But the preliminary losses were substantial.
And the older documents from the Black man's father demonstrated that similar discrepancies had been identified more than a decade earlier.
The pattern had continued because the people responsible for oversight failed to address it.
Some had been careless.
Some had been intimidated.
Others had benefited.
The investigation was no longer just about a sheriff burning papers beside a highway.
It was about a system that had rewarded silence for years.
And that system was about to face its first genuine test.
The test came six weeks later, when a powerful line of thunderstorms crossed northern Georgia.
Weather forecasts had warned of damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and possible tornadoes.
For most residents, the warnings meant checking flashlights, moving outdoor furniture, and making sure their phones were charged.
For the county's emergency management office, the storms presented a more serious concern.
The ongoing equipment review had revealed deficiencies in several backup communications systems. Some could be corrected immediately. Others required replacement parts, independent testing, or temporary arrangements with neighboring counties.
The new acting county administrator, appointed after the original administrator was placed on leave, had ordered emergency managers to take the findings seriously.
He authorized independent technical inspections.
He also asked regional agencies to establish temporary communications procedures while the county's equipment was being repaired.
The Black man was not in charge of those operations.
His role remained limited to the compliance review, and he was careful not to assume responsibilities that belonged to emergency personnel.
But his report had helped identify equipment that needed attention.
And when the storms arrived, those corrections mattered.
Shortly after four in the afternoon, lightning struck a power line near the northern edge of Oak Haven.
Several communities lost electricity.
A communications relay switched to backup power.
One of the older units failed to start.
Under the county's previous documentation, the relay should have been supported by a system that provided several hours of emergency operation.
But the independent review had discovered that the supposedly installed backup unit could not be verified.
A temporary replacement had been arranged only days earlier.
When the primary backup failed, the replacement activated.
The regional communications center remained connected.
Emergency calls continued moving through the system.
At a rural intersection, deputies responded to a fallen tree.
At a small medical clinic, staff maintained contact with an ambulance dispatcher.