleyan Drive, where a large pine tree fell across the road and damaged power lines. Crews are there now trying to remove the tree, and a portion of Wesleyan Drive between Oxford Drive and Wesleyan Woods Drive remains closed. Georgia Powers says that many residents in the area are still without power.
2 Georgia residents killed when tornado flips mobile home
1:20 p.m. - Two people were killed when a tornado touched down overnight in Middle Georgia during Hurricane Helene, emergency management officials told news outlets.
A man and woman were in their Wheeler County mobile home Thursday, Sept. 26, when a twister came through the area and flipped it, Steve Adams, director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency, told WTOC.
Read more here .
Houston County ‘dodged’ the worst of hurricane
1:15 p.m. - Warner Robins and Houston County braced for the worst from Hurricane Helene but escaped the brunt of the storm, officials said.
“All the things that we were preparing for did not occur, so that’s great news,” Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda W. Patrick posted on Facebook early Friday. “The prayers worked, so we are blessed not to have to deal with a lot of destruction like some of our neighbors.”
Read more here.
11 confirmed dead in Georgia
11:50 a.m. - While Macon didn’t see extreme damages, other parts of Georgia suffered from the severe weather. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced just before noon Friday that 11 people have died , and more have been trapped in collapsed homes.
Need to report damage in Macon?
11:30 a.m. - There are a few ways to request help with damage in Macon following Hurricane Helene, and it’s not always 911.
If physical damage is found, such as fallen trees or electrical poles, people should inform the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency by calling 833-535-4352, or submit a damage form via the MBC Alert mobile app. One can access the form by clicking “Hurricane Helene” in a red bubble on the app’s home page, then click “Report Damage.”
Read more here .
Debris drop-off sites
10:45 a.m. - People can dump any yard and tree debris for free at two Macon-Bibb County Convenience Centers.
Drop-off sites are 4214 Fulton Mill Road and 1010 11th Street. The centers are open starting today from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., as well as everyday this weekend and next week.
Macon cancels emergency prep training
9:15 a.m. - Macon-Bibb County canceled its emergency preparedness training originally scheduled for Saturday – two days after Hurricane Helene rolled through.
“Our crews need to rest,” Chris Floore, the county’s chief communications officer said.
The county plans to reschedule the training but a date is not yet confirmed.
How much rain did Macon get?
8:30 a.m. - Macon has seen about 7 to 8 inches of rain within the past day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Over 7 inches of rain was reported at the Ocmulgee River, and about 8 inches at Tobesofkee Creek in Macon, the USGS reported.
Precipitation had increased by about 2 inches since 12 hours ago, but rainfall unrelated to Tropical Storm Helene began Thursday morning.
Trash pickup won’t happen in Macon Friday
8 a.m. - Macon trash pickup will not happen Friday, according to city officials. The Friday routes will instead be handled Monday, meaning every route will be a day behind. The city will catch up by running next Oct. 4’s routes on Oct. 5.
Through the night
7:15 a.m. - Helene made for a long night for some Middle Georgia residents.
“We’ve been up since about 1 a.m. following the storm,” says Jay Euler of Warner Robins. “It wasn’t as bad as we expected ... some small limbs down, but nothing that would create any issues. We never lost power and are thankful for that.”
Euler lives in the Quail Run West subdivision.
Middle GA power outages
6:55 a.m. - Most of Middle Georgia still has electricity, according to various energy analysis companies.
Only about 14% of Macon-Bibb, 13% of Houston and 12% of Peach counties are out of power, according to poweroutage.us .
More than 900,000 electric customers are without power in Georgia. Electric companies and the National Weather Service previously expected the outages would be much worse in Middle Georgia.
Bus service to start soon
The Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority will restart fixed route and paratransit bus service at 7:25 a.m. Friday, a press release said. Watch the agency’s Facebook page for more information and updates.
These Bibb County roads are closed
6:20 a.m. - Weather hazards have caused 11 road closures in Macon, according to emergency management officials. The closures were caused by fallen trees, power lines in the street and more unsafe conditions. See the list of closures here .
Storm causes two crashes in Macon.
6:15 a.m. - There have been two storm-related car accidents reported in Macon, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office told The Telegraph.
The circumstances of the accidents were unclear but no injuries or deaths were reported, deputies said.
Much less rainfall in Macon
5:30 a.m. - The potential for rain in Macon-Bibb County has dropped significantly, according to the National Weather Service.
The probability of rain is 81% likely in Macon, and will decline to 65% by 6 a.m., the NWS forecast said.
There will be a 0% chance of rain starting around 10 a.m., the forecast shows.
Macon tornado watch canceled
5:15 a.m. - A tornado watch in Macon-Bibb County was no longer in effect as of about 4:45 a.m., the National Weather Service announced. The watch had been in effect since Thursday afternoon.
Macon-Bibb also is no longer under a hurricane warning, officiials said. A tropical storm warning has been issued instead.
Helene weakens to a tropical storm over Georgia
5 a.m. - The National Hurricane Center says Helene is now a tropical storm. It had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane earlier Friday morning.
“Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Winds, and Heavy Rains Continue,” the National Hurricane Center said in a social media post Friday.
Thousands without power in Macon
4:15 a.m. - Nearly 4,000 people were without power in Macon early Thursday morning, according to poweroutage.us . Outages began to jump just before 4 a.m. County officials warned Thursday that the worst of Hurricane Helene would reach Macon between 3 and 6 a.m. Friday.
Downtown Macon goes quiet overnight amid storm
4 a.m. - Downtown was eerily quiet Thursday night, with few people out and many businesses closed. Poplar Street, which is lined with popular restaurants and bars, was almost totally shuttered, with a few signs on doors saying each business was closed due to the storm and wishing people a safe evening. Some of the signs had washed down and plastered on the pavement due to the heavy rains earlier in the day.
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