Worst of Irma now underway for Middle Georgia, EMA officials say

Tropical Storm Irma is bringing her hardest punch to the midstate from early Monday afternoon through the evening.

Middle Georgia has been reeling from the effects of the tropical storm since early Monday morning, but between 2 p.m.-8 p.m. the region will likely face Irma’s strongest winds and possible flash flooding. Macon-Bib County Emergency Management Agency sent out an alert saying to expect wind speeds to reach between 50 and 60 mph for the next several hours as the storm rolls through the area.

The agency is asking people to remain where they are now as a safety precaution.

“This will help keep people safe, and helps keep the roads clear for utility and emergency vehicles to respond to calls,” the update said. “It also reduces the possibility of accidents due to the weather and road conditions.”

By noon Monday more than 500,000 customers in Georgia were without power and there were widespread reports of downed trees.

Georgia Power is reporting 56,000 outages in Central Georgia and 23,000 in Macon-Bibb County.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Worst of Irma now underway for Middle Georgia, EMA officials say."