UPDATE VI: as you likely already know, CSD is closed again tomorrow
UPDATE V: DeKalb County is saying it could be days before the full county has power restored…
Georgia Power Working to Restore Service to 161,000 in DeKalb
DECATUR, Ga. – As of 9 a.m., approximately 161,000 Georgia Power customers in DeKalb were without power, nearly half of the utility’s 318,000 customers in the county.
As a result of widespread damage and power outages due to high winds, heavy rain and fallen trees, Georgia Power officials predict restoration of electricity could take several days.
To expedite repairs throughout the state, Georgia Power is responding to the outages with approximately 5,500 personnel from the company, other Southern Company operating companies and assisting utilities.
Once conditions are safe, damage assessment teams will enter the field and begin the restoration process, followed by repair crews.
Customers are urged to avoid all downed power lines and remember that dangerous electrical currents can travel through standing water and wet soil.
Georgia Power crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service to all impacted areas.
To report an outage, call 1-888-891-0938.
For up-to-date information about the Tropical Storm Irma recovery efforts in DeKalb, go to www.dekalbcountyga.gov/Irma.
UPDATE IV: From Decatur PD this morning regarding the closing of major streets in Decatur…
Main road closures: Scott Boulevard is closed between Coventry Road and Ridley Circle. South Candler Street is closed between Midway Road and West Davis Street. West Howard Avenue is closed between Commerce Drive and Atlanta Avenue. UPDATE UPDATE: We hear that Scott is now reopened
And here’s a pic of the intersection of Scott and Clairemont from PMcG…
UPDATE III: Sounds like many Downtown Decatur businesses are up and running today. We’ve already heard that Waffle House, ChicFilA, Sweet Melissa’s, Java Monkey, Starbucks, Souper Jenny, and Revolution Doughnuts are all open.
UPDATE II: Update us on the status of coffee shops. Dancing Goats wrote on Instagram this morning that they are open. Others?
Mini-SUB-UPDATE: Long line at Dancing Goats, but it’s moving at a steady clip!
UPDATE I: From what I can deduce thus far, MARTA is back up and running and over 7,600 people are without power in 30030 according to GA power 150,000 people are currently without power in DeKalb County.
Huge tree came down in Winnona Park. #DecaturGA #Irma @wsbtv @BMonahanWSB pic.twitter.com/NnUs6Dsck3
— Eric Shoemaker (@erokCom) September 11, 2017
Hope everyone is doing alright this morning. Lots of assessment and clean up to do. Lots of power out. Trees down.
Use this thread to talk about any of those things. Also business openings/closings, etc.
Also, here’s what the City sent out last night, regarding city hall hours today, trash pick up schedule adjustments, downed trees and permits.
City of Decatur offices are scheduled to open for normal operations, Tuesday, September 12.
Active Living and Children & Youth Services
Ebster and Decatur Recreation Centers will open at noon. All Active Living activities will begin at noon as well.
All other aquatic centers, community recreation centers, gyms, senior centers, plus fields and natural fields located in parks, will be closed.
After school activities are canceled, Tuesday, September 12.
Board Meetings
- Better Together Advisory Board meeting will take place tomorrow, September 12 at 6:30 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, September 25.
Trash and Recycling Pickup Rescheduled
Due to severe weather conditions and because the DeKalb County landfill will be closed on Tuesday, solid waste and recycling services for this week have been rescheduled.
Monday Regular Service- trash and recycling will be collected on Wednesday, Sept. 13
Tuesday Regular Service- trash and recycling will be collected on Thursday, Sept. 14
Thursday & Friday Regular Service- trash and recycling will be collected on Friday, Sept. 15
Down Trees and Power lines
There are trees down throughout the city, some involving live power lines. Georgia Power cannot respond until the high winds pass. Call 911 to report wires and trees down. DO NOT call 911 to report power outages. The rain and wind is expected to continue for the rest of the evening and into tomorrow morning. PLEASE shelter in place.
Tomorrow morning when it becomes safe for our crews to use equipment, the City’s priority will be to get trees out of the roadway. Later in the week, we will remove debris from public spaces. Residents and businesses will need to prepare debris from private property for collection during regular service days.
