North Georgia’s recovery from the weekend winter storm is entering a slower, more complex phase defined by time, access, and prolonged cold, according to White County Public Safety.
During a Tuesday update, emergency management, utility, and weather officials said the region continues to face unstable power restoration, lingering road hazards, and below-freezing temperatures expected to persist into next week.
“We are still in our recovery phase, and it is challenging for a lot of you,” said Public Safety Director David Murphy. “We are doing our best to make sure we can get services restored as quickly as possible.”
While many primary routes across North Georgia are reopening, officials cautioned that travel conditions remain inconsistent, particularly on secondary and rural roads.
“All of our tier one, our primary roads are open with caution,” Murphy said. “Crews are actively working on secondary and tertiary roads as we speak.”
Tree damage continues to complicate power restoration
Utility officials said widespread tree damage is driving the slow pace of recovery and continues to trigger new outages days after the storm.
“One thing we’ve seen with this storm is that it’s a major tree event,” said Habersham EMC President and CEO Brian Ferguson. “We’re still seeing new outages and broken poles caused by falling trees.”
Ferguson said restoring service often requires system reconfiguration, which can temporarily interrupt power to areas that were already restored.
“As we restore areas, we have to do switching,” he said. “That means a location that has power may briefly lose it again as the system is balanced.”
Crews from across Georgia are assisting with repairs, working long hours in hazardous conditions.
“We know where the outages are,” Ferguson said. “It just takes time to safely assess the damage and make the repairs.”
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Prolonged cold raises safety concerns
Officials warned that cold temperatures remain a major concern, especially for residents without power or reliable heat.
“The cold temperatures are here to stay, at least through the middle of next week,” said White County Emergency Services Division Chief Don Strength. While officials are monitoring the potential for additional winter weather later in the week, they stressed that it is too early for specifics.
“We do not know exactly what type, if any, winter precipitation we may see,” Strength said.
Officials urge residents not to wait in unsafe conditions
Emergency officials urged residents without adequate heat not to assume power restoration is imminent.
“If you are without power and you heat with electricity, and you don’t have adequate heat in your home, don’t stay in that situation,” Strength said. “Don’t assume your power is coming back in the next few hours.”
Murphy also encouraged residents to check on neighbors who may lack access to online updates.
“If you know vulnerable people in your community, please go check on them,” he said. “Make sure they know what resources are available.”
What comes next
Officials described recovery across North Georgia as uneven and fluid, with progress continuing but timelines remaining difficult to predict.
“This is a very fluid situation,” Strength said. “Crews are going pole by pole, and it’s just impossible to give an exact time.”
Officials said additional updates will be shared as conditions change and restoration efforts continue across the region.
White County has set up an online reporting system for those who experienced storm damage. County officials are asking anyone whose personal property was damaged by the storm to submit a report so the county can assess overall storm impacts. You can find that form online at whitecountyga.gov/selfreport.
