Hurricane Helene intensity will make it harder to respond to emergencies in GA. Here’s why

The magnitude and potential danger of Hurricane Helene will make emergency response hard in Middle Georgia, officials said.

Heavy rainfall and winds up to around 80 mph in some areas, as well as “extended power loss,” will pose increased risks for first responders Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, Peach County Emergency Medical Services said on Facebook.

Delays will impact the entire state.

Crews will be unable to tend to emergencies once high wind speeds roll through, according to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.

“Once winds reach 35 mph or higher, first responders may be unable to reach you due to dangerous conditions,” the state agency said on Instagram.

These protocols are similar in Middle Georgia areas such as Bibb, Peach, Houston and Monroe counties.

Peach County has a plan

“Ambulances present a large profile to wind and an increased risk of turning over, which makes operations unsafe during high wind conditions,” Peach County EMS said.

The county added an additional ambulance as they expect a greater amount of 911 calls.

Once winds reach 50 mph in Peach, its local personnel will “suspend ambulance response entirely until it is safe to resume,” they said on Facebook.

The county will deploy emergency personnel as usual up until wind speeds reach 40 mph. Local first responders will then only respond to “life-threatening calls” under these conditions, according to the county.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency said the same.

Accommodations are available

Anyone who uses electric medical devices or requires physical assistance was urged to inform local personnel for assistance.

“If you have friends or family members dependent on electrically driven medical devices, we recommend that you make accommodations in advance in case an ambulance is unable to respond to you during that period,” the county said on Facebook.

Email a special concerns form to kristie-womick@peachcounty.net with contact information and description of medications or suggested instructions needed to respond to a person successfully.

After the storm

Emergency personnel will be most present once the storm passes, according to Houston County Emergency Management Agency.

“After the storm, it is very likely that emergency crews will still be out working to clear debris and open the roads for several hours,” the agency announced on Facebook Thursday morning.

Electrical outages are expected for “some long days head,” Houston EMS said.

The National Weather Service expects preparation for outages to “be rushed to completion” by Thursday afternoon.

This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 1:36 PM.