Winter Weather Deposits Snow in Jasper County
Just a couple of days short of the two year anniversary of the tornadic weather system that ripped through Jasper County, Mother Nature unloaded some winter weather on us last weekend that began early Friday morning with sleet, snow, and freezing rain.
While it was not as severe as some forecasters had predicted, accumulations in Jasper County varied, from a light dusting, to more than a couple of inches in some areas, with the northern end of the county receiving a noticeable bit more than the southern counterparts.
In anticipation of the weather event, school was cancelled for the Jasper County Charter System and Piedmont Academy, government offices, the post office, and banks were closed as well.
Many local businesses were closed, some operated for amended hours on Friday and Saturday. It does appear that both adults and children alike enjoyed the day off from work and school, and used their time to construct snowmen, create snow angels, and many families used makeshift sleds to go slipping and sliding. While many enjoyed their day off, others were not so fortunate.
With winter weather comes slippery roadways and the need of emergency personnel. While Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) and the county applied brine treatments to aid in de-icing, first responders and deputies still spent much of their time in the cold, responding to accidents and assisting motorists.
Deputies and first responders didn’t get much downtime to enjoy the scenery, as they were busy responding to calls, beginning shortly after 6 a.m on Friday. The first reported accident occurred on Hwy 212 West, near Jasper County Primary School, where a vehicle overturned, losing both tires on the right side. The road was closed briefly after the accident.
Not long after the first accident was resolved, two more accidents occurred on Highway 83 South, causing both lanes to be blocked for a few hours. One of those accidents resulted in a damaged power pole and transformer, leaving the passengers trapped in the vehicle until EMC arrived. CGEMC was notified, and with road conditions and additional accidents, it took time for them to arrive and restore services to the area. An accident on Jackson Lake Road resulted in a road closure for a while. Many passengers who were transported to medical facilities were non-emergent.
Extended power outages seem to be minimal, with the exception of Shady Dale, even with the heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
Residents have sent in snow many photos for the enjoyment of our readers, and those are featured on page 9. We were not able to include them all in this issue, but you can view many more on our Facebook page.
