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Saturday, July 9,1994 "Houston Times-Journai Page 8A - A Georgia State trooper gives direction to a motorist trying to head north on Interstate 75 Wednesday. Aerial, from 1 a alarming scenes on the day was the small groups of observers gathered in areas where law enforement agencies either couldn’t get to, or chose not to stand guard due to a limited number of troopers and a large coverage area. Whether misinformed or simply disregarding warnings by a host of media agencies, some people literally chose to put their lives on the line down on the ground. Armed with camcorders and *pa&/Uo4td- Decidedly Different nn Drawings For The Dress Of Your Choice & Two Gift Certificates 1209 Sunset Ave. Perry Plaza (next to Longhorn’s) 987-2753 Hours: Tue-Wed 10:30 - 5 • Thurs-Sat 10:30 - 6:30 —————— tacty 1107 MORNINGSIDE DR. DAYS CALL: NIGHTS CALL: 987-5441 987-0062 • Computerized State Merit - Forms Available (fHk ° Free Delivery in City Limits YJSSjft# • Durable Medical Equipment = Fax Machine Now Available For Public Use NEED A PRESCRIPTION FILLED? Your Family Independent Pharmacist is a trained professional. He will fill ’ j y° ur prescription promptly and accurately. Count on your friendly Family Independent Pharmacist for quality, trusted prescription service FAMILY INDEPENDENT *’ PHARMACY® BUI Moss cameras, residents or travelers below could be seen wading through knee-deep water along collapsed bridges just to get more in-depth photos for keepsakes. At one point, the GSP helicopter hovered near the bridge in an effort to discourage one man who was standing on a guardrail with a video camera on his shoulder, and a bridge that was near the verge of collapsing ever further. That attempt was to no avail. GSP takes to the road during flood By JIMMY SIMPSON Staff Writer Members of the Georgia State Patrol intercepted cars in a different way here early Wednesday morning, as torrid rains consumed some bridges along Interstate 75 while threatening to engulf others. Some 32 troopers from as many as six surrounding counties and Perry were dispatched to Post 15 here by early morning to offer assistance to both those in uniform and those behind the wheel. Sixteen troopers were placed on 12-hour shifts in an effort to reroute traffic and attempt to help avoid any fatalities. Patrol cars from Cordelc, Valdosta, Douglas, Helena and Dublin arrived throughout the early morning hours. As the bright orange and white roadblocks stared them in the face, motorists traveling north lined the Exit 42 ramp for at least a mile at times pondering their next move due to flood waters that had overtaken a bridge just ahead. Troopers fielded questions ranging from the best alternate Subscribe Today - Call 987-1823 §/k BOTH SOFA & LOVESEAT 9 W pieces ig&ws rSlricerator Features 2 perma-white Ik PA M ■ M B slide-out adjustable 111 shelves, 2 crispers, JSfSP*- ‘ wfl up-front controls & zjftW A H a ■ a ■ reversible textured steel doors. WITHSIDE |||| *IBB Nib B PORTABLE "TAKE-ALONG" •5” Portable Black & White TV Ik *1 Cl • AM/FM Stereo V W h ♦ Detachable Cassette Player With Headphones ‘With approved credit. Terms and prices do not apply to prior purchases. All items in limited quantity and subject to prior sale. | lOlOMamStreei • ii'itv • 9»7-3Dsg^^ routes to travel, to the length of time before the vital link of the interstate would once again be open to motorists. “I’ve seen hurricanes, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” TFC A.D. Mathis said, in between directing cars off the interstate ramp. TFC V.K. Duke, who was called in from Post 13 in Tifton, said that while he had seen portions of the interstate closed for short periods of time, he had never seen an extended closing. “I’ve been with the GSP for 16 years, and I’ve seen 1-75 closed for about an hour before, but to have the road closed off like this is new to me,” said Duke. Meanwhile, back at headquarters, dispatchers were continuously manning four phone lines. One dispatcher, Connie McKenzie, estimated some 300 calls to have come into the office in a one-hour time span. Mathis estimated the number of calls she fielded alone to be around 'gggijji tgjpjj|[| '"AgggmZ BLACK LACQUER f-PjECE BEDROOM J ‘ nr9Bs^9j^^H(/» $348 » 2,400 to 3,000 by late afternoon. While some travelers asked logical questions, others, she said, were expecting mere for tune telling. “Some were asking me how long it was going to continue to rain, and I just told them that we were going to leave that in God’s hands,” McKenzie said. In the air, two pilots stationed at separate posts were continously sweeping the sky to survey roads and bridges that couldn’t be seen from the ground because of limited access to certain areas. Reports were immediately radioed to law enforcement personnel to further assist with traffic in underlying areas. As of press time late Friday, Sargcanl First Class, K.W. Hancock, said that while rains appeared to have diminished and some bridges being passable, officials were still cautioning motorists regarding travel. “The area is still going to be somewhat saturated with troopers, mainly to discourage speeding and encourage safe driving,” Hancock said. “I foresee a problem with roads and bridges, so not only are motorists going to be hampered, but troopers, as well. We’re just going to have to weave around and try to get to wherever it is that we’re needed in some situations.” Hancock said that there will continue to be parts of roadways that are going to continue to deteriorate, adding that drivers should use “extreme caution”. “Obey any barracades that are set up- they are there for a reason,” he said. “Some of the bridges are free of water, but they still have to be inspected.” There were no fatalities reported in Houston County, but Hancock said deaths in surrounding counties should be warning enough that accidents can happen. “Anyone living in low lying areas where there are rivers or streams nearby need to be extremely cautious,” Hancock said. 200-LB. CAPACITY «. and lid, one adjustable thermostat. W 299