Hurricane Irma: Cherokee County Braces For High Winds, Downpours

CANTON, GA -- While the direct path of Hurricane Irma remains up in the air, officials in Cherokee County are wasting no time in coming up with a game plan in the event the storm bears down on metro Atlanta. Officials with local governments, including police, fire and emergency management, are closely watching the path of the storm and have already sketched out preliminary plans on how to respond to whatever Irma decides to dump on the Peach State.

In the county seat of Canton, the Public Works Department has a slew of machinery -- chipper, chipper truck, dump trucks, vac-truck, chainsaws and street sweepers -- prepared, sharpened and ready to roll out if the city receives wind damage that could pull down trees and/or limbs, said City Manager Billy Peppers. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Peppers also said city employees have been working on cleaning out storm drains across the city, especially those residing in low-lying levels to help with the expected heavy downpours. Other actions include testing back-up generators to ensure essential functions of city government remain operational in the event of a power outage; working with contractors at Utility Partners to ensure water and waste water systems are performing at "peak service"; monitoring reports from the National Weather Service, FEMA and GEMA; and utilizing social media and media partners to inform the public of any major threats, road and park closures and other emergencies.

Analysis: Irma's 'Cone Of Uncertainty' Is Massive

"We are confident in the work of our staff, equipment, and fleet and are willing to and able to meet the needs of the community in partnership with the county and our sister cities to serve the citizens during this potential weather threat," the city manager stated.

The latest briefing issued at noon Thursday by the National Weather Service shows Hurricane Irma remains a Category 5 storm, and is moving WNW at 16 mph. The briefing notes this trend is expected to continue for the next 48 to 72 hours and the impact to Georgia is still four to six days away. In Cherokee County, residents can expect tropical storm force winds expected on Monday and up to 2 inches of rain between Monday and Wednesday.

Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday added 24 Georgia counties to the six along the Atlantic coast that were already under a state of emergency. Hampton's Atlanta Motor Speedway is open to campers who need a place to stay, while the metro's hotels are nearly full of people fleeing the storm.

Holly Springs stormwater staff were dispatched this week to inspect catch basis, culverts and other structures throughout the city to make sure they are up to the task of handling downpours, said City Manager Rob Logan. Logan also stated city Public Works crews have ensured that all equipment is "fueled, serviced and ready to go in the event of storm damage."

Like Canton, Holly Springs has a new generator for its municipal complex to ensure its services remain open if a power outage were to blanket the city. Holly Springs police have vehicles and equipment ready to respond to calls and, of course, the city will use its website, media outlets and social media accounts to keep its citizens inform of any emergencies.

Officials in Ball Ground are also keeping an eye on things. City Manager Eric Wilmarth said the city has two buildings -- the community center and gym -- where they have a standing agreement with the American Red Cross to use for shelters.

"So although we don’t open then ourselves, we have an agreement in place that if the Red Cross needs the buildings, we open them up immediately and the Red Cross staffs the locations," he added.

Wilmarth added Ball Ground crews have also cleaned out storm drains in known problem areas and knowing that wind could be a problem, they are also using the rest of the week to test emergency backup equipment on its water and sewer system to ensure utilities function regardless of whether electricity remains up and running.

In Woodstock, city officials and staff are also routinely monitoring the weather forecast and are working with the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency, spokesperson Brittany Duncan said.

Woodstock Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments are checking the city's backup power resources for its facilities and have also prepped vehicles and equipment that will be needed to respond to storm cleanup and disaster relief.

Woodstock firefighters have also visited all assisted care and nursing home facilities in the city to ensure their evacuation plans are current and known "should the need to do so arise," Duncan added. The agency is also adding two quick-response vehicles to its fleet. These vehicles, she added, are equipped with medical supplies as well as chainsaws. Woodstock police officers are also gearing up to increase staffing in an bid to accommodate the possible increase in call volumes and additional patrols in response to evacuees arriving in the city.

"While on patrol this morning, Woodstock police officers noticed a high presence of South Florida guests to our local hotels," Duncan added. "We are performing extra routine patrols of our hotels to ensure the safety and security of their vehicles as well as personal belongings. We encourage our residents and guests to remain vigilant. If you see something suspicious, say something and call 9-1-1."

Other actions taken by the city including its Office of Economic Development and Downtown Development Authority working with the State Visitors Center on hotel availability in the city.

Renee Cornelison, the director of the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency, said while it does not have any plans to open a shelter at the moment, there are plans in place officials could follow to open one "fairly quickly" if that need becomes a reality.

At this point, local officials are communicating with partners and the public through email and social media.

"We have gotten several phone calls and emails already," she said, adding the county continues to urge the public to monitor the forecast and make sure they are prepared. "Although we don’t know what the actual impacts will be for us in Cherokee, now is the time for everyone to prepare."

So, here's what you can do to prepare for Hurricane Irma's wrath:

• Make sure you have more than one way to receive a severe weather warning such as NOAA Weather Radio, CodeRED, or an app on your smart phone.
• Have a disaster plan and disaster kit with enough supplies for your family and pets.
• Make sure you know what you will do during a power outage (especially if you are oxygen dependent or require refrigerated medicine).
• Don’t wait until the winds start blowing to decide what to do to keep yourself and your family safe.

Cherokee County residents, including those in the city, are strongly encouraged to subscribe to CodeRed to receive emergency notifications. That can be done by clicking here. You can also learn more about the program on the Cherokee County EMA website.

For its part, the Cherokee County School District is monitoring severe weather forecasts and the possible impact the storms could have on its schools, spokesperson Barbara Jacoby said.

The district's emergency operations facilitator participates in National Weather Service debriefings and communicates with the county Emergency Operations Center.

"In anticipation of Hurricane Irma, our support services staff has prepared generators and other emergency equipment and checked school campuses for any tree line issues," Jacoby added.

Information on how the district will notify parents of any school closures, early dismissals or delays can be found on its website.

Image via National Weather Service