Michael Batters South GA

Fri day, Oct. 12, 2018

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

A house on Starr Street in Tifton sustains damage from Hurricane Michael.

HURRICANE MICHAEL BATTERS SOUTH GA

STORM LEAVES THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A fter walloping the Florida Gulf Coast with 155 mph winds, Hurricane Michae l punched into South Georgia on Wednesday night, toppling trees, downing power lines and disrupting life throughout the region.

In Tift County , more than 6,000 residences and businesses were without power Thursday morning , and approximately 75 percent of the City of Tifton had no electricity , officials said. Throughout the state, about 175,000 Georgia Power customers were without power. And 34,000 Colquitt EMC customers, including some in Tift County , were without electricity.

“The unpredictability of this storm was the biggest challenge for the City of Tifton . The high winds along with the various intervals of weather caused a serious safety concern for responders, delaying necessary action in many areas,” City Manager Pete Pyrzenski said Thursday .

"The vast amount of power outage is being restored," he added. " Debris collection and maintenance along our roadways is underway."

Pyrzenski and Vice Mayor Wes Ehlers traveled together around the city early Thursday to assess damages.

"Our Public Works Department (ESG Inc.) has divided the city into four quadrants and has 10 crews of four people working as quickly as they can to clear debris and restore life as we know it," Ehlers said.

"The power companies that supply power to us are working extremely hard at restoring power. A high percentage of the city is or was without power, so please be patient. They will get to you."

Virtually every neighborhood in Tift County experienced some damage, with trees and limbs down and power lines across roads and property. Some areas were hit harder, such as Starr Street in Tifton, near Len Lastinger Elementary School. At least two homes on the street had trees strike their roofs, causing considerable damage.

Many traffic signals were still out late Thursday evening, as was power in many homes and businesses. As of 2 p.m. Thursday, Georgia Power said there were still 2,528 active outages affecting 128,941 customers.

Customers can check Georgia Power's outage map here.

TIFT UNDER

'BOIL WATER' ADVISORY

Tift countians are under a "Boil Water Advisory" at least until after 3 p.m. Friday.

Because of the massive power outages caused by Hurricane Michael, water pressure in parts of the water system dropped to dangerously low levels. When this occurs, a potential health hazard may exist in these areas of zero pressure from back-flow and/or back-siphonage of water of unknown quality into the water distribution system.

In order to protect the public from a potential health hazard, all residents that have experienced water outages and/or low water pressures are advised to boil all water prior to use for drinking, cooking or preparing baby food, officials said..

The water should be boiled for at least one minute after reaching a rolling boil.

"It was found early Thursday morning that an eight-inch water main at Orgill had ruptured, causing over 27,000 gallons per hour to leak out of the system, explained City Manager Pete Pyrzenski (pictured).

"This, coupled with the total loss of power at every water well in the water system caused the rapid decline of water pressure. This was the main reason we had to comply with the state about the boil advisory for all customers. This is being properly addressed, and the reaction to this situation was immediate," Pyrzenski said .

Save the date now to Browse. Buy. Enjoy!

Surprising and beautiful works by 30 ARTISTS.

Potters, painters, photographers, woodcrafters,

glass artists, and more!

Plus indulge in A SWEET TASTE OF TIFTON!

Delightful baked goodies by local groups & entrepreneurs!

A tree lodges in a roof of a residence on Tifton's Starr Street. Below, Tifton Public Works personnel clear one of many streets blocked by fallen trees.

HURRICANE BLAMED FOR AT LEAST SIX DEATHS IN U.S.

Hurricane Michael hit Florida as a monster Category 4 storm – nearly ranking at a Category 5 – and was a Category 3 when it reached South Georgia .

Michael was the third-most powerful hurricane ever to make landfall on the U.S. mainland , officials say. The storm has been blamed for at least six deaths .

Florida state officials said 285 people in Mexico Beach had defied a mandatory evacuation order ahead of the storm.

The small beachfront community, located about 40 miles south of Panama City, was where the Category 4 storm made landfall on Wednesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, just 2 mph below the threshold of Category 5.

It was the strongest hurricane ever to hit the Florida Panhandle. As of Thursday evening, more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Southeast had no electricity. Michael also hit North Carolina and South Carolina as a tropical storm with heavy downpours and was threatening to cause tornadoes .

