Very Little Damage Reported In Savannah Monday: Hurricane Irma

SAVANNAH, GA — As of Monday morning, Irma is 176 miles from Chatham and moving north-northwest at 18 mph. The tropical storm warning issued Sunday for Savannah remains in effect. The entire state is also under a flash flood watch, the National Weather Service states. (Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

County officials report widespread power outages and rapidly changing conditions that make driving dangerous in downtown and midtown Savannah. However, very little damage is reported at this time. There are some branches in the road, but there are very few trees down at this time, officials say.

There are also very few trees down and minimal street flooding. The intersection of Windsor and Woodley roads on Southside is closed due to flooding, officials said. River Street is well below street level down from City Hall and is experiencing strong wind and heavy rain.

Watch: Hurricane Irma Weakens To A Tropical Storm, But It's Still Dangerous

Still, county officials are urging residents to stay indoors. Residents who did not evacuate are urged to shelter in place and avoid the roads. If you do go outside, pay attention and approach intersections with caution.

Residents are asked to call 311 to report downed trees and power lines, although it is running with limited capacity because of technical issues. If you get a busy signal, please hang up and try again or use the online form here.

Please only call 911 for emergencies that require an immediate response from first responders, county officials said. At this time, Savannah's police, fire and EMS services have not been suspended.

Highway 80 will remain closed for about one to two hours after high-tide mark Monday. High tide is at about 12:30 p.m., so residents can expect the bridge to open around 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

The storm was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane early Monday morning as it departed Florida and entered southern Georgia near Albany. The center of Tropical Storm Irma will move into southern Georgia this afternoon while steadily weakening, forecasters said. Flash flooding will be possible, with the highest chance occurring across southeast Georgia.

Here's what The National Weather Service predicts for Monday:

Monday Afternoon: Tropical storm conditions. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall.

Monday Night: Showers, mainly before 11pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 69. Breezy, with a south wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 14 to 19 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Here's the latest on what you need to know as Tropical Storm Irma churns through Savannah:

• All Savannah-Chatham County public schools will remain closed through Wednesday.
• Hurricane Irma weakens to a tropical storm, but it's still dangerous.
• Major universities such as the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Kennesaw State University, Emory University and the University of West Georgia are also closed for business and classes.
• Social media users are losing it over the news of a tropical storm warning blanketing Atlanta.

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