Dams have burst in Bulloch County following heavy rain and flooding produced by Tropical Storm Debby, officials said Wednesday.
Dozens of residents were evacuated due to the dam breaches, which included Simmons Mill Pond and Oglesby Pond. The water flow has the ability to wash out entire roads or neighborhoods, county Communications Director Dal Cannady told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
On Wednesday afternoon, state insurance and Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency officials were in the Statesboro area, where water levels had yet to recede. Cannady said the water would continue to rise before the levels begin to drop.
Officials called the flooding “unprecedented” during a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
First responders and law enforcement were helping save people from the flood waters, which Cannady said rose so rapidly in a couple of neighborhoods that it reached porches and people’s waists. In some cases, crews were using heavy equipment, including a backhoe, to get residents out.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, officials said they had responded to nearly a dozen water rescue calls and saved 75 people, with 27 in emergency shelters — the most since Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
One such rescue took place Wednesday morning at Eagle Branch Mobile Home Park, after officials woke up believing it would be a day of recovery.
“Again, we encourage all citizens in affected areas to stay off the roads if possible,” GEMA wrote on social media.
No injuries have been reported.
The flooding has led to more than 100 road closures, and authorities said a damage assessment would be completed by next week. Bridge and culvert assessment could take longer.
In addition, K-12 schools in the county will be closed until Friday.
Roughly nine dams in southeast Georgia have had issues following Debby, but only one, in Screven County, has failed, officials said. Water from that dam failure has also made its way to Bulloch, whose crews were working on creating an interactive mapping tool to help keep the public informed online and on social media. Residents were asked to be patient as extra delays and detours are expected during the recovery process.
Cannady said the water isn’t expected to crest until Saturday.
Editor’s note: This article was updated Thursday morning after an earlier version incorrectly reported Wednesday that a Cypress Lake dam also breached.
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