Thousands in Jones County without power in the aftermath of Irma

Wet ground and strong wind brought down trees, severed power lines and caused problems for traffic in Jones County as Tropical Storm Irma swept over Middle Georgia on Monday.

The morning began with lots of folks calling 911 about power outages, according to Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece.

“Please reserve 911 for emergencies only. If at all possible stay off the roads if you can and stay safe,” the sheriff posted on Facebook about 6 a.m.

More than 6,500 people in Jones County were without power early evening Monday, according to Tri-County EMC’s website.

The sheriff’s office deployed its Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle to push heavy trees out of the roadway. The tan military vehicle was nicknamed “Miss Bessie,” when it was acquired by the sheriff’s office in June 2014.

By afternoon, most deputies were out cutting trees so people could pass through roadways, the sheriff said in another post. Residents, volunteers and emergency management agency workers helped, too.

Reece apparently was expecting the Georgia Department of Transportation’s help with removing the trees blocking roads, but that didn’t happen.

Later Monday, traffic signals were out in Gray.

People were hurt in a crash at Ga. 18 and Ga. 49.

“This is sadly what we were worried about happening,” the Gray Fire Department posted on Facebook. “NOW the emergency responders are dealing with a wreck instead of being able to help clear the roads. Please — stay off the roads.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Thousands in Jones County without power in the aftermath of Irma."