City of Savannah, GA
10/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/01/2024 15:35
Hurricane Helene News Release #11
______________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 30, 2024
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
Hurricane Helene News Release #11
City remains under state of emergency; Debris removal operations begin
SAVANNAH - The City of Savannah continues to respond to impacts from Hurricane Helene. City administrative offices and facilities reopened on Tuesday and will operate on a normal schedule this week.
The City of Savannah remains under a State of Emergency which began on Sept. 25 and allows the government to activate the Emergency Operations Plan.
Damage Assessment
Following a complete assessment by the Damage Assessment Teams, the City calculates 339 structures were affected, 15 with minor damage, 96 with major damage and 8 were destroyed during the event. There was no damage reported to City facilities although several remained without power through Tuesday.
Sanitation and Debris Collection
Due to the high volume of food spoilage from prolonged wide-spread power outages, the City's Sanitation Department has suspended all recycling services until further notice. Residential refuse collection routes will proceed as normal this week.
Recycling carts can be used for garbage overflow and left with garbage carts curbside at the normal point-of-collection to be picked up on collection routes this week. Spoiled materials may also be hauled directly to the Dean Forest Road Landfill convenience center for disposal. Residents are encouraged to hold recyclables until regular collections resume or use single stream drop-off facilities.
Street sweeping has resumed a regular operations schedule this week.
The City has secured a contractor for debris removal operations which will begin this week. Due to the large volume of debris, removal operations are expected to continue for the next four to six weeks or until completed.
Yard waste collection should be limited to containerized materials in paper bags or 32-gallon cans and placed at the regular point-of-collection without blocking the roadway or storm drains. Limbs and other vegetative debris should be placed on the right-of-way and not on the street for collection. Storm debris should be separated by type: vegetative waste, bulk items, and demolition debris.
Residents are asked to not place debris near trees, poles, or other structures that may hinder removal. All storm debris must be separated by type: household garbage, containerized yard waste, larger vegetative debris, bulk items, etc.
Information on yard waste, refuse collection, recycling and storm debris can be found at savannahga.gov/sanitation.
Facilities open to provide comfort and activities for residents
All of the City's Community Centers are open on regular hours beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1 with the exception of the Woodville Center and Windsor Forrest Regional Center due to power outages.
The Tompkins Regional Center (2333 Ogeechee Rd.) and the Grant Center Gymnasium (123 West St.) will open on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. as a temporary comfort/charging center for residents.
The Daffin Park Pool will also be open from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day this week. The following City splashpads will also be operational from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. this week: Hudson Hill (2227 Hudson St.); Hull Park (55th and Atlantic Ave.); Crusader Park (81 Coffee Bluff Villa Rd.); Forrest Hills (Skidaway and Berkshire Rd.); Victory Heights Park (E 42nd St and Taskin Ave.); Savannah Gardens (516 Pennsylvania Ave.).
Traffic Signals Update
Tuesday morning assessments noted an estimated 13 roads remain impacted in the City due to downed trees and power lines.
While some traffic signals have been restored, 27 of the 280 City-operated traffic signals are still without power. The City is working with Georgia Power to restore power to the signal cabinets at the remaining intersections.
The City estimates there are 121 downed trees and 35 downed power lines remaining in the aftermath of Friday's storm.
Drivers are reminded that all non-operating stoplights should be treated as an all-way stop. When driving, residents are encouraged to exercise extreme caution, be patient, and stay alert.
Park & Tree Updates
Due to the heavy wind event, the City's Park and Tree department remains active addressing the City's vast urban forest.
Residents should take note that there remains a lot of unknown hazards in the tree canopy. Broken, hanging limbs could pose a threat and residents should exercise caution under the tree canopy. Please keep out of areas with downed limbs, and report any broken limbs to the City via 311.
The Park and Tree Department has nearly completed a full assessment of the communities, parks, and squares citywide and have already began addressing the most severe issues. There are currently 182 open tree fallen requests in the system.
All six City owned cemeteries are closed at this time due to ongoing cleanup operations.
Available Resources
With many individuals in our community seeking gasoline availability, one resource individuals can refer to is tracker.gasbuddy.com.
Residents looking for debris cleanup assistance can call 1-844-965-1386 or register at www.crisiscleanup.org.
Tuesday morning, President Biden declared a major disaster in the State of Georgia, authorizing the release of federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. This assistance is available for individuals and local governments in Chatham County. A step-by-step guide can be found at www.ossoff.senate.gov/Helene
The aid includes:
Georgia Power Outage Update
As of Tuesday morning, there are an estimated 42,755 power outages remaining affected 26% of the community. Residents are encouraged to consult outagemap.georgiapower.com for more information.
The City is partnering with Georgia Power to assist in sharing information about power restoration. Georgia Power is our public utility power supplier. The City has no direct responsibility for power restoration.
Working with Georgia Power and Clearwave Firber, the City has setup charging stations at the following locations: Carver Village Community Center (905 Collat); Tatumville Community Center (333 Coleman); The PARC (425 Pennsylvania Ave.); La Vida parking lot (535 Windsor Rd.); Daffin Park between the basketball court and swimming pool (E. Victory Dr.); Habersham Village parking lot; SIP building (1700 Drayton).
City Water/Sewer Operations Normal
As a reminder, if you receive a water bill from the City of Savannah or your property is located within the City limits and your landlord receives a City water bill then you are not subject to boil water advisory at this time. The City will notify customers if a change in the status occurs.
The boil water advisory issued on Monday only applies to the specific water systems managed by Water Utility Management. For updates and impact information, find Water Utility Management on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/@WaterUtilityMgt
The City's Water Resources Department reports no major issues with the City's drinking water supply system or sewage system. The majority of the system is no longer on generator power after grid power was restored.
Service requests can still be submitted to 311 online at savannahga.gov/311request or via the SAV311 mobile app.
For updates specific to the City of Savannah, residents are encouraged to follow @cityofsavannah on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and visit savannahga.gov/stormhelene.
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