‘Please prepare now,’ Georgia forecaster warns of ‘extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Irma

Forecasters might not know exactly where Hurricane Irma will hit, but they know it is a “potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane.”

The storm that is tracking west toward the Leeward Islands is expected to remain a powerful storm as it moves closer to southern Florida.

Several forecast computer models show the storm taking a turn to the north, riding the spine of the Sunshine State.

“It’s trending somewhat toward the state of Georgia and that concerns us,” National Weather Service lead forecaster Jason Deese said in his Tuesday morning briefing in Peachtree City. “Please prepare now.”

Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency Director Spencer Hawkins is watching the latest advisories.

“I don’t think you need to start boarding up windows yet,” Hawkins said at about noon Tuesday, but he is urging people to have disaster plans in place.

Have emergency kits on hand, prepare to be without electricity and talk to your family about the potential threats.

Deese said that the major hurricane is expected to begin impacting the southern sections of Florida as early as Saturday morning and influence Georgia’s weather early next week.

No one knows for sure what will happen, but forecasters are warning for the potential of extreme wind, heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes.

Severe weather conditions will be widespread because of the size of this hurricane.

“With Irma being a Category 5, an especially powerful storm, it’s going to hold onto a lot of its strength and could impact us here,” Hawkins said.

If Irma does track north through or near Florida, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean could continue to fuel its intensity.

Deese also warned that high pressure will be building over the state, which will pretty much guarantee Georgia will see high winds and extensive downed trees given the moist soils from adequate rainfall.

Macon-Bibb County EMA will continue to update conditions on its Facebook page and Twitter account. On its recently upgraded website www.maconbibb.us/ema/ a disaster template can be downloaded for people to begin preparing in the days before the storm hits.

Hawkins suggests everyone have on hand plenty of water, flashlights, batteries and non-perishable food items.

Fittingly, September is National Preparedness Month and additional safety information can be found at Ready.gov.

Macon-Bibb County’s focus this week is “making emergency plans.”

Hurricane season, which runs from June 1- Nov. 30, is at its peak after devastating Hurricane Harvey has caused a lot of damage in Texas.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 2:55 PM with the headline "‘Please prepare now,’ Georgia forecaster warns of ‘extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Irma."