ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday said he was requesting a federal disaster declaration after Hurricane Idalia swept through the southern part of the state.
The governor said in a social media post that he had made the request to FEMA to "provide assistance to Georgians and counties impacted by Hurricane Idalia."
He reiterated his request for FEMA's assistance during his press conference while explaining Idalia's impact in the state.
"This storm was on the ground and went through a longer path than it did in Florida and South Carolina," Gov. Kemp said. "It hit rural GA; there's some good and bad things about that."
Gov. Kemp added that a person's life was taken during the storm and that requests for assistance might take longer due to damage being in rural areas.
He pointed out that the state's biggest concern is getting roads cleared and the power back for those still without it.
According to Gov. Kemp, 277,000 households and businesses were initially without power after the storm. That number is now at 70,000. He mentioned those numbers would change throughout the coming days.
He also said he and his wife, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, also visited south Georgia on Friday "to view storm damage firsthand and to let these families know that we are in this with them."
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) director Chris Stallings joined the governor to discuss restoration efforts Friday.
Stallings said GEMA would be going out and doing assessments with FEMA. An expedited, immediate assistance program will also be available to people impacted by the storm.
The assistance program will come out to impacted counties to work with families in need. Currently, damage caused by Idalia is growing, with Stallings estimating about $35M for storm damage.
"The only thing fast with things like this is the storm itself. The recovery takes a while," Stallings said.
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King said that on Monday, Sept. 4, his office would set up a Hurricane Claim Village to help storm victims at a Home Depot located at 1825 Norman Drive in Valdosta.
At the Hurricane Claims Village, residents who are policyholders can meet face-to-face with professionals in the insurance industry who can help them file a claim or answer any insurance-related questions they may have.
The Hurricane Claims Village will include representatives from the Georgia Department of Insurance and major insurance carriers such as State Farm, USAA, Georgia Farm Bureau, and Liberty Mutual.
The village will be available on Monday, Sept. 4 starting at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 5, starting at 9 a.m.
Tyler Harper, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, said his team has been involved in storm recovery efforts from day one.
Harper said his team is contacting the 13,000 businesses, farms and operations in the Hurricane's impact zone to assist.
Apart from building damage, the pecan crop in the Hurricane's impact zone took a significant hit. 50-60% of the pecan crop was lost in the impact zone, Harper said.
The commissioner urged farmers and people involved in the agriculture department to document and report everything to ensure they were prepared to file claims.
Those impacted in the agriculture field can contact this email idalia@agr.georgia.gov to send information over damaged property. According to Harper, officials will then make sure to get the data where it needs to be.
To support storm victims coming from Florida, the Department of agriculture suspended all animal entry requirements into the state throughout the end of September.
Gov. Kemp's announcement came two days after Idalia hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday morning, before moving into Georgia and impacting cities such as Valdosta. At least one person was killed in Lowndes County after a tree fell on a car.
According to NBC news, President Joe Biden approved on Thursday a disaster declaration for Florida, allowing for federal resources to be directed toward recovery efforts in that state.
In Georgia, hundreds of thousands of customers were without power at the height of the storm, trees were felled and damage was left behind in areas such as Waycross and coastal counties.
11Alive's sister station in Jacksonville, First Coast News, observed damage in both Ware and Brantley counties.
"I am shocked, extremely shocked because it's Georgia," said Brantley County resident Brittany Beers, observing the damage to her daughter's school. "I used to live in Florida and I left Florida from the hurricane and now I'm freaking out trying to get to my house hoping that it is okay."
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.