White County EMA warns: Prepare for winter storm
Business January 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
Are You Prepared for the Next Winter Storm?
Snow and ice are a scenic part of winter, but in Georgia, severe winter weather has the potential to devastate communities and affect millions of people.
The National Weather Service refers to winter storms as “deceptive killers” because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. Instead, people die in traffic accidents on icy roads and of hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold.
“One of the primary concerns of winter weather is its ability to knock out heat, power and communications services,” said White County Public Safety Director Murphy. “Preparation is inexpensive and easy and can help you avoid potentially life-threatening situations.”
White County Emergency Management Agency and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security’s (GEMA’s) Ready Georgia campaign offers these tips:
Prepare a Ready Kit of Emergency Supplies
• Prepare a Ready kit of emergency supplies for your home. Include with at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food, water, a flashlight with extra batteries, a NOAA Weather Radio, adequate clothing, and blankets to keep you warm, as well as additional supplies for the unique needs of your family, such as medications.
• Keep an extra Ready kit in the trunk of your car. In addition to the essentials, consider adding an ice scraper, extra blanket, sand for traction and jumper cables.
• Ensure proper home insulation by placing weather stripping around doors and windows, allowing faucets to drip during cold weather to prevent freezing and opening cabinet
doors to let heat reach uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
• Winterize your vehicle and keep your gas tank at least half full to prevent your fuel line from freezing.
Create a Winter Weather Plan
• Plan to stay inside, if necessary, for at least three days. If trapped outside during severe winter weather, try to stay dry, cover all body parts, periodically move limbs to keep blood circulating and, if possible, build a fire.
• Winter storms are often accompanied by power outages. Always exercise caution when using alternative light and heating sources:
o Use flashlights during power outages instead of candles to prevent the risk of fire and keep plenty of extra batteries on-hand.
o Never bring portable generators, camp stoves and grills into your home; they
should only be used outside. Keep them at least 20 feet away from your home’s
windows, doors, and vents to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
• People who depend on electricity to operate medical equipment should have alternate arrangements in place in case power is out for an extended period.
• If you have a wood-burning fireplace, consider storing wood to keep you warm if winter weather knocks out your gas or electric heat. Also, make sure to have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year.
• Learn how to keep food safe during a power outage.
• Avoid traveling by car in icy conditions. If you must go out and do get stuck, stay with your car. Leave the overhead lights on when the engine is running so you can be seen.
• Plan for pets to come inside and store adequate food and water for them.
• Create an emergency communications plan so family members will know who to contact if separated during a storm. Designate at least one out-of-town contact that all family members can call.
Stay Informed about Winter Weather
• Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio and monitor commercial radio, television, and the Internet to stay informed of winter weather.
• Learn about the terms used to describe winter hazards such as freezing rain, sleet, winter weather advisory, winter storm watch and winter storm warning.
• Know the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite occurs when your body tissue freezes. Your extremities may have a white or pale appearance and may lose feeling. The most susceptible areas of your body are the fingers, toes, earlobes, or the tip of your nose. Hypothermia occurs when your body temperature falls below 95degrees. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and exhaustion. If you suspect you have frostbite or hypothermia, get medical attention immediately.
To help families prepare, Ready Georgia, a statewide emergency preparedness
campaign established by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security and supported by White County EMA, offers the tools needed to make an emergency supply kit, develop a communications plan, and stay informed about potential threats.
Visitors to Ready Georgia’s website, www.ready.ga.gov, can create an online profile to receive a tailored plan for the entire family that includes the specific number of supplies to put in their household Ready kits. They can also find local emergency contact information, learn about Georgia-specific disasters, and read preparedness testimonials from local sports stars.
Children’s games and activities can be found on the ReadyKids page, and households with elderly or disabled family members and pets will also find specific information on preparing for severe weather. For preparedness on the go, families can also download Ready Georgia’s free mobile app to learn how to prepare for emergencies, create family communications plans and more.
For more information, contact White County EMA at (706) 865-9500 or visit our website
at https://www.whitecountyga.gov/
UPDATE: Two women die in mobile home fire, a third is life flighted to Grady
News September 21, 2020
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — A Sunday morning fire at 125 Autunmwood Way claimed the life of two White County residents and another was life flighted from the scene to Grady Burn Center in Atlanta.
