How bad could it get for Georgia as Hurricane Florence inches closer to East Coast?

Hurricane Florence weakened to a Category 2 hurricane Thursday but continued lurching a destructive path toward the Carolinas and the East Coast.

The “life-threatening” storm, which was about 300 miles across Wednesday, prompted Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to issue an emergency declaration for the entire state Wednesday afternoon.

“In light of the storm’s forecasted southward track after making landfall, I encourage Georgians to be prepared for the inland effects of the storm as well as the ensuing storm surge in coastal areas,” the governor said. “I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in the path of Hurricane Florence.”

President Donald Trump and Deal have spoken about ensuring any emergency needs are ready, ABC News reported. Trump urged Georgians to “be ready, be prepared” as the storm crept closer Wednesday morning.

Where is Hurricane Florence?



Hurricane Florence was approximaely 100 miles out from WIlmington, N.C., early Thursday afternoon and moving West, according to the National Hurricane Center.

How wide is Hurricane Florence?

Tropical-force winds extended about 200 miles from the center of the storm in either direction early Thuesday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center, with hurricane force winds extending about 80 miles from the center.

When will Hurricane Florence hit land?

The storm, which brings winds of 110 mph and stronger, is expected to make landfall near the coastal borders of North and South Carolina sometime late Thursday evening or Friday morning and begin pummeling the area with rain and wind, according to the National Hurricane Center.’

A dangerous scenario is that Florence could linger or “stall” in the area for more than 20 hours, risking “catastrophic” flooding, before taking a southwesterly track across mainland South Carolina and toward north Georgia.

The weakened storm, by then a tropical depression, is then projected to veer northeast, although by then the forecast becomes very uncertain.

Will Hurricane Florence hit Atlanta?

It’s hard to say. National Hurricane Center predictions show a possible track for Florence turning into a tropical depression by Sunday morning and moving west into northeast Georgia, but the exact path and strength is not predicatble this far out. Current models show the weakened storm pushing into Georgia at least briefly, then veering north and dissipating over time.

Is Georgia in danger or under evacuation orders?

No parts of Georgia are under an official hurricane watch or warning, but the National Weather Service in Atlanta said there “remains a chance for eastern Georgia to see tropical storm force winds and heavy rainfall associated with this storm.”

There were no storm surge warnings or watches in effect for Georgia, and no evacuations were ordered.

“Much uncertainty remains regarding the progress of Florence so exact impacts across southeast South Carolina and southeast Georgia are uncertain. Significant impacts including excessive rainfall and strong winds are possible,” the National Weather Service wrote.

Heavy winds from the storm are expected to begin hitting the Georgia coast Thursday night, and will move inland overnight and through Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

In Chatham County on Georgia’s coast, residents were cautiously preparing to secure their homes and were encouraged to set up emergency kits, The Savannah Morning News reported. Evacuees from the Carolinas have booked hotel rooms throughout the state, and some are staying at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

“In the beginning, the hotels tell us that people from the Georgia coast were calling to book, but because of the way the storm shifted, there were cancellations,” a tourism official told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.. “But just as quickly as those cancellations were happening, they were filling up with people from the Carolinas looking for alternatives.”

How can I watch a livestream of the storm?

Check out this list of livestream options from coastal cameras the storm moves closer.

This story was originally published September 13, 2018 at 8:11 AM.