805 Cromer Road

Chula, GA

Saturday, October 13, 2018

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Directions: From I-75, Exit 64, travel 9 miles north on Highway 41, turn left onto Cromer Road … the house is located immediately on the right.

Storage units full of shop equipment, tools, lawn equipment, gardening tools, fencing, outdoor furniture, office furniture, home furniture and décor, kitchenware and appliances, holiday decorations, collectables, linens, clothing

and much more!

TIFT BLUE DEVILS FACE

'DELAY OF GAME'

Hurricane Michael has pushed back the public high school Region 1-7A football games by one week. There will be no games Friday night .

The Tift County High School Blue Devils will now travel to Valdosta to face the Lowndes High Vikings on Friday, Oct. 19 .

On Oct. 26 , Tift will host Colquitt County High during Seniors Night .

INERT LANDFILL REOPENS FRIDAY

The Tift County Inert Landfil l will be open Friday, Oct. 12 , at 7 a.m.

Disposal will be free of charge for local residents with an ID/proof of a local address . Free disposal will be offered for residents only , not commercial businesses.

The Inert Landfil l is located at 601 Armour St., Tifton .

TIFTON STORM DAMAGE WIDESPREAD

Fulwood Boulevard in Tifton was completely blocked Thursday.

A picnic shelter at Fulwood Park was demolished by Hurricane Michael.

STORM CANCELS 'ON GOLDEN POND'

The production of the play “On Golden Pond” at the Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Tifton has been cancelled because of Hurricane Michael , according to Wayne Jones , Arts Connection director at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College .

The production was scheduled to run Thursday through this Saturday night.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS FUNDRAISER

RESET FOR OCT. 25

Because of Hurricane Michael, the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Tift Area (BCAF) has rescheduled its is fundraiser , The BCAF Live Auction , for Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Elks’ Lodge in Tifton .

Doors open at 6 p.m. at the lodge, 422 Victory Drive North, Tifton . Many valuable items donated by local businesses and individuals will be auctioned .

The Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Tift Area, was started more than 19 years ago by a survivor and her friends who saw a need. The foundation’s goal is to help breast cancer survivors cope with the diagnosis, treatment and recovery issues. Its motto is “You never have to face cancer alone.”

The foundation provides personal items including post-surgical and mastectomy garments, breast prostheses, wigs and lymphedema sleeves. It assists with funds for lymphedema evaluations and some treatments. It also helps with pharmacy bills, utility bills, gas cards and food baskets.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; a ll monies raised are used for local survivors in need who have little or no insurance .

For information , contact BCAF Chairman Gail Fleming at 229-382-3322 or at 229-326-0800.

'NORTH AMERICA'S PREMIER FARM SHOW' OPENS TUESDAY-THURSDAY

The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition will celebrate its 41st anniversary show Oct. 16-18 , with more than 1,200 exhibitors who will display and demonstrate products and welcome thousands of visitors to the 100-acre site.

Crowned as North America’s Premier Farm Show and the largest farm show in America with field demonstrations, the Sunbelt Ag Expo brings together all segments of agribusiness including farmers, educators, policy-makers, ag-enthusiasts and families. All attending the show will see the ag industry's latest innovation and technology.

There will be more than 300 seminars and demonstrations In exhibit areas for beef, dairy, poultry, forestry, pond management, equine and cattle management.

A crowd pleaser is the 600-acre research farm’s field demonstrations . These demos showcase harvesting and tillage equipment for cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans and hay. As in the past, cotton will be harvested during the show. In addition, hay demos will include all facets of hay harvesting from cutting to baling and will provide visitors the opportunity to see 80 different types of hay harvesting equipment run in a true farm setting.

The Expo's Spotlight State is Kentucky this year.

There’s never a dull moment during the three-day show: There is a daily rolling Antique Tractor Parade , the American Grand Finals Stock Dog Trials (the largest field of competition in recent Expo history), and even a Cow Milking Contest .

Add in rural lifestyle fun, truck, tractor and ATV test drives, and the venue is one for rural enthusiasts.

The Sunbelt Ag Expo is open next Tuesday through Thursday , from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and until 4 p.m. Thursday . Admission at the gate is $10 per person per day.

The show site is four miles southeast of Moultrie on Highway 133 .