Due to severe weather forecast for Tuesday, September 12, Gwinnett County trials and hearings are cancelled. In general, other Gwinnett County Government offices, including the Tax Commissioner’s Office, will be open during normal business hours from 8:00am to 5:00pm. 

County senior centers will open for walk-ins; however, transportation to senior centers will not be available.

County parks will be open, although all natural fields and natural surface trails will be closed. Please check back for updates.

All Gwinnett County Public Library branches and administrative offices will be closed. Digital resources and materials are available 24/7 at www.gwinnettpl.org.

Solid waste services in unincorporated Gwinnett County are cancelled for Tuesday. Updates will be posted when available. Residents who live in a city should contact their city to find out if trash and recycling service will be delayed due to the weather.

Gwinnett County Transit will not run express service and will delay local and paratransit service until 10:00am except for scheduled dialysis trips. Local service will start delayed as follows:

Route 10A Leave Sugarloaf Mills Park & Ride 9:30am, Leave Doraville 9:35am
Route 10B Leave Sugarloaf Mills Park & Ride 9:45am, Leave Doraville 9:50am
Route 20 Leave Beaver Ruin 9:50am, Leave Doraville 9:50am
Route 30 Leave Live Oak 9:23am, Leave Transit Center 9:20am
Route 35 Leave Forum 9:50am, Leave Doraville 9:55am
Route 40 Leave Five Forks 9:25am, Leave Transit Center 9:20am

The 10:00am start time is subject to road conditions so please check the county website for possible updates. 

GCT is expected to return ‎to normal service on Wednesday September 13.

For information about school closings or delays in Gwinnett, please visit the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ website or the Buford City Schools website. 

Continue to check www.gwinnettcounty.com or follow Gwinnett Police on Twitter (@GwinnettPd) for continued updates.

Stay safe after Irma’s gone, watch out for powerlines and flooded streets

The opportunities for injury after a storm are long and potentially fatal, but two – flooded streets and downed powerlines – are often avoidable hazards.

Flooded roads can be an easily under-estimated threat that repeatedly proves lethal. Gauging the depth of fast-moving water can be difficult but it only takes 12 to 18 inches of water to wash away a car. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven in floodwaters.

Here are some tips for avoiding becoming a flood victim:

• Avoid areas already flooded, especially if the water is flowing fast. Do not attempt to cross flowing streams.
• Road beds may be washed out under flood waters. Never drive through flooded roadways. If your vehicle is suddenly caught in rising water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.
• Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly during threatening conditions.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.

Powerlines are another hazard that kills people after the storm has passed. So what should you do if you come across powerlines draped across the road or lying in a yard?

• Always, always, always assume the wires are energized and stay as far away as you can. Energized lines can charge the ground near the point of contact and could electrocute you. Power lines can carry up to 700,000 volts although most fatal accidents occur with wires transmitting only a few hundred volts.
• Call 911. Let utility professionals and emergency personnel handle the situation.
• Do not drive over downed power lines. Even if they’re not energized, downed wires can get entangled with your vehicle and cause further damage.
• Rubber gloves or shoes will not protect you from electrocution.
• If a power line is touching your vehicle, stay in your vehicle unless it is on fire, or you know for sure that the line is de-energized.
• Do not let anyone else touch your vehicle if a powerline is touching it. Ask them to call 911.

For more information about these and other safety-related topics, visit the Gwinnett Safety 411 webpage.

Gwinnett County has activated its Emergency Operations Center, which is being staffed by virtually every department in the county and most cities as well as the state and federal government. The EOC will be operational through the night, coordinating responses to calls for help and ensuring resources are dispatched where needed.

County departments, including police and fire, are calling in extra staff to ensure roads are open and the public safety is assured.