Irma responders heralded for sacrifices made in wake of storm

The week before Irma hit Georgia, shelters for evacuees began opening up in Macon-Bibb County as the area appeared to be safe from the more dangerous winds and intense rain.

But as the storm’s course shifted westward — putting Bibb under more peril — efforts by hundreds of emergency responders, county workers, utility employees and others turned toward storm response and recovery operations.

The hard work exemplified by people directly involved in Irma relief efforts was recognized at Tuesday’s Macon-Bibb County Commission meeting.

“Did they complain? Did they pause?” Mayor Robert Reichert said. “No, they ramped up efforts, called in more resources and prepared to protect us and help us to recover. These hundreds of people rode out storms not with their families but with their friends and colleagues, the staffed shelters, prepared meals, cleared roads, restored power and so much more.”

As Irma barreled through Middle Georgia, there were five American Red Cross shelters open at Macon-Bibb recreation buildings, as well as others opened by various churches and other organizations. As calls came in to the 911 and Emergency Management Agency centers, responders dealt with a wide range of issues, but fortunately no serious injuries or deaths related to Irma, Reichert said.

Over the next week, Macon-Bibb crews cleared more than 200 roads blocked by debris and fixed dozens of traffic lights. Utility lineman from Georgia and other states also worked to restore power for 55,000 customers. And other community partners continued serving evacuees waiting to return home, EMA Director Spencer Hawkins said.

There were “thousands of personnel hours spent putting this county back together,” he said.

This story was originally published September 22, 2017 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Irma responders heralded for sacrifices made in wake of storm."