Forecasters: Hurricane Ian expected to bring heavy rains, high winds to Athens area

Residents in northeast Georgia should brace for winds and heavy rain on Friday and Saturday as stormy weather generated off Hurricane Ian moves inland.

“We are expecting heavy rain ahead of the storm and it could start as early as Friday morning and possibly rain all throughout the day and Friday night as well as Saturday,” National Weather Service meteorologist Adam Baker said Monday.

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The current projected path of the hurricane has it reaching category 3 when it makes landfall Thursday morning in Florida, according to the weather service.

Baker stressed a lot could change between Monday’s projections and by the time Ian makes landfall.

“The Athens area is currently on the western side of the center, if the current forecast holds,” he said.

With heavy rainfall during the storm the ground becomes saturated and trees more easily go down with the gusty winds, according to Baker.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday has already ordered the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security operation center to open on Tuesday in preparation for the storm.

Power companies in the region are also making emergency plans.

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“We’ve already started initial plans to have support crews in our area should we need them,” said April Sorrow, vice president of communications for Jackson EMC, which has more than 240,000 customers in northeast Georgia.

Rain saturated grounds and high winds is a mixture that Jackson EMC asks its contractors and support personnel to prepare for in advance in order to get power restored, she said.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: National Weather Service warns of high winds and rain coming to Athens