State officials said Thursday that a man’s death in Valdosta was attributed to Idalia. The man, whose name was not released, was hit by a falling tree, GEMA Director James Stallings said. As much as 7 inches of rain fell on Valdosta and the surrounding area, toppling trees and breaking branches.

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk told Channel 2 Action News that two of his deputies were attempting to remove a tree from a road Wednesday when two good Samaritans came to help. A second tree then fell, striking and killing one of the good Samaritans, Paulk said.

Idalia, which was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Wednesday afternoon, barreled through South Georgia with 70-mph winds and several inches of rain, leaving thousands without electricity and phone service when trees and power lines were toppled. Dozens of homes were destroyed in Lowndes, the Valdosta Daily Times reported.

The paper’s newsroom remained closed Thursday due to power outages. Journalists were working from the Thomasville paper’s newsroom, according to an online post.

Schools in the area and government offices were also closed following the storm. A Valdosta State University spokeswoman said classes would be canceled until Tuesday. Several trees blocked roads on campus.

Moody Air Force base, located about 10 miles north of Valdosta, remained closed Thursday except for those involved in cleanup, the base posted online.

“Our recovery teams both on and off base are at max effort trying to get everything back up and running!” a Facebook posted stated Thursday afternoon. “Please help the Moody and local recovery teams by keeping the roadways clear so they can do their job!”

By early afternoon Thursday, about 82,000 Georgians were without electricity, down from over 277,000 customers immediately after the storm, according to GEMA. The number was expected to decrease gradually throughout the day.

“Power companies from all across the Southeast are here in #lowndescountyga working hard to restore power to our community,” Lowdnes EMA posted on Facebook. “Please adhere to traffic signs and follow directions of local law enforcement officers as they direct traffic.”

Damage estimates weren’t available Thursday, but the state Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner warned that homeowners should be cautious of those going door-to-door offering cheap damage repair.

“Just like the first responders have all been getting ready for the last couple of days, the crooks are also getting ready,” Commissioner John King said.

In Savannah, police responded to more than 1,000 calls related to the storm, the Savannah Morning News reported.

St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church opened its doors Wednesday to shelter homeless people in the area.

“It’s been wonderful, just to see people who maybe don’t have a religious community but they act in a religious fashion when asked,” David Lemburg, assisting priest at the church, told the newspaper. “And that’s what we’re doing here. We’re just trying to help our neighbor.”

In Florida

Rescue and repair efforts were in full force in Florida’s remote Big Bend area, where Idalia roared ashore with 125 mph winds Wednesday, shredding homes, ripping off roofs, snapping tall trees, and turning streets into rivers.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis toured the area with federal emergency officials on Thursday. He noted that because the storm came ashore in the remote region where Florida’s Panhandle curves into the peninsula, Idalia was far less destructive than feared, providing only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas.

President Joe Biden spoke to DeSantis and promised whatever federal aid is available. Biden also announced that he will go to Florida on Saturday to see the damage himself.

No hurricane-related deaths were officially confirmed in Florida, but the state’s highway patrol reported two people killed in separate weather-related crashes just hours before Idalia made landfall.

Source: Associated Press