Polk County ‘mostly spared’ by Hurricane Helene
Polk County crews load up to head to Taylor County (Photo via Polk County BOCC)
BARTOW, Fla. - As coastal Bay Area counties spent Friday assessing the damage from Hurricane Helene, things were relatively normal in Polk County.
"We were blessed," said Paul Womble, Polk County’s Emergency Management director. "We were ready to respond, but the storm mostly spared Polk County."
According to a county spokesperson, there was only one tornado warning in the county Thursday evening, leaving no apparent damage. The top wind speed recorded in Polk was 59 mph in Fort Meade.
Two homes reportedly were damaged by falling trees, but there was no word of injuries.
Less than 6,000 people were without power as of 6 a.m. Friday morning.
RELATED: At least 7 killed in Bay Area during Hurricane Helene
Friday morning, the county sent a 45-person convoy to Taylor County, where Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The multi-agency team will be gone for at least 10 days, likely working 12-hour days to help storm victims.
"In the emergency management world, we always look out for our neighbors," Womble added. "Sometimes, it’s workers from other counties leaving their families behind to come help us, and there are times when we go help our neighbors."