Ian could bring tropical-force wind gusts to Albany area

Sep. 28—ALBANY — Hurricane Ian became a category 4 storm at 5 a.m. Wednesday and was strengthening as it continued to churn toward Florida's west coast and landfall later in the day.

For southwest Georgia, the storm could bring tropical storm-force winds and rain, with the storm expected to take a northeast course once it makes landfall.

Throughout the day Tuesday, Dougherty County Emergency Management Director Cedric Scott consulted with state and national officials to assess the potential threat to the area.

"We've been through these a few times, so we know what we need to do to ready ourselves," Scott said. "It has been continuing to appear to move away from our area. That doesn't mean we're completely out of harm's way. But we have seen the probable rain amounts decreasing.

"We should start seeing some effects around Wednesday at 8 p.m. and then into (Thursday) morning. It should completely make its way out of the area over the weekend."

In a Wednesday-morning advisory, the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee said tropical wind gusts of up to 40 to 57 miles per hour could impact the Florida Big Bend area and extend northeast in a line stretching roughly through Thomas, Colquitt and Tift counties and to the east, and also including the western portion of Doughty County. To the west of that area wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour are a possibility.

The advisory came with a caveat: if the storm shifts to the west and moves slowly, the impact on the Big Bend area and southwest Georgia could be more severe, while a continued eastward tracking and fast movement would reduce the impact locally.

Either way, the main effects are predicted for Thursday and Friday. On Tuesday afternoon, the Lee County School System announced that the Friday Lee County High School homecoming football game will be moved to Thursday, while the parade and dances were still be held as scheduled.

On Tuesday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued an emergency declaration covering the entire state running from 7 p.m. Thursday through midnight on Friday.

While the news has gotten better for southwest Georgians in recent days due to the eastward shift of the storm from earlier projections, residents should take it seriously, the Dougherty emergency manager said. Potential risks include fallen limbs and trees and power outages.

As of Tuesday evening, rainfall in the Albany area was expected to be about 3 inches as the storm moves through the region.

Scott advised people to avoid travel as much as possible during the worst of the storm and, if conditions change and the area receives greater rainfall, to avoid driving through water.

"Turn around; don't drown," he said. "I think what we can do is go ahead and take a look at your emergency equipment that you have. Look at your radios. A lot of people have NOAA radios. Make sure things are charged up."

Scott also advised having a preparedness kit on hand that includes flashlights and batteries. Residents should also keep pet safety in mind and move items that could be blown by the wind, such as lawn furniture and tools, indoors or away from structures.

"If you don't have to go out, don't go out," he said. "We know visibility is decreased. Stay away from windows and doors. If it gets bad out there, just stay home."

Unplugging electrical items not in use also could help in the event power needs to be restored after outages.

"Having a little cash on hand is not bad, in case you need to buy something," Scott said. "When the power goes out, that affects our ability to go to the ATM."

There was no plan to immediately open the county's emergency operations center, partially out of an abundance of caution about the potential spread of COVID-19 with people gathered in a building, but also because much of the necessary work can be done virtually, he said.

"Everyone's ready on standby," Scott said. "Everybody is preparing themselves if we have to respond. What we're really doing is taking it seriously and being ready, just in case."

County residents can stay on top of conditions by signing up for the county's CodeRed Emergency Notification System. The service can send emergency alerts by phone, text and email.

To sign up, visit https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/B2AAC5C89B60, or call the Albany Fire Department at (229) 431-3262 Monday through Friday.