The City of Thomasville advises its residents on key preparations ahead of Hurricane Idalia's imminent approach to the Thomasville region. Please continue to monitor this storm and heed all warnings and watches. Rain will continue throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, and residents are urged to stay inside as conditions are expected to worsen beginning at 8 am Wednesday. For safety purposes, the City of Thomasville and Thomas County will enforce a curfew beginning at 9 pm on Wednesday. Citizens are also urged to keep the following in mind:
- Stay Informed: Regularly monitor the storm's progress and adhere to all issued warnings and watches. New Covenant Church (48 Patterson Still Spur) will be opening a community shelter at 6 pm today.
- Emergency Response Limitations: If wind speeds reach 39 mph, the City will prioritize the safety of its personnel by ceasing the operations of response vehicles. This means there will be a temporary halt in emergency response services including police, fire, public works, and utility crews.
- Community Solidarity: Please check on neighbors, especially the elderly, ensuring they're well-prepared.
- Medical Requirements: If anyone in your household relies on continuous electricity due to medical needs, the City might not be able to address outages promptly. It's recommended to find alternative shelter that can cater to these requirements.
- Water Services: City of Thomasville Water customers will have their water supply even during power outages. Well users should stock up on bottled water.
- Downed Utilities Caution: Stay away from fallen utility poles or wires. Always treat them as “live” in case we suffer extensive storm impact leading to prolonged downtimes.
- Safe Use of Alternatives: If using generators or candles during outages, ensure utmost safety. Generator users should disconnect the main breaker to ensure the safety of utility workers.
- Reporting Outages: Report all power and CNSNext service outages to our dedicated Outage Reporting Line at 229-227-5499. Avoid reporting outages to our social media pages. Tville TextAlert is available for registered users to report outages via text. Due to the expected high call volume, the auto attendant might be activated. Our utility outage map can be viewed here.
- Post-Storm Traffic: Once the storm subsides and it's safe, treat intersections with non-functioning traffic signals as four-way stops.
City of Thomasville offices will be closed Wednesday. Staff and utilities crews will be on call and working throughout the storm. Citizens should also continue to monitor the latest forecast and local emergency management information through the following websites: National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service Tallahassee.