Overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, September 16-17, 2020, the remnants of Hurricane Sally came across Macon-Bibb County, dropping nearly 6 inches of rain and bringing gusts of wind up to 38 mph. Working with the dispatchers at the E-911 Center, crews from the Public Works Department worked all night, never going home, clearing 11 roads of trees and checking on road flooding issues as they were reported.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do for our community,” says Mayor Robert Reichert. “We were fortunate the impact to our community was not as severe as other areas, but our teams attack all levels of severe weather with the same level of dedication. Our community should know and recognize them for what they do while many people are asleep.”

“I’m very proud of our crews, especially during times like this,” says Public Works Director Tim Wilder. “They stand ready throughout the night and mobilize quickly to respond so that our roads can be cleared and people can travel safely as soon as the storm passes.”

While the storm has passed, the Parks & Beautification Department and Emergency Management Agency (EMA) continue to monitor the Ocmulgee River due its rising levels. According to the National Weather Service, the river is expected to crest at nearly 24 feet on Saturday. Click here for the most updated river level information.

With these levels, the dirt path around the pond and the boat ramps in the Park and at Spring Street have been closed. Other areas could be closed as the level rises, so please obey all safety information and closures if you are enjoying the Park this weekend.

“We have the best response teams in the country, always ready and willing to step forward and protect our community during the storm and then to get us back to normal,” says EMA Director Spencer Hawkins. “Even though the storm has passed, I still want to encourage people to sign up for MBCAlert to receive severe weather information by email, text, and phone call.”

To sign up for MBCAlert, visit www.maconbibb.us/mbcalert. Signing up is easy and takes fewer than five minutes. The EMA also posts information on preparing your family and friends to be safe during severe weather and other emergencies on Facebook, Twitter (@MaconBibbCoEMA), and Instagram (@emamaconbibb).