Hurricane ravages Cook County
Hurricane Helene, a monstrous Category 4 storm at landfall at the Florida Big Bend, roared through Cook and surrounding counties early Friday morning, Sept. 27, 2024.
The high winds sent massive trees toppling onto houses and power lines, knocking out power to thousands, and tore at buildings. The gusts and heavy rains also devastated local fall crops.
Helene is the first known Category 4 storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend region since records began in 1851.
As of Monday, Day 4 of the Hurricane Helene Crisis, despite the best efforts of utility workers, 85 percent of Cook County remained without power, according to county officials. (95 percent without the City of Adel included.) Cell phone and internet service also remained very limited across the community.
Cook Emergency Management Agency (EMA) officials estimate that winds reached 115 mph as the eye wall passed through Cook County.
This is shaping up to be the worst natural disaster in local history in terms of widespread property damage and economic losses.
Miraculously, no fatalities and only minor injuries were reported in Cook County, although there were some close calls. Cook County’s worst natural disaster in terms of lives lost was the January 2017 tornado that claimed seven local lives.
County EMA Director Johnny West reported to the County Commission during a called meeting on Monday that locally, 200 homes had trees fall on them, 20 homes received major damage, and five were destroyed, including a brand-new mobile home in Sunshine Acres. (The County Commissioners met at the Cook County Airport conference room because power was still out at the County Administration Building on South Hutchinson Avenue in Adel.)
West noted five different incidents in which people were trapped in homes.
Capt. Brent Exum with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said officers helped other emergency responders get people out of homes and remove trees from the roadways.
The Sheriff’s Office responded to 16 traffic accidents in which vehicles collided with fallen power lines or trees.
In one incident, trees fell on a house and then on a vehicle when the residents tried to leave. Capt. Exum personally used his vehicle to push a woman’s vehicle out of high water on a roadway. A deputy’s vehicle was trapped by falling trees on a road, and other officers had to assist him.
On Friday evening, the County imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Saturday) with a $500 fine. This was to deter motorists who were only sight-seeing from interfering with utility repairs and to stop those who might be prowling for criminal purposes. Cook County Probate Judge Chase Daughtrey and Capt. Exum said no citations were issued this time around. “Technically, under the statute, (a curfew offense) is a violation of orders during a state of emergency,” Judge Daughtrey said. The curfew ordinance has “been on the books for years, and in 16 years, only one citation was issued for that in Cook County, and I believe it was during Hurricane Michael,” he added.
Judge Daughtrey did note: “One person was arrested during the peak of Hurricane Helene for DUI, after wrecking and submerging in water on Lenox-Brookfield Road.” That incident tied up two State Troopers, a fire truck, and a deputy who were needed for other emergency matters.
Capt. Exum said that although many citizens will go out of their way and help those in need in a storm’s aftermath, there is an element who will take advantage of the chaos and power outages for criminal activities. A home invasion/robbery and store break-ins have occurred following Helene. County officials plan to discuss with the state the possibility of providing additional personnel to back up local law enforcement officers.
Capt. Exum said the emergency situation in Cook County is the worst that he has seen in 30 years of law enforcement.
This weekend, after the storm passed, deputies and officers with other agencies directed a massive flow of traffic around local gas stations.
Arguably the worst traffic jam in Cook County history was underway at I-75 Exit 39 in particular. Motorists from Florida and surrounding communities were coming to Adel for gas and food because power was on at most of the businesses on the main highways, although it was still out in many of the neighborhoods. As of Monday, store shelves with frozen food were empty in Adel, although more supplies seemed to be arriving.
Helene’s effects were widespread, but the worst impact seemed to be at the southeast end of the county, Sparks, Chaserville, and the west side of the county.
Sparks City Clerk Latonya Daniels stated Monday:
“The City is working diligently to clean debris, trees, and any other damage, but our main focus NOW is making sure water is restored and remains safe and functioning.
“In the attempt to do so, please LIMIT YOUR USE. We are in a state of emergency, and any unauthorized use of water will result in additional outages.
“We must come together and be considerate of our neighbors who also need water. Let’s use water for showering and food preparation please.
“Also be considerate of our linemen. Georgia Power and Colquitt EMC are working as hard as possible to restore lights in the area. Lights is not a City issue, and city officials as well as citizens are all without lights at this time. I pray that this issue is resolved as promptly as possible.”
The City of Sparks has also asked for no outdoor burning due to the water conservation and fire hazard issue.
According to The Washington Post, at last report on Monday evening, Helene had caused at least 111 deaths in Georgia (three confirmed in Valdosta and one in Colquitt County), Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Approximately 1.8 million people didn’t have power in those states.