White County Coroner Rick Barrett has identified the deceased as Lisa Dodson, 53, and Hazel Dodson, 88, both of Cleveland.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said a caller to 911 reported a mobile home fire at 2:49 a.m. The caller said residents were trapped inside and they were attempting a rescue.
Sheriff’s Office personnel arrived on scene and assisted the caller and victims involved in the fire. White County stations 4, 5, 2 and Cleveland Fire were dispatched with EMS to the scene. Firefighters arrived on scene to find fire in the middle portion of the mobile home. Firefighters with assistance from the Sheriff’s Office initiated an attack on the fire.
Hall County Fire Services and Lee Arrendale Fire Brigade provided mutual aid during the event.
The fire is under investigation by the Georgia State Fire Marshalls Office and the White County Sheriff’s Office. Names of the victims are be withheld until notification of family can be completed.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
White County EMS issues update of COVID-19 Preparedness
News March 17, 2020
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — In an effort to guard against the potential spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, White County Emergency Management Agency has released new operating guidelines that restrict access to emergency services and fire stations. The guidelines also implement a screening process for anyone seeking emergency medical help.
According to the new guidelines, only essential personnel are now allowed into fire and EMS stations. No visitors are allowed. In addition, walk-in/drive up patients who may be experiencing a medical emergency will be required to return to their vehicle, call 911 and go through the screening process that all 911 callers are required to do.
Once the screening process is completed, and if the individual is experiencing signs and symptoms of COVID-19/Coronavirus, station personnel will be able to don the proper Personal Protective Equipment and make contact with the individual. Personnel will also provide a proper “Mask” for the individual to put on, which will protect both the individual and the emergency personnel.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy says the new guidelines are necessary to protect the county’s emergency staff and facilities from potential exposure to COVID-19, thus preserving their ability to serve others in the White County community. “Our employees are our top priority,” Murphy says. “We need to keep them safe so we can assure the help to our citizens in the event of emergencies.”
Additionally, White County EMS is limiting ambulance rides to patients and one family member only. Family members will be required to wear a mask during transport to the hospital. Once at the hospital the family member will be taken to the registration area until cleared to reunite with the patient by emergency department personnel.
Notices about the new guidelines are posted at the entries of each White County fire station and EMS facilities.
Murphy says other modifications and updates to guidelines will be implemented as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. “The situation is rapidly changing but we will continue to make decisions to provide the best protection we can for our employees and the White County community.”
For more information concerning this press release contact the White County Emergency Management Agency at 706-865-9500.
Trees downed, some roads closed in White County but so far no injuries have been reported
News May 30, 2018
CLEVELAND, Ga. White County Public Safety Director David Murphy reports that as of 8 a..m. Wednesday White County had experienced several inches of rainfall over the last 24 hours. Rain gauges measure four plus inches in the county. 9-1-1 has received several calls concerning trees downed, roads blocked with debris and roads with heavy water runoff, especially in the county’s higher elevations.
Moderate to heavy mudslides have been reported mainly on the mountain north of Helen towards Towns County.
“We expect some damage to vehicles and lower levels of buildings around the river in Helen,” Murphy said “After midnight, the river flooded out of its banks into parked vehicles and rental units alongside of river. No injuries have been reported as a result of the flooding. One privately owned pond was overflowing across the dam, with spillway fully operational. No visual structural damage and no significant downstream threat.”
County roads with damage and/or closed are Roy Powers off Duncan Bridge. Sandy Flats at Silver Falls Road is closed due to washout damage. Bean Creek Road has one lane closed due to washout and culvert damage.
Murphy said he will continue damage assessments especially to infrastructure, and those reported to us by the public.
Public Works will be evaluating in detail those county roads with closure and damage.
More rain is forecast for the area, some could be heavy at times. “We will continue to update as information becomes available,” Murphy said.
Murphy also cautioned motorists if a road is coned off or barricaded, do not cross or go around.
County to upgrade water lines along Hulsey Road
News March 27, 2018
CLEVELAND, Ga. — In a combined work session and called meeting Monday, the White County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to participate with the city of Cleveland in water service upgrades.
The upgrades consist of changing from an eight-inch water line to a 12-inch water line along Hulsey Road from the water tower to the Freudenberg-NOK plant. The county will provide $100,000 in funding. Freudenberg is the county’s largest employer. The total cost of the project is $540,000.
