Severe weather guide for Athens area: Here's what you need to know
Hurricane Ian might result in severe storms across northeast Georgia and even though the hurricane’s path is still under observation, emergency agencies in Athens-Clarke and surrounding counties are preparing.
The National Weather Service has reported that if heavy rains and high winds come to northeast Georgia it will happen on Friday and Saturday.
“We’re sending out updates from the National Weather Service to our department heads to prepare the departments that might need to bolster services if bad weather does come through,” Athens-Clarke Fire Capt. Nate Moss said Tuesday.
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“Utilities, roadways could be affected and storm cleanup, so we try to ready everybody from that point of view,” he said. “We try to make sure we have adequate staffing and apparatus in case we need to roll extra people out for an emergency response.”
The fire department also readies a crew that could deploy to an emergency search and rescue operation outside of Athens, according to Moss.
Beware downed power lines
One dangerous problem that can happened during severe storms are downed utility lines and trees on roadways.
Upon encountering downed lines, Moss said one should “definitely stay away from it.”
“Even if we believe it’s going to be a television cable or internet line, err on the side of caution because you never know what might affect it if something is down somewhere else,” he said.
Persons should call in trees downed on roadways to 911, he said.
What to do when a storm hits
Moss offered these tips for severe weather:
Know what to do before, during, and after severe weather.
Create a communications plan with your family before severe weather hits.
Have emergency supplies in place at home, at work, and in the car.
Listen to local officials.
Check your insurance policies to ensure you have enough coverage.
Evacuate if advised by local authorities.
When the power goes down
Local power companies such as Georgia Power Co., Walton EMC and Jackson EMC are also preparing crews for power outages that often occur in severe weather.
Georgia Power offered these suggestions:
Before a storm
Stay aware and check the weather forecast before heading outdoors.
Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones.
During a Storm
Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors.
Avoid contact with conductors of electricity – appliances, metal objects and water.
After a storm
Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line.
Never pull tree limbs off of power lines yourself or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage.
For more information
Georgia Power has sites the public can access during and after storms.
Outage & Storm Center: Available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can visit this site to sign up for Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages. Customers can report an outage at 888-891-0938.
Outage Map: An interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Hurricane guide Athens Georgia: What you need to know before a storm
