EDITORIAL: Once again, linemen come to our rescue

The best thing to say about Tropical Storm Debby is she wasn’t Idalia.

Although Monday’s storm took a track similar to the hurricane that swept the area last August, damage has been considerably less.

That’s not to understate the damage that there has been. Many people are still without power throughout the region. But even that is far less than where we were 11 months ago.

Danny Nichols, president and CEO of Colquitt EMC, posted a similar analysis to the company’s Facebook page Tuesday morning.

“After Hurricane Idalia, it took a little over a week to restore power to our members,” Nichols said. “Although Debby has followed the same path there is good news. The amount of damage is significantly less than Idalia.

“At our peak with Idalia, we had some 58,000 meters out of 72,000 meters without service. As I reported to you earlier with Debby, we had 42,000 out of 73,000 meters without service,” he said.

By 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Colquitt EMC’s outage map showed about 23,000 meters without service, most of them in the area around Valdosta.

Georgia Power’s outage map showed about 3,700 Lowndes County customers without power at that same time and smaller effects in multiple counties across South Georgia.

Outage numbers are down significantly from Monday evening.

It is one more reminder of how important the line crews are in the days following a big storm. And it isn’t just the local crews, either.

In his Facebook message, Nichols said his optimism about restoring power to Colquitt EMC’s customers came in part from the army of linemen coming into South Georgia to help. More than 250 contractors and 65-70 mutual aid personnel from other EMCs were expected to arrive Tuesday, he said. They will triple Colquitt EMC’s normal manpower.

Other linemen have been supporting Georgia Power’s crews.

We offer our thanks to the local energy providers and their crews. And to the crews coming from elsewhere: Please know that your help is appreciated by all of us.

News

Senate Republicans approve big changes to Georgia election law

News

LAMP camps out to end homelessness

News

VSU faculty duo recognized for efforts to improve teaching, learning practices

News

Turner Center presents the Big Band sounds of the Shaun Johnson Trio

News

Regional transit development plan virtual meeting scheduled April 17

News

Pets of the Week

News

Blood donations event set for Adel April 9

News

Adann-Kennn J. Alexxandar Movie Reviews: “The Woman in the Yard”

News

Federal judge sides with Georgia in ‘water wars’ with Alabama

News

Georgia legislature passes comprehensive school safety bill

News

Legislature votes to make it easier to prove intellectual disability in death penalty cases

News

VSU alumnus named provost at ABAC

News

Georgia school safety bill nears final passage after Senate vote

Editorials

EDITORIAL: Could your dog be Farm Dog of the Year?

News

Valdosta student places 3rd in South Georgia welding competition

News

Georgia House passes transgender sports bill

News

VSU’s Café Scientifique serves up coffee and conversations on AI

News

Valdosta Police Department to hold hiring event April 10

Columns

BURTON FLETCHER: Coins of Valor: A military town’s untold tradition


Letters

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Congratulations to Haynes Studstill on appointment to Board of Regents

News

Colt Ford Tough: Wild Adventures early stop after his 2024 double heart attack

News

FEMA continues recovery efforts in Valdosta

News

Hemp products industry gets scrutiny from Georgia lawmakers

Community

Historic Photo of the Week