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Mar 21, 2024

Strong winds from Hurricane Idalia rip roof off Southeast Georgia elementary school, down multiple trees

Marilyn Parker, Reporter WAYCROSS, Ga. – A Georgia school sustained major damage on Wednesday as strong winds from Hurricane Idalia blew through the area. Photos sent to News4JAX show a large section

Marilyn Parker, Reporter

WAYCROSS, Ga. – A Georgia school sustained major damage on Wednesday as strong winds from Hurricane Idalia blew through the area.

Photos sent to News4JAX show a large section of the roof of Hoboken Elementary School in Brantley County has been peeled away, exposing the classrooms inside.

All Brantley Schools were closed on Wednesday and were expected to reopen Thursday, but the school district said all schools will remain closed on Thursday because of power outages across the county and facility damage at Hoboken Elementary School.

Updates and any changes to school plans will be communicated on the school system’s Facebook page and through its text-out system.

Hurricane Idalia left widespread damage throughout the state as windspeeds reached 70 to 80 miles per hour in some South Georgia counties.

In Waycross, a big tree took a powerline down on Riverside Avenue.

The woman living closest to the tree wouldn’t let News4JAX get too close to the root because another tree was leaning on her property.

She says this one came down around 1:30 p.m.

“Just sounded like a loud crash and the wind and the rain, just heavy wind and rain,” she said. “[I’m] very grateful because it could’ve went a whole other way and fell into the home so very grateful.”

Officials said crews will start working to restore power to those without it once storm conditions clear.

A large tree also fell on multiple cars on St. Simons Island. The person who sent News4JAX a photo of the downed tree said no one was hurt but the cars were damaged.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office said a quick response by deputies and Camden Fire Rescue quickly extinguished a fire in the attic of the Griffith Building located at the Georgia Episcopal Center, located in the Dover Bluff area of Northeast Camden County.

A gust of wind blew a tree over which downed the power lines, bending the mast electrical service pole on the top of the building. That started an electrical fire in the attic located at the religious center.

No groups were at the center and only a caretaker was on the property.

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