UPDATE: Schools close ahead of storm

Kevin Hall, The Moultrie Observer, Ga.
·2 min read

Jan. 8—Originally posted 4:20 p.m. Jan. 8, 2024

Updated 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8, 2024

UPDATE: The Southwest Public Health District announced late Monday that all of its facilities will be closed Tuesday, which includes the Colquitt County Health Department. The facilities are expected to reopen for normal hours on Wednesday.

MOULTRIE — Colquitt County schools will close Tuesday due to severe weather expected to start tonight.

Both the Colquitt Christian Academy and the Colquitt County School System will close for the day Tuesday and all after-school activities and athletics will be canceled.

According to a post on the school district's Facebook page, it plans to resume normal operations on Wednesday but will alert students, parents and staff via a variety of methods if there are any changes.

Southern Regional Technical College let The Observer know that all of its campuses would be closing tomorrow, as well. The school also expects to resume operations on Wednesday and will keep their staff and student abreast of the situation.

Colquitt County Emergency Management Director Justin Cox said by email that, after a 2:30 p.m. briefing with the National Weather Service, the squall line is expected to arrive earlier than forecasters previously thought. It will probably hit Colquitt County around 9 a.m., he said.

Cox encouraged everyone to sign-up for Code RED, a free emergency alert system available to all Colquitt County residents. The website is here.

Meteorologists and emergency officials are expecting a one-two punch of severe weather with one wave tonight and another Tuesday morning.

Cox said the first round will not likely affect Colquitt County. National Weather Service maps show a prediction of thundershowers in our area with more severe weather expected west of the Flint River and along the Florida coast.

The second round, though, could feature winds of more than 70 miles an hour, an enhanced risk of tornadoes and potential for hail measuring up to 1 inch in diameter, Cox said. Rainfall amounts could be significant too.

Updated forecast maps released Monday showed all of South Georgia in an area of Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5).

An earlier forecast called for 2-3 inches of rain in Moultrie between Monday morning and Tuesday night, but by Monday's forecast that had reduced to 1.5 to 2 inches.