Hurricane Dorian: State Of Emergency Declared For GA Coast

GEORGIA — As Hurricane Dorian continues to strengthen and take aim for Florida, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a state of emergency for several coastal counties.

The state of emergency is in Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce and Wayne Counties to assist with preparation, response and recovery, Kemp said on Thursday afternoon.

Officials in Georgia are watching and preparing for the storm's potential impact, which may include heavy rain and flooding in south and central Georgia, as well as a potential influx of evacuees from Florida.

The declaration also makes a state law go into effect, prohibiting price gouging in the counties under the state of emergency.

“I urge our citizens to be ready to move very quickly. We still don’t know a lot about the path this storm will take,” Kemp said at a news conference Thursday. “We should know more in the next 24 hours.”

WSB-TV reported that the Georgia Emergency Management Agency will be opening its emergency operations center. GEMA has workers from different agencies who will be there coordinating the response and making sure resources get to the right places, the station said.

The latest update from the National Weather Service regarding Georgia says Hurricane Dorian is forecast to make landfall somewhere along the eastern Florida coastline Monday morning, and eventually move northward, but there are significant differences in the model guidance as to the exact track of the hurricane after three to four days.

Patch is tracking every move of Tropical Storm Dorian. Get all the updates on the storm by subscribing to Patch's free breaking news alerts and daily newsletters.

Georgia Department of Transportation has prepared on a statewide level in partnership with the Governor’s Office, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the National Weather Service and state and local officials. GDOT alone has 860 employees and 1,033 pieces of equipment ready to deploy as needed. Crews are bracing for possible tropical storm or hurricane conditions including torrential rainfall, strong winds with potential for downed trees and power lines and possible tornadoes in the south and coastal regions of the state.

Maintaining roads and bridges is essential before, during and after the storm. GDOT has Special Response Teams ready to deploy, and each region of the state has employees ready to deploy for hurricane preparation and cleanup. In addition, Bridge Inspection teams are at the ready to monitor the potential need for bridge closures in coastal Georgia.

Statewide, Georgia DOT crews are prepared to deploy as needed.

• GDOT’s Transportation Management Center is monitoring traffic conditions statewide. GDOT will stage more heavily concentrated CHAMP patrols on I-75 near the Georgia/Florida border as needed.
• Drivers traveling on interstates and state routes should be wary of the possibility of falling trees due to high winds. GDOT is actively engaged in the removal of trees and overgrown brush along state rights-of-way to mitigate the possibility of falling trees across roadways, a particular danger during hurricanes and tropical storms.
• Drivers should strongly consider using alternate routes besides interstate highways. Often during evacuations, interstates are heavily congested while state routes go largely unused. State routes are a viable alternative to interstates. Consult 511, state maps and way finding apps to determine the best, least congested route to ensure your safe evacuation.
• Due to Labor Day weekend, GDOT previously suspended construction-related lane closures on interstates and major state routes across Georgia from noon Friday, Aug. 30 until 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. These suspensions will be adjusted as needed in the coming days.

Georgia DOT’s maintenance staff and bridge inspectors will be available to regularly patrol the interstates, state roadways and bridges to assist in identifying potential hazards or negative impacts to travel. If flooding occurs, crews will wait until water recedes to assess the situation. If drivers see flash flooding, trees down or other obstructions impeding travel on roadways or bridges, they are urged to contact 511 and speak with an operator to report the incident.

SEE ALSO:

• Dorian Could Be 'Major Hurricane' With Dangerous Storm Surge: NHC
• Tropical Storm Dorian: Georgia Keeping An Eye Storm's Path
• Hurricane Dorian: How This Impacts Labor Day Weekend In GA

The Category 1 hurricane lashed Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Wednesday and could become a Category 3 with winds from 111 to 129 mph, before hitting the United States. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm that appears to be taking aim at the entire state.

"Earlier (Wednesday), it was believed that Hurricane Dorian would move westward into Florida, then turn northeastward and mostly parallel the eastern U.S. coastline," the NWS said. "This would put the forecast area on the 'clean' side of the storm with impacts being mostly limited to heavy rain for the southeastern and eastern portions of the forecast area. However, confidence is increasing that Hurricane Dorian may move into Florida and push northwest into the southeastern Gulf states. This solution is where most models are starting to trend, and would put most if not all of the forecast area into the 'dirty' side of the storm. If this were to occur heavy rainfall, with localized flooding, would become more of a threat with a chance for weak, brief tropical tornadoes. Sustained winds up to 30-35 mph could also be possible for central Georgia if this were to occur."

Heavy winds are expected to batter the Bahamas, Florida and other parts of the southeastern United States by late this week and early next week, forecasters said. Computer models disagree on where Dorian might come ashore, with one putting it close to the Florida-Georgia line and others estimating it will be south of Jacksonville on a path toward Orlando.

The public should monitor local radio and TV stations for the latest details on the path of the storm, weather conditions and possible evacuations. The public may also monitor GDOT's news service, The Network, at http://www.dot.ga.gov/AboutGDOT/TheNetwork for up-to-date information.

For real-time road conditions, call 511 or visit Georgia511. For weather information, visit the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Florida, or the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia. Visit www.dot.ga.gov/DS/Emergency/Hurricane for more information including an Evacuation Route Map.