Officials in Northeast Georgia had varying responses regarding shelter needs, if there is a storm or cold weather emergency this weekend. Some officials contacted had shelter plans in place for people who lose power or electricity, while others had no working contingency plans, and some were not reachable Friday. A summary of what we learned follows:
Hall County
Natalae La Douceur of the Parks & Leisure Department in Gainesville said there were no county plans to provide emergency shelter, beyond existing services.
“At this time, Hall County is encouraging residents to prepare to shelter in place during the upcoming weather event. Residents should ensure they have alternative sources of heat, adequate supplies, and a plan to in place to remain safe during extended periods of cold,” La Douceur wrote. “For non-emergency assistance, residents may contact Hall County Dispatch at (770) 536-8812, which can help connect individuals with available resources as needed.”
In addition, Hall County has a community resource guide available to the public that includes information on assistance and support services. The resource guide names their existing shelters for homeless men, women, and families, and identifies two warming centers in Gainesville.
Hart County
Last weekend, Hart County Administrator Terrell Partain wrote: “We do not have any published shelters open to the public. We have limited space for critical needs people. They have been notified as well as messages to the public if there is an extreme case to call and we will try to arrange something for them.” Partain had not yet responded Friday afternoon to a new inquiry.
Lumpkin County
Alicia Davis, division director for community and employee services, said that, unlike last weekend, there were currently no plans to open the sheriff’s department office in Dahlonega if shelter was needed. Mitzi Deaton, secretary at the sheriff’s office, also said there was no such plan as of early Friday afternoon. She said residents could check the sheriff office’s Facebook page to see if shelter was needed.
Davis said the Community Helping Place in Dahlonega, the county’s largest social service agency, might coordinate shelter options with a church in Dahlonega, but neither the agency nor the church responded to inquiries about that Friday afternoon.
Rabun County
Brian Panell, Emergency Management Agency director, said the county was preparing to open shelter space, if needed, at the Recreation Department at 400 Recreation Park Drive in Tiger. Gym 3 in that building will house anyone who needs it, Panell said.
Stephens County
Christian Hamilton, Stephens County administrator, said the county will open a shelter at the Hope Center, 69 W. Whitman St. in Toccoa, at 10 a.m. Saturday running through Monday. The shelter will offer food and overnight accommodations for residents in need. Hamilton said the shelter could accommodate several dozen people if necessary.
“You can let people know that our public safety personnel are very much in tune with what’s going on, and we will check in with people to make sure they’re OK,” Hamilton said.
White County
Bryce Barrett, public information officer, said that people in need of shelter can request it through the County by calling (706) 865-9800.
However, he said, “The National Weather Service has not forecasted the widespread power outages that they did last week. Our shelter supplies remain in place, and the shelter can quickly be opened should the need arise.”
Franklin, Towns
Franklin County EMA Ryan Parks and Towns County EMA Director Marty Roberts had not replied to new inquiries about shelter as of Friday afternoon.
