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Photo courtesy of Kelly Herring.
By Guest Columnist Martha Anne McCarty, Director of Upson County Office of Emergency Management
THOMASTON - Everbridge alert system sent out nearly 8,000 calls. Of that, just over 900 acknowledged receipt of the message. When the Everbridge alert system calls your phone, the calling number will show up as 706/647-5600 (Upson EMA). Follow the prompts in the recording to hear the message (press 1) and then acknowledge that you have received it (press 1 again).
There is no need to return a call to 706/647-5600 to acknowledge the call. When you do acknowledge receipt of the call, the system will go on to the next caller. If you do not acknowledge receipt, the system will continue to try and reach you up to 4 times. Let the system know you got the message so it can move on to the next caller.
You can sign up for Everbridge Citizen’s Alerts at www.upsoncountyga.org . Follow the link for Citizens’ Alerts signups. [Note from the Editor: This is for Upson County and NOT Pike County. Pike County has First Alert and you can sign up for it by clicking on the First Call picture about halfway down my home page with the advertisements.]
Do not call 911 to inquire what’s going on, why sirens are sounding. Use 911 for EMERGENCIES ONLY. Dispatchers have their hands full when severe weather impacts our area. They are fielding multiple calls on top of the routine 911 calls that continue to come in. Dispatchers cannot tell you when power will be restored, nor can they report it for you.
Understand that when sirens sound, they are alerting you to take immediate cover from severe weather. The only time you can rest comfortably is the first Wednesday of the month at 1 PM when they are tested. And that is only if weather conditions permit the testing. Sirens are NEVER tested in cloudy conditions. Otherwise, move into a closet, an interior room, the basement, etc. The thing is…..you need a family disaster plan. Make one, and practice it with your family. Don’t wait until bad weather is upon us again to do so. Do it today!
Invest in a weather radio. It only costs about $30, and it has the ability to operate on a battery if the power goes out. The siren system is not going to work to alert you if the power goes out. And their range is only about 1 mile on a good clear day. Add thunder and pouring rain and wind and you’ll be hard pressed to hear a siren if you are indoors, unless it sits in your backyard. That weather radio will sit quietly, just like a smoke detector operates, until activated by the National Weather Service. By having one, you get the same exact message that 911 gets from NWS at the same exact time. Weather radios save lives. Get one today.
Create a family disaster kit. Pack up the things in a ‘go bag’ or box that you would need to survive for 72 hours. If disaster impacts an area, emergency responders are going to the worst places first. You may be impacted, and they will eventually get to you, but, remember, worst is first. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you and your family are safe and prepared. Don’t depend on any government agency to do that for you. Take care of yourself. Prepare for emergencies. You never know when they will happen.
WATCHES are usually posted hours ahead of developing weather systems. WARNINGS advise you of immediate danger. Sunday’s storm happened so quickly that a WATCH was never issued by the National Weather Service. When storm systems move at 70 mph, there isn’t time to issue a WATCH.
When storms impact an area, stay off roadways. You don’t know if you’ll encounter any live downed power lines. They can kill. Trees block roadways. And then your traffic creates an additional jam. When you are out looking around, you impede emergency responders. Stay at home. And stay off the phones. Our local phone system can only handle a particular load at any given time. When the system is overloaded, no one can use their phones. What if YOU have an emergency? Do you want a delay in getting that call through to the appropriate numbers and agencies? Be considerate of your actions.
Sunday’s storm tracked about 7.67 miles in Upson County. The tornado initially touched down off GA 74 W near Mill Race Rd just west of downtown Thomaston. It coursed back into the sky and touched down again near Moore’s Crossing Road and Cobbtown Rd briefly. It then bore down on Logan’s Landing neighborhood where most of the damage was concentrated, and then again on Mud Bridge Road briefly. It changed intensity numerous times, ranging from an EF0/EF1 to an EF2 at Tyler Lane and Delray Road. Wind speed at Logan’s Landing was estimated to be approximately 125 mph.
Click here to see the google image of the tornado's path. Thanks to the Upson County Office of Emergency Management for this article and the image of the tornado's path.
Roughly 25-30 properties were impacted with storm damage of some sort. Damage ranged from trees down to foundation shifts to windows blown out to walls penetrated by debris. Red Cross immediately responded and assisted 4 families through the night. Insurance agents and adjusters were on the ground first thing Monday morning. Community volunteers came into the area to feed the families and responders and workers lunch on Monday afternoon. Out hats are tipped in appreciation to Families Feeding Families of Middle Georgia for their disaster response.
Thomaston and Upson County are blessed. The neighborhoods of Mill Race, West Village and R St, North Silvertown/Walmart, Cobbtown, Potato Creek Heights and Rose Creek all were in the path of the storm track. Folks, that is close to 1,335 persons being spared in those neighborhoods. The devastation that would be been created if they had been impacted is almost unbelievable. We had significant damage to one neighborhood and surrounding areas, but no injuries or fatalities. We have so much to be thankful for.
GEMA Director and lead State Operations Center staff as well as National Weather Service were on scene Monday to view firsthand the damage incurred. Their inspection of Logan’s Landing, on the ground and from the air, was a determining factor in deciding that our event was a tornado, not straight line winds.
Many thanks are in order for quick response: Rock Hill VFD and Northside VFD were first in, Yatesville VFD pulled in and manned the Rock Hill Station for supplemental fire and EMS coverage of their area while Rock Hill volunteers worked the disaster scene; A concerned citizen and his backhoe; Upson County Sheriff’s Office; GA State Patrol; Upson County EMA Search and Rescue; American Red Cross; Upson County Road Department; City of Thomaston Fire, Police, Parks/Public Spaces/Public Works and Electric Department; Upson Electric Membership Corporation; GA Power; Southern Rivers Energy; Windstream; Upson County Building and Zoning Department; Families Feeding Families of Middle Georgia; GEMA and National Weather Service; and multiple insurance agents and their adjusters. That’s all teamwork taking care of our own!
Give many thanks this Thanksgiving Season.