Gov. Brian Kemp tours parts of Georgia ravaged by Hurricane Idalia

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Following the days of storm damage from Hurricane Idalia ravaging parts of Florida and Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp traveled south to assess the damage to Georgia communities in the storm’s path.

While in South Georgia, Kemp announced he’d be asking the federal government for disaster assistance to help those impacted by the powerful storm.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan traveled to Valdosta where the governor, and other state officials, got a firsthand look at the damage.

State officials said the storm left widespread damage in its wake and even caused what’s known as a long-track tornado.

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A steady rain fell in Valdosta as the governor and the officials traveling with him toured parts of South Georgia to assess hurricane damage.

“We are thankful this storm was fast-moving, but we are not thankful we had a hurricane in the state of Georgia,” Kemp said during a media briefing.

The governor, First Lady Marty Kemp, and other top state officials went to the hurricane impact zone for Hurricane Idalia after it tore through parts of the state.

On Wednesday, the storm flooded streets, blew down thousands of trees, and pushed hundreds of those trees onto homes and other structures, even blocking roads.

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“Our biggest concerns are getting roads cleared so we can get our power company personnel to places where they can get the power back on,” Kemp said.

The governor told those gathered at the briefing that immediately after the storm, 277,000 households and businesses in Georgia lost power.

That number has fallen to 70,000 in the intervening days.

Damage statewide from the hurricane-turned-tropical storm is estimated to be around $35 million.

The director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Chris Stallings said the state has asked for federal assistance for local governments, businesses, and individuals impacted by the storm.

“We have asked them to do an expedited or immediate individual assistance program,” Stalling said. “We know powerlines need to be repaired, but you as individuals need to recover.”

The governor said there is still a lot of work to do but that it will get done.

One death in Valdosta was attributed to the storm. A man was struck by a falling tree while helping two sheriff’s deputies clear debris from a road. One deputy was also hurt.

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