BULLOCH COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) – Bulloch County is still reeling from the aftermath of Debby. Now the county is allocating $5 million to begin road repairs, ahead of any FEMA funds.

“I was just amazed at the damage. But I was also amazed at how our district staff responded,” said District Manager Tom Couch.

On Monday, Bulloch County Commissioners approved a $5 million emergency plan, with the county allocating local funds in lieu of potential FEMA assistance.

“Seventy-five percent of the funds will come from our T-SPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Fund) reserves. And the remaining 25 percent is basically our emergency fund from the general fund that generates property taxes,” Couch said.

Repair costs for the washout of a box culvert on Nevils Denmark Road are expected to be several hundred thousand dollars, and that’s not the only project the county has planned. There are also plans to repair dams, bridges and dirt roads throughout the county to get residents back to work.

According to emergency services, there were six damaged dams and 11 whitewater rescues involving 80 people. The EMA team began investigating individual homes and has so far investigated 159 homes. Thirteen bridges have been closed because of Debby and inspectors say three bridges may still be unstable. The work will take between 90 and 120 days, depending on weather conditions. County officials are also citing emergency procurement requirements.

“We have to change course very quickly if we want to keep important elements of our economy and school transport running at all and at least on time,” said Couch.

They are waiting for a declaration from the President that the storm is a disaster before FEMA can intervene.

“I know we’ll have some FEMA representatives coming by this Friday to talk to our emergency manager and other personnel,” Couch said.

According to Couch, the total cost is around $10 million. In the meantime, the damage is still being assessed.

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