Deal: Heed warnings as dangerous Hurricane Irma approaches

Gov. Nathan Deal says latest forecasts for Hurricane Irma mean it’s likely the number of counties under a state of emergency will be expanded.

Deal was joined by other state officials during a Friday morning press conference about the preparations for Irma and resources available to the public. Officials warned that the impact of the hurricane will probably be significant for sections of Georgia.

Radar models on Friday morning show the hurricane on track to move more westward into Georgia, meaning Middle Georgia may be feel more of Irma’s wrath than forecasts showed late Thursday.

The storm has weakened to a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, but it is still a major hurricane anticipated to hit southern Florida and track through the middle of the Sunshine State.

In Georgia, people living in coastal areas and counties that border Florida should heed warnings to move to safer areas, state officials said.

And residents from other areas of the state should also be prepared for a dangerous storm.

“I want to caution all Georgian that just because the weather now may appear to be calm, do not take that for granted,” Deal said. “This is a rapidly moving hurricane and the weather and consequences of that hurricane can change dramatically within a short period of time.”

He later added, “This is a dangerous hurricane. The aftermaths of the hurricane will probably be significant.”

Currently, Deal has issued a state of emergency for 30 Georgia counties and authorized the activation of up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members. Evacuation orders were also issued for areas east of I-95 and other parts of the state’s coast, including Savannah.

Deal said people need to take the evacuation orders seriously.

“Don’t take chances. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations,” Deal said. “If you are in a mandatory evacuation area, evacuate.”

And to help the flow of evacuees along Georgia’s roadways, traffic on I-16 from Savannah to Dublin will flow in the opposite direction. Starting Saturday at 8 a.m. people traveling on those lanes will be going westbound.

Also, the express lanes along I-75 heading into Atlanta are free and open to everyone. About 50 percent of those people using those lanes Thursday were people from Florida, said Russell McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation.

“It’s going to be slow go,” he said. “Please pack your patience. Hurricane evacuation routes are not meant to be interstate speed.”

Evacuees should have backup plans for their route and destination before leaving their homes, Department of Public Safety Col. Mark McDonough.

He also warned people to not drive over standing water and to avoid walking by downed power lines. Some of the Hurricane Harvey related deaths in Texas resulted from people driving their vehicles through water.

“Do not drive into standing or moving water,” McDonough said. “the majority of fatalities that occurred in that state … were people driving into water,”

While shelters are opening across Georgia, state parks are also preparing to hold thousands of people if needed, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Williams said.

“Ultimately between our lodging capabilities and overflow camping, we’ll have capacity for over 10,000 people,” he said.

The coordination between local, state and federal agencies and other partners has been critical as Georgia prepares for Irma, public safety officials said Friday.

Emergency responders have increased their staffing and GDOT is deploying a large number of vehicles that can assist people along roads. Law enforcement agencies are alert and efforts will be made to get utility company workers into areas as quickly as possible should issues arise, state officials said Friday.

The Department of Public Health is also working with hospitals to move patients from areas as needed. That’s already meant moving premature and intensive care babies from Savannah to Atlanta and Macon.

“We’re going to get through this,” Deal said. “We are resilient state. We have been through similar things before.”

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Deal: Heed warnings as dangerous Hurricane Irma approaches."