Ice storm impacts linger for thousands in northeast Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — While the ice storm has moved out of Georgia, thousands of residents in far northeast Georgia are still dealing with lingering impacts.

The ice storm caused widespread power outages and downed trees across Georgia, including metro Atlanta. On Tuesday, roads were passable again, and power in many communities had been restored.

Josh Lamb, the director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, said preparation beforehand helped with a quick recovery.

“You never know exactly how a storm is going to work out so you’ve got to prepare for the worst where the best can happen. I think that’s what we’ve done here,” Lamb said.

Crews have been working around the clock on recovery efforts, but bitter cold temperatures are making it a challenge in some counties.

Some of the hardest-hit areas were in far north Georgia where the ice storm knocked out service to more than 100,000 customers.

On Tuesday morning, more than 3,000 people in Rabun County remained without power.

Georgia Power said northeast Georgia received extensive damage from ice and falling trees, making access to power lines challenging.

With bitter cold temperatures overnight Monday into Tuesday morning, refreezing roads were another concern.

Lamb asked drivers, especially in northeast Georgia, to be careful.

“If you don’t have to travel don’t. If you do, use extreme caution, slow down, and especially watch for those bridges and overpasses. They could still be frozen,” Lamb said.