The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Post-Irma recovery continues
Schools opening today; coastal region largely under curfew.
Schools
DeKalb, the last metro Atlanta school system to reopen, is set to be back in session today after four days out. The county suffered some of the worst damage and power outages in the metro area, and as of Wednesday afternoon 32 schools were still without power. Other school districts in north Georgia, including Lumpkin, Pickens, Hall and Banks counties, are closed again today.
Coast recovery
The six counties along Georgia’s coast — Camden, Glynn, McIntosh, Liberty and Chatham — are all open to residents, but some are under a curfew.
Glynn County reopened to residents at 8 a.m. Thursday; the causeway to St. Simons Island was opened after inspection earlier this week. But residents were asked to stop using water as the large number of people returning to the county was straining the damaged sewer system. Officials hope to have the system back to normal by Saturday afternoon.
Insurance claims
Georgia’s insurance commissioner will open the first mobile “claims village” next week where Georgians can come to meet with representatives of their homeowners insurance companies (likely including Allstate, Auto Owners, Country Financial, Georgia Farm Bureau, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Safeco, State Farm, Travelers and USAA) to get claims expedited. The first claims village will open at the Home Depot in Brunswick in Glynn County on Monday and Tuesday. Other mobile locations are expected for other areas later.
In the meantime, Georgians who think they are getting the runaround from their company can call a state consumer line at 1-800-6562298 and find information at www.oci.ga.gov. The phone line is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
Tax deadlines
Georgia is giving taxpayers victimized by Irma a reprieve from some filing deadlines. Residents who make quarterly tax payments have until Jan. 31 to make payments instead of September deadlines. Taxpayers who filed for an extension on 2016 returns have until Jan. 31 instead of Oct. 16.
Power outages
By Thursday evening Georgia’s EMCs were reporting just over 72,000 outages, down from a peak of 550,000 on Monday night. About 9,200 of those outages were in metro Atlanta. About 111,429 Georgia power customers were still without power at that time, including about 20,000 in metro Atlanta.
Total outages Thursday morning were down roughly 80 percent from the more than 1.2 million customers that were in the dark late Monday after Tropical Storm Irma passed through the state.
Georgia Power is updating its outages at www.georgiapower.com/storm. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938. Customers of a Georgia EMC can check and report outages at www. georgiaemc.com/storm-center/current-outages.
Tree and road clearing
In hard-hit DeKalb county, CEO Michael Thurmond reported the county still needs “substantial work” to get roads and power back to normal. Since Monday afternoon, more than 130 tons of debris, including 180 trees, have been cleared and more than 75 roads reopened, the county reported Thursday evening. As of 3 p.m. there were still 20 roads closed and 112 trees to remove, including 68 entangled in wires.
DeKalb and Fulton counties have both declared local states of emergency, clearing the way for federal funding to assist with the cleanup.
President Donald Trump declared a federal state of emergency in Georgia last Friday ahead of, at the time, Hurricane Irma. The declaration allows for money and other resources to be sent to the county to help with debris removal and other work.