TELFAIR COUNTY, Ga. — As Hurricane Idalia moved through Georgia Wednesday, Telfair County saw many power lines fall in the southern end of the county.
But for some, it was business as usual in McCrae, the largest city in the county.
Piggly Wiggly store manager Randy Widener saw a steady flow of customers in the aisles.
“They're just thanking us for being open and serving the community,” he said.
As Idalia got set to bring its wrath on Telfair County, some folks waited to stock up on storm food.
Kevonte Thomas rattled off his cart and added most of his splurges were last minute.
“Ohh I went and got some eggs some noodles for the kids some oxtails — even if it's going to rain, I'm going to cook for the kids,” he chuckled.
At the McRae-Helena fire station, they took the storm seriously, staffing up and having the gear ready to go within seconds.
Fire Chief Greg Young watched weather reports all day.
“Mainly we're expecting the winds to pick up trees down lines down," he projected.
That's exactly what happened, Telfair County EMA Director Lee Conner told us.
But Young says he wouldn't send his men out in winds above 35 miles an hour except for a life-threatening situation.
It's a serious lesson storms have taught them in the past, Young said.
“Several years ago we were clearing a tree from a roadway and another tree fell and hit one or our people," he explains. "No serious injuries thank goodness."
With Idalia, another firefighter was hit by a tree while responding to the storm, Conner said. He said they are expected to be okay, too.
After the firefighter was hit by a tree during Idalia, they suspended operations until they were sure they could continue the cleanup safely, Conner said.
Young says they follow the same guidelines as school buses and ambulances. They prioritize keeping first responders safe for when you need them.