Page 20 - Georgia Forestry - Issue2 - Spring 2019

OStory by Stasia Kelly
n the afternoon of October 10, 2018, people in southwest Georgia were hunkering down. Category 3 Hurricane Michael, the strongest hurricane ever to come up through the Florida Panhandle, barreled in, pummeling homes, forests, orchards, towns and leaving behind a monumental tangle of wreckage.
Hurricane Michael’s devastation resulted in $763 million in timber resource losses on more than 2 million acres of forestland. Sound planning, training and strong relationships guided us through this storm. Lessons learned can help us all be better prepared for the next.
The Calm Before the Storm
Planning ahead for all types of environ- mental emergencies is a long-established practice for the Georgia Forestry Com- mission (GFC). Emergency systems for intrastate agencies and their federal and local partners are always in place, and during hurricane season it’s safe to say that GFC Chief of Protection Frank Sorrells keeps a close eye on the weather report. Working at the direction of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), Sorrells coordinates GFC personnel and equipment capable of responding immediately to the fallout from hurricanes, tornadoes and other weather events. In turn, he’s the point man for the GFC organization, and relays alerts and orders to chief rangers in counties that might be affected.
The day before the storm hit, Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 108 counties. GFC began delivering logistical supplies and providing forklifts and operators to load and unload supplies — a service that continued weeks into recovery.
GFC’s Decatur County Chief Ranger Rodney Heard and Decatur County Emergency Management Agency Direc- tor Charlie McCann were in close contact the morning Michael was poised for land- fall. Heard had the foresight to have three GFC rangers position bulldozers on public roads near their homes for fast access. They would need them. After winds up to 125 miles per hour did their business, some crew members had to use chainsaws just to get out of their own driveways.
“It took us two and a half hours to go
four miles,” Heard said of the grueling work to clear area roads after the storm passed. “It’s a miracle no one was hurt.”
GFC’s Miller/Early County Chief Ranger Hayden Holt said he is “still in shock” about the ferocity of the storm. He, too, had been having hourly prep meetings with his counties’ EMA staff.
“If we didn’t have this relationship established, we’d be in bad trouble,” Holt said. “We’re just like a pencil and eraser; we’re tight.”
As soon as it was safe, 10 GFC chainsaw crews from all over the state fanned out across the impacted counties. In addition, 90 personnel worked to clear critical infrastructure under the guidance of GEMA. A specially trained Type 3 Incident Management Team led by GFC moved in to facilitate cleanup, and a federal disaster declaration was issued. GFC foresters conducted damage assessments on the ground and in the air, estimating the amount of timber damage and its value — critical figures upon which future aid decisions would be made. GFC crews and equipment emptied semis packed with supplies, delivered cots and hundreds of pallets of water. As far as the eye could see, splintered trees were horizontal or leaning at grotesque angles. Sheds and homes and cars were smashed. Even a train took a hit from two huge fallen pines. Power lines were down. Everywhere, there was debris — and danger.
“I couldn’t have more confidence in anyone than I do our people,” said GFC Area 9 Fire Management Officer Darren
GFC chainsaw crews began clearing roads immediately after the storm.
18 | GEORGIA FORESTRY