Permitting
We anticipate that inspectors and the building official will be in the field assisting with assessments of damaged properties. It is likely that permit applications for all but emergency repairs will not be accepted until Monday, September 18, 2017.
No activity earlier this morning on the tree that closed the intersection of Scott and clairemont
Not a coffee shop, but Super Jenny is open.
Downtown is pretty much open. Waffle House, ChicFilA, Sweet Melissa’s, Java Monkey, Starbucks all open.
Traffic lights are out on College but on North of the tracks.
Little Shop of Stories is open. Storytime at 11 am!!!
As of 10:45 am, tree down on Clairmont at the YMCA. Decatur bound traffic either turning around or cutting through Meadiris and Westchester.
Scott Blvd appeared to be closed at Westchester. Outbound traffic either turning around to go back toward Ponce or cutting through Westchester to Meadiris.
Power is on at N. Decatur & Clairmont area.
From Decatur PD:
Main road closures: Scott Boulevard is closed between Coventry Road and Ridley Circle. South Candler Street is closed between Midway Road and West Davis Street. West Howard Avenue is closed between Commerce Drive and Atlanta Avenue.
Traffic is being detoured down Chelsea Dr and people are driving like they are on Scott, please slow down.
Scott now reopened
Scott still blocked at Clairemont.
Anyone know what’s going on with Candler? It was open between Midway and Dougherty this morning, but when I got home this afternoon, it was closed north of Midway. Did another tree fall today, or are they just keeping traffic away in order to clean up fallen trees from yesterday?
I saw something about a tree partially uprooted and leaning against power lines that was raising concerns.
Tree about to come down, only being held up by power lines. Be taken down as we speak.
Anyone finding good wifi at any open restaurants/coffee shops in Dec? Husband tried one near his office and wifi slowed to a crawl.
Decatur Free Wifi is working! Every open business is jam packed with people. We’ve decided to use our cellular hotspot instead.
DeKalb County Schools closed tomorrow:
http://www.decaturish.com/2017/09/dekalb-county-schools-will-be-closed-on-sept-13/
City Schools of Decatur closed Weds. 2 week fall break, anyone?
So glad my kids are older now and can be home on their own. I remember how hard it was to try to manage unexpected weather days with young ones, jobs, power loss…
Hang in there, parents.
Anyone know if the Decatur Waffle House has working Wifi? My kid’s school was open today and he has homework tonight. We still don’t have power or Wifi and we need to send him somewhere to work tonight. Thanks!
Power crews on Adair. Could not give me ETR, but I am caustiosly optimistic for late tonight or morning. Evidently that tree damaged 10 poles.
We are in Rosewalk (off Adair and Hibernia) and our power just came on ten minutes ago. No sign of activity on the big tree down on W. Howard — other than someone has driven through the police tape (again).
As of 9 pm Tuesday, tree and wires repaired at Meadiris & Clairemont. No power yet. Clairemont remains closed at Meadiris (YMCA).
Scott & Clairemont intersection remains closed, lights and wires still down. Too dark to see if tree was cleared. (Not cleared as of 4 pm) Crews were working down hill toward Superior on Scott. No power and no estimate On time to repair.
Saw a report that the tree has been removed (as of around 7pm) but Ga power has to come back out to do extensive work on the lines.
Citywide street closures as of this afternoon. Will be updated tomorrow morning apparently.
https://www.facebook.com/cityofdecaturpdga/posts/350835128705499
Haven’t seen any crews on Scott Blvd since 8pm. Still closed at Clairemont.
This is an honest question with no snark intended: why not work at night? I know it’s dark and there’s lots to do, but there is often scheduled road work at night and you’d think they’d want a US highway open pronto.
Never mind. Think they’re out there or have been out there, judging by the noise. Good luck and stay safe, guys.
Meanwhile, cars are still racing up Scott Blvd to the barricade, as if they’ll get through..
Clairmont still closed at Scott as of 815am. Lights along Scott out.
Lights at College/Atlanta/West Howard are out, as are the lights at East Lake MARTA on Howard, Paden Circle, and behind the station at Park Place (?). The tree is still blocking West Howard.
Beware. People are treating a lack of lights as a sign to drive like hell.