Cleveland City Manager Tom O’Bryant said, if the city’s grant application is approved, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will provide approximately 50 percent of the funding and the city will provide approximately $170,000. ARC funds could be received by the end of the year.
Commissioners unanimously approved White County Public Safety Director David Murphy’s request to move forward with evaluation of an enhanced 911 phone switch and system to be funded by the voter-approved 2014 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).
Murphy said the company that provided the current system has gone out of business, and the county has used another company for maintenance the last three to four years.
“It’s become a concern to me that we could lose that server at any point in time,” Murphy said. He estimated the cost at approximately $250,000 to $260,000 and said he could have a proposal to the commissioners by the end of August and the new system could be installed by the end of the year.
In other business, commissioners unanimously approved:
⦁ Redistricting 19.32 acres at 557 Hwy. 356 in Helen from Residential Single-Family Residential to Residential Seasonal District to accommodate the construction of “treehouse style” rental cabins;
⦁ Allowing the county manager to execute grant documents for the required hazardous mitigation plan update;
⦁ Surplus of a 2007 asphalt distributor truck and 1900-gallon Leeboy Rosco Max II distributor for sale to Stephens County for $63,108; and
⦁ A White County Superior Court misdemeanor probation contract with Northeast Georgia Probation Services, Inc.
Commissioners tabled a proposal to accept Shepherd Drive for county road maintenance.
U.S. Forest Service Ranger Ryan Foote told commissioners the Forest Service is conducting an assessment of the damage sustained by a recent tornado that struck the Upper Chatthoochee Campground in the Wildlife Management Area.
“It got leveled,” Foote said. The campground was closed when the tornado struck, leading Foote to state, “We got lucky. I would be here under different circumstances if that campground had been opened.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com.
Sixth rabies alert posted in White County
News June 15, 2018
CLEVELAND, Ga. – For the sixth time this year, an animal in White County has tested positive for rabies.
A dog recently had contact with a rabid raccoon in the Danny Palmer Road area. The raccoon was shipped to the Georgia Public Health Lab – Virology Section in Decatur. White County Environmental Health was advised Thursday (June 14) that the raccoon tested positive for rabies.
Positive alert signs have been posted in the area where the rabid raccoon was located. If you live in this area and have concerns of rabid animal exposure, please contact White County Environmental Health at 706-348-7698 during normal business hours.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said Friday, “This is actually the second positive rabies at this specific address. The first positive rabies alert for this address was also a raccoon that tested positive in November 2017.”
Murphy said in the most recent incident the resident heard a strange noise in the woods which turned out to be a raccoon. The raccoon was under a log, meowing like a cat. The dog started barking and the raccoon came out from under the log and jumped on the dog. The dog killed the raccoon. The dog is currently on its rabies vaccination and will undergo a 45 day quarantine.
Murphy said pet owners should take the following precautions:
- Make sure your pets are current on their rabies vaccinations;
- Stay away from wild animals and keep your pet away from wild animals;
- If you feed your pet outdoors, take up food as soon as your pet is finished eating. Leaving leftover food outside can attract wild animals;
- If you observe any domestic animal acting abnormally – being unusually aggressive, looking ill, not behaving normally, contact Animal Control and/or White County Environmental Health;
- Do not approach the animal or allow your pet to get near the animal;
- If you observe a wild animal not behaving abnormally, contact Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR);
- If your pet is attacked by a wild animal, contact Animal Control and DNR immediately.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Fire at Ammo Manufacturer Injures Two Monday
News January 23, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Two people were injured and transported by ambulance to Grady Hospital in Atlanta, following an early-morning fire Monday at Piney Mountain Ammunition Center.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said the call to the facility on Crestview Drive was received at 8:45 a.m. The business manufactures .22-caliber shells. Firefighters arriving on scene were told magnesium is used in the process and it is very agitated by water, so firefighters did not apply anything to the blaze but rather let it burn, and protected adjacent structures.
Another danger was presented when the ammunition in the building started exploding, propelling shell casings from the building.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the blaze.
Fetch Your News will have more details as they become available.
