Press Releases

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has announced that the State of Emergency will remain in place through tonight and into tomorrow, as severe winter weather continues to create hazardous conditions across the region. Residents are strongly urged to shelter in place and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Freezing temperatures, icy roads, and challenging conditions remain a threat to public safety. For those who must travel, extreme caution is advised. Residents should avoid low-lying areas, bridges, and other locations prone to freezing.

As a result of the pending inclement weather, DeKalb County offices, senior centers, libraries, recreation centers, the Sanitation Division’s customer service desk and the Planning Department’s One Stop Shop will be closed Thursday, Jan. 23. Public safety and other county employees who are required to maintain critical operations during the inclement weather event should check with their supervisors for instructions.

DeKalb County (the “county”) is now experiencing winter weather in the form of an extreme cold front with dangerously low temperatures, snow and ice accumulation, including black ice on roadways, that could impact the county through Thursday, January 23, 2025, or longer as subfreezing temperatures may continue through the week. The current winter weather conditions may affect the lives and property of the citizens of the county.

In response to unprecedented winter weather conditions, DeKalb County has officially declared a state of emergency effective immediately. CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and county officials are urging all residents to stay off the roads and shelter in place as temperatures remain dangerously low, creating hazardous icy conditions across the region. County road crews have worked tirelessly throughout the night, applying over 500 tons of salt, sand, and calcium chloride to treat roads. Despite these efforts, the extreme cold, which dropped below 14°F, has rendered these treatments largely ineffective.

DeKalb County will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the County’s annual King Day Celebration. The program titled “Mission: Possible; Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365,” will begin at 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 31 at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA. The King Day charge will be delivered by Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.