Despite 71 trees felled by Irma’s wind and rain, Cobb County Chairman Mike Boyce said early Tuesday that the storm’s impact could have been much worse.
“All things considered, based on what happened in the region, we were one of the fortunate ones,” Boyce said.
Two people were killed by falling trees in other parts of metro Atlanta, and another man died in south Georgia. Coastal areas were flooded and more than a million people were without power Tuesday.
There have been no reports of flooding or major accidents in Cobb, but Boyce urged residents to stay home while the county continues to assess damage and clear debris.
On Tuesday, some residents posted pictures on social media of damage to their homes caused by fallen trees, and about 3,200 Cobb customers were without power, mostly along South Cobb Drive.
“I would just tell people it’s better to stay home today,” Boyce said. “Be safe until we have everything fully evaluated.”
Transportation Director Jim Wilgus echoed the chairman’s request that residents stay off the road for a while longer.
“We’ve got a lot of debris to clear off today,” he said. “Overall we were expecting it to be much worse.”
Cassie Mazloom, director of Cobb’s emergency management agency, also seemed relieved that the damage appeared to be minimal. She said local governments have been better about taking precautionary measures since Atlanta’s infamous “snowpocalypse” in 2014.
“The county being closed and the schools being closed makes such a differences for us as first responders,” Mazloom said. “It keeps people safe.”
Cobb schools, county offices and courts remained closed Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the city of Marietta reported no road closures or major accidents, and said most customers appear to have power.
