DeKalb needs ‘substantial work' to get roads, power back to normal

While school is set to open Friday for the first time since Irma, DeKalb County still needs work to restore power outages and clear the mess.

“DeKalb bore the brunt of Irma’s wrath in the metro area, and we saw a lot of trees fall across power lines and roads,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said in a news release. “We have been able to make a lot of progress clearing the roads, but substantial work remains. We are working diligently alongside Georgia Power to return the county back to normal.”

DeKalb crews are working “around the clock,” the county said. Since Monday afternoon, more than 130 tons of debris, including 180 trees, have been cleared and more than 75 roads reopened.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, DeKalb still had 20 roads closed and 112 trees to remove. Sixty-eight of those trees were entangled in wires. Georgia Power must confirm that the wires aren’t live before workers can remove the trees.

To report a downed tree in the road, call 404-249-2911.

DeKalb only removes trees in public rights of way. Anyone requesting help on private property can call 404-294-2311 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In other news:

Damage from Irma left many schools with damage and without power.

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