Severe weather in Columbus causes widespread power outages affecting hundreds
Severe weather rolling across Columbus overnight into Tuesday morning knocked out power to customers and brought torrential rain to the region, closing schools and causing widespread disruption.
The Georgia power outage map shows multiple power outages across Columbus affecting hundreds of customers.
One of the largest reported outages in the city is in the Walker Street and Mesa Street area in south Columbus with Georgia Power reporting an outage affecting 114 customers.
Another outage on the map is reported to be affecting an area encompassing 18th Avenue, Phelts Drive, 40th Street, and parts of other streets affecting 164 customers.
A couple outages have been reported in the Benning Hills area and scattered outages have been reported throughout east Columbus, according to the map.
A large outage has been reported near Midland near County Line Road and Central Church Road that is affecting 1,045 customers, according to the map.
Data reported from the Columbus Metropolitan Airport by the National Weather Service at 9:51 a.m. shows the airport received around 1.76 inches of rain within a three hour period.
Georgia power said in a statement:
“Today, as the storm conditions subside making it safe and efficient to work, Georgia Power crews will enter and remain in the field around the clock working until every service for every impacted customer is restored.”
The impending weather prompted multiple schools in the area to close or transition to virtual operations for Jan. 9.
The Muscogee County School District moved to virtual learning for Jan. 9 with other systems like Russell County also moving to virtual learning for the day.
Harris County School District moved to completely cancel all operations due to the weather.
Local colleges followed suit with Chattahoochee Valley Community College closing due to the weather and Columbus State University moving to virtual operations.
The storm was part of a larger system that caused havoc across the South and Midwest, according to reports by the Associated Press.
The violent storm with 55 mph (88 kph) winds and hail moved through the Florida Panhandle and into parts of Alabama and Georgia by sunrise Tuesday, along with at least several reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service said. A wind gust of 106 mph (171 kph) was recorded before dawn near the coast in Walton County, Florida.
“We still have potentially strong storms in that area through (Tuesday) morning and the potential for more severe weather and tornadoes,” meteorologist Lance Franck in Tallahassee said.
A section of Panama City Beach, Florida, showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about and a house that appeared tilted on side, leaning on another home, WJHG-TV reported.
In Panama City, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, police early Tuesday asked residents to stay indoors and off the roads “unless absolutely necessary” as officers checked on damage from the storms, including downed power lines and trees.
A number of schools were closed in the region and more than 140,000 customers were without power in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, according to the PowerOutage.us website, according to the Associated Press.
