UPDATE: Gusty winds across county bring down trees, cause sporadic power outages

Billy Hobbs, The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.
·2 min read

Dec. 23—Additional churches have also been opened as warming center:

El Bethel Baptist Church, 244 N. Irwin St.

Vaughn Chapel, 1980 N. Jefferson St.

Union Baptist Church, 720 N. Clarke St.

A winter storm moving across much of the United States hit Georgia during the wee morning hours Friday.

In Baldwin County, strong gusty winds out of the northwest were responsible for downed trees and sporadic electrical power outages throughout the county, according to Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security Director Wayne Johnson.

Employees with the Baldwin County Public Works Department have been busy cutting down fallen trees and clearing them from roadways, Johnson said.

Public works crews were also busy making sure bridges throughout the county were safe for motorists to travel across earlier in the day.

Some of the areas where trees had fallen on Friday included Kings Road, Medlin Road, the intersection of Ga. Route 212 and Old Plantation Road, and Union Hill Church Road near Kitchens Road.

Johnson said several residents were without electricity in the Coopers community.

"We're starting to get reports of more sporadic outages across the county," Johnson said.

Crews with electrical companies were working to restore service in the cold windy conditions.

Several firefighters with Baldwin County Fire Rescue battled a large barn fire off Jule Ingram Road, which runs off Lake Laurel Road. The fire happened shortly before 10 a.m. Friday, Johnson said.

It was not immediately known what might have caused the fire.

During these frigid temperatures, which are coupled by frequent wind gusts at between 35 mph and 40 mph, two churches in the county are serving as warming stations for those needing a place to stay or to get out of the cold.

Freedom Church, located at 500 Underwood Road, opened its doors at 7 a.m. Friday, but as of midmorning, no one had gone there seeking refuge from the cold weather, Johnson said.

The other warming station is Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, located at 265 Mount Pleasant Church Road. The doors of that church are set to open tonight (Friday) at 7 p.m.

On Thursday afternoon, the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners issued a State of Emergency due to frigid weather.