Oconee County Georgia Emergency Management Agency

05/06/2026

This is a line of vehicles on the side of the road. They happen to belong to several Oconee County Volunteer Firefighters who gave up their evening to serve our fellow citizens.

We are fortunate to live and work in a special place filled with generous and giving people.

05/05/2026

We are thankful for the beginning of the Oconee County EMS and the work Jaron will do to make it successful!

Oconee County Government has appointed Jaron Queen as the county’s first Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director tasked with leading the development of a county‑operated ambulance service. The launch of an in-house ambulance service reflects the county’s long‑term commitment to enhancing e...

03/15/2026

I’ve been on a webinar about the weather tomorrow, Monday, March 16, 2026.

Based on the latest information from the National Weather Service, it looks like all the crazy weather will make it south and east of I-85 at 7:00 AM with all threats taking place between 3:00-10:00 AM.

35 MPH wind gusts are expected with 15-20 MPH sustained. Expect tree limbs down with some power outages. If this occurs, road blockages could be likely prior to sunrise.

I appreciate a good insult to injury, and I know you do too. Soooo, as if the above is not enough, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the temps will be in the 20s.

The worst thing about this event is that it will occur while most folks are asleep. While I don’t think anything will happen that is a threat to homes, please be aware that your dead trees and tree limbs could decide to come snuggle with you during crazy wind. And if any hail occurs, that new roof you’ve wanted for so long could become a reality.

02/05/2026

It’s foggy AF out. With that tidbit of news, I would like to ask of you a few things.

First, please don’t call us and report smoke in an area unless it’s actually smoke. We don’t mind checking on smoke, but we don’t need to check on fog.

Secondly, please slow down because visibility is reduced. Generally, low beam headlights work best instead of high beams. If you’re in a Jeep that only has the options of high beams or blinders, then proceed as you normally would.

This fog will go away and all will be well. We made it through ice and snow, so this shouldn’t be an issue. I promise you it’s not a real live version of The Mist.

Oh yeah, AF means A lot of Fog. This stuff is thick like it is in the mountains.

02/01/2026

Please note that Oconee County GEORGIA Schools will be in session on Monday February 2.

There’s another Oconee Schools that won’t be in session tomorrow. That is not us.

Oconee County Schools will operate on a normal schedule on Monday, February 2, 2026.

Thank you to the Oconee County crews for clearing roads and OCS maintenance and transportation staff for their hard work in preparing our campuses.

We look forward to seeing our students and staff on Monday.

02/01/2026

Pretty good forecasting for our area. I’m glad that’s over. Now let’s cheer on ole General Beauregard to see no shadow.

02/01/2026

Good Evening, Oconee County. I have something to tell you.

First, I’m thankful that the winter weather today hasn’t been as bad as it could have been. We’ve had snow, wind, and ridiculous cold temperatures, but at least we haven’t had widespread power outages.

Today has left behind an evening of sub-freezing temperatures, blowing snow, and frozen road surfaces.

Most folks have stayed off the road. A few have asked online about the roads. Let me describe them the best way I know how. I grew up in the mountains. The old building where I attended middle school had tile floors that were meticulously maintained by amazing custodial staff. Every summer, they would put a massive coat of wax on the tile floors that would last all year. As those of us my age know, those old tile floors with wax could get a bit slippery if there’s any moisture introduced to them. Imagine those tile floors when it gets to be cold season covered in freshly applied snot rockets. And rainy day water. That’s how slick some of the road surfaces are in Oconee County.

Icy surfaces do not discriminate. This applies to all vehicles. Your super duper razor whatever side-by-side, mall crawler, pavement princess, clapped out pickup, golf cart, tractor-trailer, or whatever other means of conveyance you can imagine. Those icy surfaces can and will sneak up on you.

Please don’t travel unless you need to. I wouldn’t be out and about at all unless my job or livelihood depended on it, and I’ll ask you to do the same until this mess clears.

01/30/2026

Y’all leave a little bread and milk for the rest of us if you don’t mind.

01/30/2026

The amount of forecasted snow for Oconee County area keeps increasing.

It looks like the possibility of throwing snowballs and building a snowman is also increasing, so it's not all gloom and doom.

01/29/2026

This is exactly what I just sent to Oconee County Division Directors, cities, and other response partners:

Good Afternoon.

Here's what I took from the weather presentation we heard today for this coming weekend:

-A Winter Storm Watch covers Oconee County until Monday
-Sustained winds up to 25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph possible
2-4 inches of snow likely beginning around daybreak on Saturday and ending around sunset
-COLD! The temperature will fall below freezing around 3:00 Saturday morning and will not rise above freezing until mid-afternoon on Sunday for a few hours
-Temperature will not likely rise above freezing long enough for accumulations to clear

What does this mean?

-Travel impacts are likely due to frozen road surfaces
-With supplies of ice melting salt having been depleted, walking surfaces including parking lots may have ice accumulation and will present with opportunities for injuries due to slips and falls
-Water pipes and commercial sprinklers could freeze if not properly insulated
-The low temperature of 15 degrees and windchill in single digits will make it a bit uncomfortable outside unless you're a Polar Bear