UPDATE: Canton Thaws Out From Ice Storm

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The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office is offering assistance to certain residents who need help heating their homes.

A special phone line has been set up at the Cherokee Emergency Operations Center to assist citizens who meet the following criteria:

• residents who are without power and who suffer from a health condition that requires electricity; or
• citizens without power and are unable to heat their homes and need help from public safety officials

More information can be obtained by calling the phone line at 678-493-4268.

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Jay Baker said a few thousand people remain without power throughout the county and “record low” temperatures are around the corner.

“We want to make sure everyone is safe and we don’t want someone who’s power is not restored to freeze to death,“ he added.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Cobb EMC spokesperson Meredith Davis-Zonsius said no members in Cherokee County were without power. As of 1:30 p.m., Amicalola EMC reported 673 of its customers in Cherokee were without power.

• View Amicalola EMC’s power outage map here.

Georgia Power reports about 1,249 of its customers in the county were also without power.

• View Georgia Power’s outage map by clicking here.

Now that the ice storm has moved out of the area, the Cherokee County Marshals Office is reminding residents to be extra cautious about the possibility of price gouging.

County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens on Monday declared a local state of emergency due to the ice storm. With that in mind, the agency in its press release notes ”it is illegal for any person, firm, or corporation doing business in Cherokee County to overcharge for any goods, materials or services,” including housing.

Chief Marshal Ron Hunton said “these business practices will not be tolerated in the county during this time” and encourages anyone to contact the marshal’s office at 678-493-4280 if they feel they have been victimized by any illegal business practice.

Monday’s storm brought down many power lines and trees, and Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services estimates about 10,000 people throughout the county were without power at the height of the storm.

The bulk of the damage from Monday’s winter weather mix occurred north and east of Canton, particularly in Ball Ground and the Macedonia area along S.R. 20/Cumming Highway.

Cherokee fire crews worked throughout the night responding to emergency calls and assisting with clearing the roadways throughout Cherokee County. At approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday, the agency requested additional firefighters to create two chain saw strike teams to assist in gaining access to incident locations.

Cherokee County firefighters also provided oxygen to home patients who were without power. Additionally, Fire Station No. 2, located on Groover Street in Ball Ground, also suffered damage when a tree fell behind the station.

While the winter storm warning issued for Cherokee expired at noon, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing this evening. That means any moisture left on roads and bridges from Monday’s freezing rain and sleet will re-freeze, creating treacherous driving conditions tonight and Wednesday morning.

• Get the forecast for Canton-Sixes here.

Looking ahead to later this week, lows on Wednesday and Thursday are expected to dip to around 15 degrees. The high for Wednesday is slated to be 38 degrees, but Thursday will be bitterly cold with highs only reaching the mid 20s.

The National Weather Service is predicting a 30 percent chance of rain and snow showers Friday afternoon, but that precipitation will turn to all rain by Saturday. Highs on Friday and Saturday will range between the mid 30s to the mid 40s. The low for Friday will remain in the upper 20s, but will bounce back to the low 40s Saturday evening.

Anytime temperatures dip below freezing, Action Church at 271 Marietta Road in Canton will open as a warming shelter. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and meals will be served around 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. For more information, reach out to Action Church officials at 678-357-9948.

Photo credits: Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services