Forestry Department has dozer crews in Decatur County

The Georgia Department of Transportation reported 127 state routes closed by trees that were down, and an additional 120 roads with debris in them when Gov. Nathan Deal gave an update to reporters this morning.

Deal said the Georgia Forestry Department has seven dozers cleaning debris in Decatur County. The Forestry Department also has nine chainsaw strike teams working in five counties to clear debris.

“Our main focus is on debris removal so power line trucks and repair crews can get in,” Deal said. “In that regard, about 450,000 power outages have been reported statewide. The primary focus at this point is on damage assessment and getting crews in to restore power.”

The Department of Corrections also has 17 debris-removal teams working to clear roads, Deal said.

“The Department of Public Health tells us there are 20 hospitals and 15 nursing homes operating on generator systems,” Deal said.

Communications outages are spread throughout affected area, Deal said, adding that the Georgia Emergency Management Agency is working with all telecommunications carriers on damage assessments and evaluating damage to cell tower sites.