WAYCROSS, Ga. — Southeast Georgia communities are cleaning up after the impact of Hurricane Idalia Wednesday.
In Ware County, the Waycross Fire Department says most of its service calls are for downed trees and powerlines.
Driving around Ware County, First Coast News crews observed a large pine tree that fell, slicing into the front dining room of a home and totaling the owner's car on Euclid Avenue. Another tree on the campus of South Georgia State University damaged a satellite dish in front of the Education building.
American Lube Fast on Memorial Drive in Waycross was also damaged. The glass on the front of the building shattered and chairs from the lobby were seen on the lawn. The business was closed Wednesday. Traffic lights dangled from intersections.
Chief of Waycross Fire Department David Eddins says the department has extra staff responding to calls.
"I ask that they be patient because there's going to be debris that has to be cleaned up and things and some of the services were accustomed to in normal conditions: garbage pickup, mail services, things like that, those potentially are going to be delayed because of the conditions out on the street so just be patient," Eddins said.
Eddins says if wait times are longer than usual, don't handle downed power lines yourself.
"Assume that every line that you see regardless if you think its a cable line, electrical line, don't grab them," Eddins said. "Thinking you can clear it out, leave things where they are at."
Furthermore, the hurricane caused the roof of a building with sixth grade classrooms at Hoboken Elementary School to blow off in Brantley County, Georgia.
Brantley County Schools Superintendent Kim Morgan says thankfully the school was closed when the roof was destroyed.
The new school year started just under a month ago and mother Brittany Beers says she can't believe the damage done to her daughter's school.
"I am shocked, extremely shocked because it's Georgia," Beers said. "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."
Morgan says the damage will not cause long-term closures and that the classrooms affected, will be relocated to other parts of the school.
"The insurance team has already began assessing damage and the restoration company will be here in the morning [Thursday] to begin repairs," Morgan said in an email.
All Brantley County Schools are closed Thursday because of the damage and power outages in the area.