Some Rockdale County residents didn’t get alerts on their phones before a tornado barreled through the area this week, officials said Thursday.
Emergency Management Agency leaders in the county are working with state warning experts to determine what prevented the alerts on some cellphone carriers. Wireless Emergency Alerts are messages sent by authorized government agencies alerting residents through mobile carriers in Georgia. The alerts don’t require an app or subscription to a service, according to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 115 mph touched down around 11:49 p.m. Tuesday on Klondike Road in Conyers. The storm traveled for 9.5 miles east-northeast through Rockdale, bringing down trees on homes and vehicles.
No major injuries were reported. But cleanup and recovery could be a long process in the hardest-hit areas.
The American Red Cross of Georgia has helped 85 people statewide, including 73 in Rockdale, and that number is expected to rise.
In South Georgia, the NWS confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in the western part of Crisp County just southwest of Cordele. Winds there reached up to 100 mph, and the agency is still working to determine the exact path of the twister.
“Teams are conducting damage assessments and providing emergency supplies, assistance and recovery planning to families to meet their disaster-caused needs,” a Red Cross spokesperson said in a statement. “The Red Cross also opened an overnight shelter in Conyers providing shelter, food and support to five individuals in need.”
Anyone needing help was asked to call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The agency is accepting donations to help those in Rockdale and elsewhere. They can be made online through redcross.org, by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or texting REDCROSS to 90999.
Rockdale Emergency Relief is also accepting donations of food and clothing for storm victims. Go to the organization’s website for further instructions.
The Rockdale Sheriff’s Office on Thursday said it has deployed a mini mobile command vehicle in the Briarwood area, near McDaniel Mill Road. Deputies will help keep the areas safe while cleanup continues, the agency said.
In addition to weather alerts from the state, Rockdale has an additional system called ROCKWARN that provides weather and other public emergency alerts. County residents can text “ROCKDALE” to 67283 and follow the prompts to create an account.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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