Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

66K people in Valdosta will ride out the worst of Irma without power

Fallen trees like this one in south Valdosta are causing power outages to half of all customers in Lowndes County, Georgia.

Credit: Courtesy of Valdosta police

Credit: Courtesy of Valdosta police

Fallen trees like this one in south Valdosta are causing power outages to half of all customers in Lowndes County, Georgia.
By Ben Brasch
Sept 11, 2017

There were 66,000 customers without power in Lowndes County heading into what is expected to be the worst six hours of Tropical Storm Irma for the South Georgia border city, county spokeswoman Paige Dukes said at 10:30 a.m.

For some perspective: The U.S. Census mostly recently estimated that the county's population was about 114,000.

Irma was supposed to bring hurricane-force winds, that means 74 mph or above, into the Valdosta area for six hours starting at 11 a.m. Monday, according to what head of county emergency services Ashley Tye told officials.

Georgia DOT: With Irma approaching, stay off the roads

Due to the strong winds, Tye recommended about 9 a.m. that all emergency vehicles get off the roads. That means no utility crews will come to restore power until it is safe for them to head out.

No one has been injured by the strong winds, Dukes said, but a tree has fallen on a Valdosta fire department vehicle.

The county announced a curfew for all residents about 9 a.m.

Like the AJC on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Downtown Valdosta was mostly empty as residents stayed home under encouragement from Lowndes County officials.

About the Author

Ben Brasch is the reporter tasked with keeping Fulton County government accountable. The Florida native moved to Atlanta for a job with The AJC. If there's something important to you going on in Fulton, he wants to know about it. Help him better metro Atlanta by dropping a line, anonymously or otherwise.

Follow Ben Brasch on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Georgia State students bundle up as they cross the campus greenway earlier this month. Temperatures are taking another dip for Thanksgiving, with lows in the 30s and highs in the 40s and 50s around Atlanta. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Thanksgiving to bring chilly, dry, overall delightful weather to metro Atlanta

A big drop in temperatures is coming overnight Wednesday, so go ahead and pull out those flannels and blankets.

Stabbings at Buckhead high-rise, Vivide nightclub turn deadly

Separate stabbings that left two men dead sent Atlanta police flying across the city in the early morning hours Wednesday.

Man locked up for 23 years despite evidence proving his innocence, lawsuit says

Although investigators had reason to believe Bharadia wasn’t involved in the crime, they pushed forward with a case against him anyway, the lawsuit says.

The Latest

Sonny Bharadia, who spent more than two decades behind bars for a 2001 crime he did not commit, is suing the small town of Thunderbolt and the two law enforcement officers who handled his case. (Courtesy of Georgia Innocence Project)

Credit: Georgia Innocence Project

Man locked up for 23 years despite evidence proving his innocence, lawsuit says

Stabbings at Buckhead high-rise, Vivide nightclub turn deadly

Thanksgiving to bring chilly, dry, overall delightful weather to metro Atlanta

Featured

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff

Atlanta antique appraiser made $20M selling fakes, lawsuit says

An Atlanta art and antique appraiser is being sued by a Florida multimillionaire, who says he spent about $20 million on thousands of fake works.

How an ex-Texan and a university helped change the face of a Georgia city

Mercer University President Bill Underwood is stepping down after two decades at the helm. He's credited with boosting enrollment, resurrecting football and reshaping Macon.

Thanksgiving to bring chilly, dry, overall delightful weather to metro Atlanta

A big drop in temperatures is coming overnight Wednesday, so go ahead and pull out those flannels and blankets.