LOWNDES – Local officials provide information regarding cleanup and restoration activities.

This is a Code Red Alert from Lowndes County Emergency Management. As crews continue to work on reopening roads and restoring power in the wake of the severe storms from Wednesday morning, local officials would like to provide residents with the following information regarding cleanup and restoration activities.
If you hire a contractor to perform any work they should be able to provide you with a copy of their current business license, a free estimate, and not require payment in advance. If you hire tree removal contractors, they must remove all of the debris themselves and not place it by the side of the road. While volunteer groups are not available on the scale of Hurricane Idalia, a few are available to assist residents with cleanup efforts. To request assistance, residents can call (229) 671-2790 to submit their request. Please leave a voicemail with your information and all requests will be handled on a first come first serve basis as quickly as possible.
At this time, there is no indication that this storm damage will qualify for any assistance from FEMA. Citizens who received damage should reach out to their insurance company to determine what coverage is available and for help with filing a claim. Those affected may also call the American Red Cross at 1-800-Red-Cross for assistance.
Utility crews are working diligently to restore power and are hopeful that all customers who can safely accept power will have it restored by the end of the day. We ask that residents not call 911 to request information about power outages, road closures, or other nonemergency information. 911 should only be used in the event of an emergency that requires an immediate response from local law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical personnel.