DOUGLAS — A few days after Hurricane Helene tore through Coffee County, I stood in my grandfather’s yard, looking at the trail of destruction with disbelief.
The once-familiar landscape I’d grown up with now was a scene of utter ruin.
My grandfather, who’s lived in Coffee County his entire life, turned to me and said, “In my 84 years, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
More than a week after Helene plowed through this area, toppling trees, ripping off roofs and downing power lines, we’re still stunned.
The night before Hurricane Helene hit, Steve Carver, the county’s emergency management director, held a press conference warning residents that winds could top 100 mph. As he spoke about the dangers posed by the storm, especially for those who chose to stay in their mobile homes, I felt a heavy sense of dread settle in my stomach.
My young son and I went to my parents’ farm in Huffer to ride out the storm. It’s a 10-minute drive from my grandparents’ home in Douglas.
That night, as I lay down with my son, it was calm outside. Quiet. Too quiet. Then, around 1 a.m., Helene made her appearance. The wind eventually became so strong that it was like a massive hammer striking our windows, shaking every wall in the house. I picked up my phone to check for weather updates, but came across a social media post from my friend Karla, pleading for help.
She and her family were trapped. After their power went out and the wind picked up, the three of them went to the hallway, trying to find a safe spot.
“The wind stopped for a moment,” she told me later. “Everything went silent, and we thought maybe it was over. But it wasn’t.”
Not long after, a tree crashed into her son’s room and rain poured in on his crib. The walls began to break apart. The rain was “like a waterfall,” as if the sky itself had opened up right above them.
A live power line dangled just outside their only possible escape route. Their cars were buried under trees.
Karla’s 8-month-old son was screaming. She called 911 four times, desperate for help. But the storm was too strong, conditions too hazardous. “They told us they couldn’t send anyone out then and said we were added to the list,” Karla said. “The list? There are others? How long would it take before it was our turn to be saved? Would we even make it that long? All I could think about was getting my child out of that house before he lost his life at only 8 months old.”
The house was collapsing around them. The wind was howling. Karla did the only thing she could think of — she posted a desperate plea for help on Facebook. And it worked.
Deputies from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and other first responders arrived shortly after and pulled them through the window to safety. “The next day, I had messages from people who were also coming to save us,” Karla said. “I’m thankful there were people in our community willing to risk their safety to help the families in need. We’ve lost everything, but we’re still alive. I’m just grateful for that.”
That night in Nicholls, the roof blew off at an old school gym where people had gone seeking shelter. Initial reports indicated that many were trapped inside. Officials made the decision to dispatch help, despite the dangerous conditions. But people managed to escape while deputies and first responders were en route, said Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Fred Cole.
Calls from individuals in life-threatening situations continued to flood in throughout the night. Several injuries were reported, with many requiring medical attention at the hospital. Tragically, a local man lost his life when a tree crashed through the roof of his mobile home.
As for my family, we huddled together in the living room that night. My son held on to me and hid under a blanket for the most part as I tried to comfort him while also being just as scared.
Morning came, and that’s when we discovered the damage was even worse than we imagined. My father’s horse barn was lying in pieces. Hundreds of trees — trees that had been there all of my 33 years — were either broken in half or uprooted. At least 15 downed pines blocked the driveway. My son’s treehouse no longer was standing. Parts of my parents’ roof were scattered across the yard.
Credit: Kristen Kitchens
Credit: Kristen Kitchens
When we eventually were able to leave the house and ride through Douglas and other areas, we were unprepared for what we saw.
The National Weather Service has confirmed wind gusts reached at least 93 mph, with Coffee County enduring a direct hit from the eye of the storm, leading to some of the most severe damage in the state. At least one tornado was confirmed near Broxton earlier that day.
It felt like we were navigating a war zone on the way to my grandparents’ home. Power lines and poles crisscrossed the highway. Homes had trees resting on or crashed through their roofs. Every road we drove down was littered with debris and obstacles.
My childhood home — and the one I’d raised my son in for the past four years and moved out of only a week before — was destroyed.
Chief Deputy Cole estimates that between 80% and 85% of homes in Coffee County sustained some form of damage.
Chicken houses and crops were ravaged in Coffee County, leaving local farmers facing severe losses. The Georgia Agriculture Department has said that more than 100 poultry farms in our community have been affected.
For the first few days here, gas stations were closed. Even now that some have reopened, the lines for the pumps stretch for miles at times.
Thursday, the utility REMC reported 84% of their customers in Coffee County still were without electricity.
Cell service is spotty or nonexistent, leaving people unable to contact family or friends. This also presents a challenge when it comes to getting updates from local officials.
Well after the wind and rain stopped, some people remained cut off. Tuesday, a group of citizens came together to help an 85-year-old woman who had been trapped in her house for days.
The exhaustion is undeniable. People also are frustrated. The stress of not being able to reach loved ones, not being able to file insurance claims because of the lack of cell service and the total disruption of daily routines are taking a toll on everyone. There’s a sense of fear as well — an armed robbery at a local business and reports of break-ins have left many on edge. But as dark as these days have been, the light in this community shines brighter than ever.
Neighbors have come together in ways that bring tears to my eyes. Strangers helping strangers, families sharing what little they have left. The kindness is impossible to capture fully, but it’s there, at every street corner, in every act of selflessness.
Business owners are opening their doors to offer free services, while churches and organizations are providing meals for those in need. Neighbors not only are helping one another but are connecting more deeply than they have in years.
Children are playing outside in their yards instead of staying indoors with video games. At Citizens Christian Academy, a school in Douglas that suffered significant damage, staff and community members have been feeding linemen, law enforcement officers and National Guard members daily.
Brittany Sturghill Silver, owner of Georgia Waxing and Skin Company, has kept her shop open from noon to midnight every day this week, offering free hot showers, hundreds of meals and even allowing citizens to use her washer and dryer. Westside Holiness Church is serving more than 1,400 hot meals each night.
“Our entire county is facing something none of us were truly prepared for or have ever experienced before,” Chief Deputy Cole said. “The damage caused by Hurricane Helene has been overwhelming for so many. But seeing our community come together to help others, even when they themselves need assistance, shows the deep care people have for Coffee County. It makes me even more proud to call this place my home.”
Coffee County has seen its share of tragedy. But the heart and true strength of this community lies in its people. We’re picking up the pieces, one by one. And we’re doing it together.
Credit: handout
Credit: handout
Kristen Kitchens is the editor and reporter for Daily Coffee Press, a digital news outlet that covers Coffee County and surrounding areas.
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