Below is a running list of openings and closings across metro Atlanta. Know of other businesses that are open? Submit the information here.
Hospitals
A spokeswoman with WellStar Health System said Wednesday morning that the volume of patients in the system’s emergency departments has been lower than normal because of the gridlock. The system also sheltered and fed 100 people in need of help and a warm place to stay last night.
At Atlanta Medical Center in downtown, ER doctors treated patients from 29 vehicle accidents, as well as eight people injured by slips or falls, between yesterday and this morning. It took ambulances five to 10 miles away from the hospital yesterday up to two hours to get there, spokeswoman Nicole Gustin said. Meanwhile, the facility activated its emergency preparedness plan – asking staff to spend the night until they could be relieved by more staff and sending out four-wheel vehicles to pick up and bring others to the hospital. “It’s definitely better today,” Gustin said around lunchtime on Wednesday. “We’re not seeing as many ambulances.”
Piedmont Hospital spokeswoman Diana Lewis said around noon that the hospital was completely full and had to divert patients to other area hospitals. In some cases, the nursing homes or other care facilities patients needed to be sent to weren’t accepting patients because of the weather situation. For others, their families simply couldn’t make their way to the hospital to pick them up. Many of the 20 or so patients in the hospital’s ER were there late Wednesday morning because no beds are available in the rest of the hospital to move them to, Lewis said.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta reported that while its hospitals are open, its urgent care and neighborhood locations are closed.
Parents need to be cautious if their kids go out to sled and play in the snow, Children’s spokeswoman Patty Turlington Gregory said Wednesday afternoon.
“If a child gets hurt, they can’t get to the hospital right now,” Gregory said.
City of Atlanta and south Fulton County
If you are stranded and cannot get through to 911, please send the Atlanta Police Department a message through Facebook or Twitter.
City of Atlanta government offices, parks and recreation facilities, and municipal court are closed. All essential and emergency personnel should report to work at their scheduled time. All non-essential employees should report Thursday.
Cherokee County
Government offices are closed. Schools will be closed on Thursday.
Clayton County
Government offices will not reopen until 8 a.m. Thursday.
Cobb County
Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services is offering shelter in fire stations for motorists who may be stranded and without heat. Call 911 to report your location.
County government offices will open at noon.
Cobb Community Transit has suspended Express Bus Service until further notice. Local routes will be evaluated at 10 a.m. Only scheduled paratransit dialysis trips will be provided Wednesday.
The tax commissioner’s office and the court system are closed.
Cobb Senior Services Transportation is canceled.
DeKalb County
County administrative offices, including parks and recreation facilities, senior centers, water billing offices, recorders court and other administrative divisions, are closed. Report to work at normal business hours Thursday.
Douglas County
The Douglas County Courthouse, the city of Douglasville Municipal Court, Douglas County Schools and the Douglas County Health Department are closed.
Fayette County
Fayette County has closed all county offices. All non-essential employees need to stay home, according to the county government website. Offices are set to reopen on Thursday.
Forsyth County
Forsyth County government offices will be closed Wednesday. This includes county government offices, the Forsyth County Courthouse, Senior Services, and Forsyth County Parks and Recreation's indoor facilities. All Parks and Recreation programs and activities are canceled Wednesday. Advance voting at both the Forsyth County Administration Building and Midway Park Community Building will be closed Wednesday. For information on road closures, visit the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office website.
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County Government Administrative Offices: Gwinnett County Government administrative offices will delay opening until 10 am on Wednesday.
Gwinnett Trials and Hearings: Gwinnett trials and hearings are canceled.
All Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner Offices will delay opening until 10 a.m.
Gwinnett County Transit: Express Bus Service will not run. If conditions allow, Local Routes 10 and 40 will begin at 10 a.m. and all other local routes will begin at noon. Check www.gctransit.com or call GCT Customer Service at 770.822.5010 for up-to-date schedule information.
Gwinnett Juvenile Court: Evening classes at the Detention Center are canceled.
Gwinnett County Park and Recreation: All facilities will delay opening until 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Trash and Recycling Collection Delayed: Trash and recycling collection in unincorporated Gwinnett County will not take place on Wednesday. The collection schedule will be delayed one day. If your normal collection day is Wednesday, it will be collected Thursday. If Thursday is your collection day, it will be collected Friday. Friday's normal collection will take place on Saturday. If your trash and recycling was not collected today, it will be collected on Thursday. If you have any questions, please contact the Gwinnett County Solid Waste and Recovered Materials Call Center at 770.822.7141. Gwinnett residents who live inside city limits should check with their city for the status of their trash service. Schools are closed today, according to the Gwinnett County Public Schools' website.
Henry County
Henry County administrative offices, including Henry County Transit service, the Courts and Henry County libraries, will be closed, according to the Henry County website. Schools are closed.
Roswell City Hall and facilities will open at 10 a.m.
Parks and recreation activities for Wednesday are canceled until noon. Classes and programs after noon will be held as scheduled. Please check the website regularly for updates. Schools are closed.
Alpharetta city offices and facilities are closed until noon. Schools are closed.
Johns Creek city offices will open at noon, but the STOP Class is canceled. Schools are closed.
Paulding County
Paulding County government offices and courthouse will be closed. Check the county website for updates. Schools are closed.
— Staff writer Misty Williams contributed to this report.
About the Author
