Weathering the Storms in 2024
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2024 was a year of extreme weather challenges across the region, as the community suffered through a drought, spread of tornadoes, tropical storm, category 2 hurricane, and a historic flood.
This intense weather began on May 9, when two EF-1 tornadoes ripped through Wheeler, Montgomery, and Toombs Counties, leaving a path of destruction behind. The violent storm began in Dodge County, making its way through Wheeler and Montgomery, and ultimately traveling down U.S. Highway 280 in downtown Vidalia before crossing Center Drive, Estroff Drive, Aimwell Road, and Cambridge Court. The twister traveled across the Vidalia Municipal Airport into Lyons, where it went directly over the Lyons Primary, Toombs County Middle, and Toombs County High Schools’ campuses before crossing U.S. Highway 1 and dissipating.
The damage left behind by the storm suggested that winds may have reached up to 90 mph inside the tornado, while Toombs and Montgomery Counties also had straight wind damage which evidenced wind speeds of 50 to 70 mph. Over 12,000 Georgia Power and Altamaha EMC customers were left without power after the storm, but all meters were reconnected by 8 p.m. on May 10.
In June, the area saw almost an entire month without rain, causing crops to bake in the sun and livestock producers to struggle to feed their animals. “[Hot weather and lack of rain] is something you do not think of unless you are in production agriculture and depend on it daily,” local farmer Chris Hopkins explained.
During the drought, many other local farmers spoke up about their struggles with the weather, as L.G. Herndon, Jr. Farms owner Bo Herndon said that he was pumping his irrigation ponds dry to try to provide for his cattle and Ohoopee Angus Farms Owner Tara Wilkes shared that she was utilizing her winter hay supply to try to help her cows make It through the summer.
Toombs County Extension Coordinator Jason Edenfield stated that the dry period was not as historically dry as the drought of 2022, but was much drier than the past years of 2021 and 2023, as in June, 23 total inches had fallen in the county throughout the year, but only over a total of 50 rainy days.
Luckily, the weather shifted on June 26, and rain began to fall throughout the region, saving what was left of crops and providing farmers with hope for their season.
Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area on August 4, leaving very little damage in her path, as most residents only experienced flooded roads from heavy rains and some downed trees. Very little power outages came from this storm, and schools closed for a few days to allow roads to dry and clear so that students could travel safely.
The entire landscape of the region changed early in the morning on September 27, as Hurricane Helene ripped through the area as a Category 2 hurricane. This powerful storm not only destroyed homes, cars, and trees but left citizens in the dark for several days and even weeks, as both the power grid and cell phone service failed to work after the hurricane had been through.
Hundreds of linemen, right of way crews, and treecutting crews from other states came to Vidalia, as a camp was set-up at the Vidalia Municipal Airport to house all the helping hands. These men and women worked tirelessly for weeks to restore power to the area, and were thanked for their assistance with a community parade.
The U.S. National Guard, Cajun Navy, Salvation Army, and other organizations all rushed to the devastation in attempts to help the community begin rebuilding themselves and to help ensure that all citizens had food, water, and supplies. Schools closed for several weeks, and local students could often be seen distributing goods to community members and volunteering to help their neighbors.
Less than two months after Hurricane Helene hit the area, a historic flood left many residents underwater, as over 9 inches of rain fell within 24 hours on November 9.
This flooding caused several water rescues, including a swift water rescue conducted by the Toombs County Fire Department and a rescue of the entire Cadillac Drive neighborhood by the Vidalia Fire and Police Departments. Several dirt roads washed out and became impassable, and curfews were set for the next few days to ensure safety of all citizens.
As 2025 approaches, citizens are hoping for a more calm year with the weather, as the community continues to rebuild from the past devastation.
OCHWALKEE WASHOUT —Tropical Storm Debby passed through South Georgia and took out a section of OchwalkeeRoad in Wheeler County.Photo Courtesy of Amber Womack, Stuckey VFD
TARGETED DESTRUCTION —A brick wall at the historic old livery stable in downtown Alamo was blown in by a storm packing a direct punch on May 9. The adjacent building, seen at left in the photo, lost a portion of its roof, as well as a cinder block wall.Photo by Deborah Clark
CADILLAC DRIVE RESCUE – Several local first responders and emergency agencies worked together to rescue and evacuate residents within the Cadillac Drive neighborhood in Vidalia during the historic flooding on November 7.