White County is in a Class 4 Fire Danger for Thursday November 17th
Announcements November 17, 2016
FIRE WEATHER FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17th:
FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
351 AM EST THU NOV 17 2016
FIRE DANGER STATEMENT IN EFFECT ALL AREAS…
RH VALUES WILL GET TO TO CRITICAL THRESHOLDS ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE AND CLOSE ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS. HAVE DECIDED TO ISSUE A FIRE DANGER STATEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA AS WE ALREADY HAVE WILDFIRES ACROSS NORTH GA AND THE FUELS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA ARE VERY DRY. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY 10 MPH OR LESS ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…DAHLONEGA…CLEVELAND
TODAY TONIGHT FRI
CLOUD COVER CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANGE PRECIP (%) 0 0 0
TEMP (24H TREND) 76 (+6) 43 (-1) 75
RH % (24H TREND) 26 (+7) 88 (-10) 27
20FT WINDS AM(MPH) LGT/VAR LGT/VAR
20FT WINDS PM(MPH) SW 3 LGT/VAR SW 4
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
MIXING HGT (FT-AGL) 4400 3900
TRANSPORT WND (MPH) SW 3 SW 7
DISPERSION INDEX 16 21
MAX LVORI 4 6 6
TODAY IS A CLASS 4 FIRE DAY —
Class day 4 – Very High
Fires start readily and spread quickly. Spot fires are a constant danger and fire behavior is often erratic. Resistance to control is high, as is the potential for large fires. Site specific conditions and land management objectives may warrant prescribed burning by experts, but care must be taken to keep fire within boundaries.
David L. Murphy, Jr. GACEM
Director of Public Safety
White County Government
Fire Destroys Mobile Home, Family Pets
News September 20, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — A fire of unknown origin destroyed a mobile home at 152 Rocket Drive in Cleveland Monday. The occupants were not at home at the time but several family pets perished in the blaze.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said several units from the White County Fire Department, Cleveland Fire Department and Lee Arrendale State Prison responded to a 9-1-1 call 12:51 p.m.
Murphy said firefighters found a singlewide mobile home with additions fully involved by fire when they arrived and that the fire is now under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
No further details have been released.
Gateway Residents Evacuated After Smoke Scare
News August 15, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — The 55 residents of Gateway Health & Rehabilitation, 3201 Westmoreland Road in Cleveland, were evacuated Sunday following a report of smoke in the building.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said units from White County and Cleveland were dispatched around noon. No fire was discovered, but the smoke was caused by some electrical issues that caused the air conditioning units to fail.
With the summer heat reaching into the upper 80s, Gateway employees began looking to move the residents to other facilities where they would be more comfortable. But just as busses had been located to transport residents, the maintenance workers from Habersham Electric were able to fix the problem and move residents back into the facility.
“HEMC workers came through,” Murphy said. “They worked hard to figure out how to get the power restored.”
Mother Cat, Kittens Zip Tied Together All Four Kittens Die
News July 21, 2016
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — A property owner heard the cries of a mother cat last week and went to investigate. What she discovered must have been horrifying. It was an adult cat zip tied to her four kittens and discarded into a stand of Kudzu.
One of the kittens was already dead and, although the cat and her three remaining kittens were rushed to Cleveland Veterinarian Hospital, all but the mother cat died within the next 24 hours.
The incident took place on Hwy. 255 South in White County and White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said, “I haven’t been working with animal control very long, but this is the worst case of animal abuse that I have seen.”
Murphy said he believes someone drove by and attempted to throw the cats into a nearby creek but missed and threw them into the Kudzu instead.
The White County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
The cat was picked up from Cleveland Veterinary Hospital and later transferred to Angels Among Us Rescue for Special Needs.
Fire Destroys White County Home, No Injuries Reported
News July 26, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Fire completely consumed a home at 628 Frank Black Road in White County last night. No one was injured but the remote location of the home — nearly half a mile from the nearest hydrant — complicated firefighting efforts and kept fire service personnel busy throughout the night.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said, “Units had to shuttle water in and out. The driveway is about a quarter of a mile off of the main road, so they had to shuttle from the closest hydrant which was another quarter of a mile down the road.”
Units from White County, the City of Cleveland, the City of Helen and Lee Arendale State Prison Fire Department responded to the fire.
Two of the three occupants of the home have disabilities and were aided by the Red Cross.
“Because of the size of the structure and the limited water supply, the decision was made to back out into a defensive mode and let the fire burn itself out,” Murphy said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.