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Hey, good morning, Manascha. This is Mayor Austin Hammond. I just wanted to take a moment

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to check in and see how folks are doing and also offer some updates. I want to start by

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sharing that my heart goes out to you. And just I want to acknowledge how difficult the

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last day has been for our community with the significant weather, the tornado that have

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caused significant damage to private property to homes, public infrastructure, public spaces,

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like our parks and local businesses. I just want you to know that my heart goes out to

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you and I see you and I hear you and I just want you to know that I care and I care a

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lot. And just wanted to start by acknowledging how difficult the last day has been shortly

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after the storm came through yesterday. I and our team coordinated the EOC and started

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gathering together to work towards organizing and coordinating with other municipalities,

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the sheriff's office, county executives office, state agencies, nonprofits, businesses, anybody

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and everybody to make sure that we are providing for our residents and working through this

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difficult situation. At four PM yesterday, I also declared a local state of disaster

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for the city of Manascha as pursuant to the city of Manascha code, which allows for it.

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This is a very significant and serious situation and our staff has been working tirelessly

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around the clock working through this. And we are working very closely with neighboring

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municipalities and other agencies and established checkpoints within the city of Manascha to

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make sure folks that are not from the city of Manascha are not coming in and to keep

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our roads safe so our utilities can get worked on as there are many power lines down and

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that our public works can work towards clearing the roads. But ultimately to make sure first

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responders are able to get through safely to check in on residents. So I know it's probably

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been frustrating with the checkpoints at different areas throughout the city, but folks that's

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for your safety, all of our safety to make sure people that aren't supposed to be in

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and might be interested in coming in the midst of a significant weather event like this don't

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make sure first responders are able to get through effectively as well as first responders

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from neighboring communities that are here to help. And that's another thing. I just want

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to take a moment to acknowledge that there's been a lot of hardship and sacrifice that's

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already happened within our community. But I'm asking as a neighbor, as mayor, that the

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community comes together in partnership, and we look out for one another and we look for

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opportunities to serve each other. And just that there's going to be difficulty and sacrifice

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that needs to be had as the coming days and weeks continue and utilities work to get the

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power back up and work through some logistics with our municipal water as we are relying on the

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city of Nina for our water right now. Public works continues to work towards clearing our roads.

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Other agencies are going to come in to help through mutual aid agreement and different things

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like that. And like I said, we've been working very closely with the village of Fox crossing

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city of Nina, went to Baco County County executive's office this year's department and building

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very collaborative partnerships. I want to extend a huge thank you to everybody that has opened

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their doors graciously for shelter or charging even if just temporarily during business hours.

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It's made a world of difference. So our main shelter is at Christ the Rock Church.

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Folks can pick up water at Pigly Wiggly in the city of Manascha. There's been remarkable

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generosity with donating bottles of water. Catholic Revival Church also has a charging

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station and a cooling station for people. I just want to say that I've been overwhelmed

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with the generosity of our community and folks coming together to ask how they can help

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their we are working with partnership Fox cities who will have a link to update and coordinate how

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volunteer efforts can be made and donations and different things like that.

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Folks just for updates, please continue to check official city of Manascha. Facebook pages,

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the website, emergency management, the county just want to take this opportunity just as a

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reminder. This is my personal Facebook. I will absolutely keep updating it and providing updates

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throughout this, but this does not constitute a official city of Manascha outlet. My personal

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page, but as mayor, I will do my best to keep you updated and share that pertinent and important

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information as I always do. But Manascha, I know that things are incredibly difficult right now

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and there's so much loss in this moment, but I just want you to know that I care and I see you

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and we're going to get through this. It's going to be a difficult coming days and weeks,

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but Manascha is a strong and resilient community and we will come out stronger at the end and I

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know that it's hard to imagine that right now with all of the hardship that's going on. But

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we will get through this together asking for your partnership. Let's look out for one another

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in our neighbors and look for ways to help each other. Please adhere to guidelines that are being

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put in place and rules. I know that there's been so much hardship already, but I really need you.

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We need each other, whether it's a curfew getting established with us checkpoints. It's for everybody

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safety and make sure we're moving in a good and positive direction. And

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again, just want to extend my sincere thanks to the City of Manascha staff. We have remarkable

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people that work for this community and are so blessed to have them. Thank you to our first

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responders. Thank you to our local municipalities. Thank you to the business community and non-profits

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and other agencies that have been reaching out to help our local electeds in the state legislature

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and everywhere else that have been checking in. Thank you so much, Manascha. We will get

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through this together. Praying for you, thinking of you, and I just want you to be

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reminded that your city staff is working around the clock. We're working in shifts to make sure we

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are working through the aftermath of the storm. So we will get through this.