LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — Hurricane Idalia disrupted life for many people this week in Laurens County.
Bill Laird is the Director of Laurens County's Emergency Management Agency.
He said the worst of the rain and wind passed through town Wednesday afternoon. It may sprinkle though Wednesday night, but he said Laurens County was lucky with this hurricane.
Except for four fallen trees, Laird said nothing was shaken up too much around the county.
He said the highest winds the county got were going 31 mph around 3:00 p.m.
Towards the end of the evening, Laird said he let some of his emergency staff go back to their normal schedules.
He expects business to go on as usual tomorrow.
At Dublin's Hampton Inn and Suites, they were ready to greet everyone who packed them full during the hurricane.
Manager Gina Phillips said their 70 rooms typically fill up during the week, but it was especially full this week because of emergency weather.
They housed emergency management teams, people who traveled up from Florida and some locals who needed a safe place to weather out the storm.
They also temporarily removed their no pet policy, to allow all people and animals to seek shelter there.
"And they don't know what the weather is like there, so they'd rather take shelter than take a chance. If I were in that situation, I wouldn't want to just pack up and leave not knowing where you're going, or if you even a have a place to stay, so it's always welcome to be able to help them," Phillips said.
James Deal is the President and CEO of City of Hope Inc, a non-profit that helps homeless people find stable housing.
He said they provide help to Laurens County's homeless individuals all year around, but especially during emergency weather seasons. His team housed about 25 homeless people in motels this week to keep them out of the elements.
He said some homeless people declined help to get inside during the hurricane for various reasons, including the fear of their encampments being gone when they return.
At Dublin's Veteran Affairs Medical Center, they were ready and prepared to help the community if the weather got bad enough.
Communications Director Dr. Frank Jordan said the weather caused three of their clinics to shut down in Tifton, Albany and Brunswick.
The Dublin clinic, however, was open as usual, and he said their center is one of the safest places you can be during emergency weather.
"We tend to pull together when the worst things happen," Jordan said. "It actually gives us a sense of service. We feel that here when it happens.
The center was built during WW II and the walls are made of granite, making it a sturdy place to ride out the storm.
In past weather emergencies, the centers served as a shelter, taking in people from as far as Savannah.
"We love knowing we can be a beacon, a safe haven for people," Jordan said.
While City of Dublin and Laurens County schools were closed on Wednesday, both expect to be on a normal schedule on Thursday.