EMA director urges people to get ready

Anyone in Middle Georgia who isn’t ready for the high winds of Irma should make preparations Sunday night while there is still time, Macon-Bibb Emergency Management Agency Director Spencer Hawkins said in a late-afternoon press conference.

Hawkins said the latest forecast predicts that winds of 40-50 mph sustained winds will begin to hit Bibb County at about 8 a.m. Monday. By 2 p.m. the wind gusts are expected to hit a peak of 55-65 mph, and that will keep up until about 9-10 p.m. Monday.

“What we can expect is that we are going to see downed trees,” he said. “We are going to see power outages and power lines down, and there is a potential for flooding.”

Although there is no curfew in effect for Bibb County, people are urged to stay indoors, in the most inner place in their home.

“Tomorrow is a unique day for us here in the Macon-Bibb County area,” said Fire Chief Marvin Riggins. “We are not used to having sustained winds as high as we anticipate them.”

He asked that people reserve the use of 911 only for life-threatening emergencies. Anyone in need of emergency personnel in a non-life threatening situation should call 832-6300, which is the number for the Macon-Bibb Emergency Management Agency. He said there will be staff on hand to answer that line quickly and route the appropriate personnel.

“Now is the time, it’s here,” Hawkins said. “It’s really important that you take tonight to prepare yourself, your home, your residence for this storm. ...This needs to be done tonight. There will not be time tomorrow.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 5:50 PM with the headline "EMA director urges people to get ready."