Tropical Storm Ian: Essential information for the State of Georgia from officials

As Tropical Storm Ian is set to impact the State of Georgia, officials have provided residents with the following information as the storm moves through.

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The following information was provided by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office:

Governor Brian P. Kemp on Wednesday joined state and local emergency management officials, local leaders, and others in Savannah to provide an update on Tropical Storm Ian preparations and the state’s planned response. The State of Emergency issued by Governor Kemp on Tuesday went into effect this morning at 7 a.m. for all 159 of Georgia’s counties, making state resources available to local governments and entities within the hurricane impact area. The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) State Operations Center is now at a Level 1 full-scale activation and continues to monitor Tropical Storm Ian’s progress. Teams from the relevant state agencies are also standing by to deploy to affected counties, when appropriate. The governor and emergency management officials are also coordinating with Georgia’s utility providers, who have been staging equipment, inspecting the right-of-way paths of power lines, and preparing to respond to any power outages homes and businesses may experience.

At this time, the Savannah Airport remains open and operational. The Savannah port terminal cleared any waiting vessels last night and operations will continue until 6 p.m. this evening. All vessels have also departed the Brunswick port terminal and pilot operations have ceased until the storm passes. The Georgia Ports Authority will reassess needs and an expected timeline for return to operations on Friday. The Georgia Department of Transportation closed the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick at 9 a.m. today, and Houlihan Bridge is closed to boat traffic only. Please visit www.dot.ga.gov for more information.

A number of Floridians have come to Georgia over the past several days, and Georgia is welcoming them with open arms. There is still reliable hotel/motel availability with sufficient capacity to meet demand. The tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development has activated the Explore Georgia hurricane information webpage to help travelers and evacuees impacted by Tropical Storm Ian find hotel room openings and lodging availability, hours of operation for the state’s nine Visitor Information Centers, and links to emergency resources.

Current Weather Overview:

Ian weakened overnight and is now a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It is currently moving off the east-central coast of Florida to the northeast at 8 mph.

The forecast track has shifted to the east since yesterday, and Ian is expected to make a second landfall as a tropical storm in South Carolina tomorrow. This has also shifted potential impacts to Georgia eastward. Heavy rainfall (2 to 4 inches of accumulation) and gusty winds (30-40 mph) will still be possible in East and Southeast Georgia today and tomorrow. 3 to 5 feet of storm surge is still possible along the Georgia coast today and tomorrow morning. The storm will weaken inland overnight Friday before dissipating throughout the day on Saturday.

Significant impacts are still possible in eastern portions of Georgia even with the eastward track shift. A Tropical Storm Warning, Hurricane Watch, Storm Surge Warning, and Flood Watch remain in effect for the entire Georgia coast through tomorrow. A Wind Advisory is also in effect for much of North and Central Georgia. Please continue to monitor forecast updates from the National Hurricane Center, your local National Weather Service office, and reliable media outlets.

Resources for Those Affected

Governor Kemp urges all Georgians to remain weather alert and to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families. Those directly impacted by the storm’s path are encouraged to consult GEMA/HS’ informational website.

Explore Georgia and state tourism partners are tracking the storm and updating the hurricane information webpage regularly with information on lodging and other resources.

The Department of Agriculture has also activated a disaster animal shelter that has capacity for 50 animals:

Macon, Bibb County, 4214 Fulton Mill Road, Macon, GA 31216

Further information on the Department of Agriculture’s response to Ian is available here.

Georgians are also encouraged to:

• Take appropriate action based on their location.▪ Residents who are in vulnerable housing situations, including those in low-lying areas or at-risk floodplains, should consider relocating temporarily to higher ground.▪ All of South and Coastal Georgia should pay close attention to guidance from local officials and review family emergency plans with those in their care.

• Take appropriate action based on their location.

• Residents who are in vulnerable housing situations, including those in low-lying areas or at-risk floodplains, should consider relocating temporarily to higher ground.

• All of South and Coastal Georgia should pay close attention to guidance from local officials and review family emergency plans with those in their care.

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The following information was provided by the Georgia Department of Emergency Management:

Reporting Damages

Residents that receive damage from Hurricane Ian should report their damages through this portal. It is designed to allow for Georgia citizens to self report damages to their homes, businesses, and public facilities. This information can be used by GEMA in order to visualize and summarize damage assessments as they are collected by the public. The information submitted through this form still needs to be verified by local, state, and federal emergency management officials before determining whether damage caused by a natural or man-made disaster exceeds State or Federal declaration thresholds. Please visit FEMA’s Individual Assistance Web Page for more info regarding Individual Assistance. Visit GEMA’s Public Assistance Web Page for more information regarding Public Assistance. You may report damages here.

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The following information was provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation:

The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is continuing to monitor the newly downgraded Tropical Storm Ian’s trajectory and changes to predictions on how the storm will potentially impact the state. Georgia DOT teams statewide have equipment loaded and crews are on alert, including immediate-response strike teams ready to respond should the storm turn into a severe weather event anywhere in the state.

As of this morning, in southeast Georgia, the Sidney Lanier Bridge on US 17 over the Brunswick River is currently closed, due to the potential of high winds. The Houlihan Bridge is closed to maritime traffic at this time, but remains open to vehicular traffic. The Talmadge Bridge currently remains open to traffic. Georgia DOT will continue to monitor conditions in the Savannah area and will provide any updates as needed.

Heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and downed trees and power lines are the primary concern for Georgia, particularly along the southeast coast extending northward. Potential threats of inland impacts have greatly diminished, due to the current path of the storm.

To help ease potential congestion along evacuation routes, Georgia DOT halted all projects requiring lane closures along Interstates 16, 75 and 95 south of Atlanta, and all maintenance and utility projects. The I-75 South Metro Express Lanes will remain in the northbound direction throughout Thursday, September 29 until the storm has moved through the area. Georgia’s Express Lanes system accepts the Florida SunPass and the North Carolina Quick Pass.

Welcome Centers and Rest Areas in South, Central and Coastal Georgia (Georgia DOT Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5) are on a 24 hour operations schedule until further notice. Complete listing can be found here.

As the storm makes its way through Georgia, crews will begin clean up efforts to ensure roads remain clear for emergency personnel use. For their safety, Georgia DOT crews monitor weather conditions at all times and will stop clean up efforts when sustained winds reach 39 mph. Work will resume once wind speeds die down.

Hurricane Safety Tips

As we prepare for Tropical Storm Ian to move through Georgia, motorists are reminded be cautious of strong winds, flooding, downed power lines and the potential for falling trees.

• Call 511 to report flash flooding, downed trees or other obstructions that impede travel on roadways or bridges

• Do not drive around barricades that are in place for motorist safety or through standing water

• Residents should never clear tree limbs, downed trees or debris from roadways, live power lines could be tangled in debris and can cause injury or death; instead, wait for Georgia DOT and Georgia Power crews

• Motorists who must drive should always treat flashing red and non-operational signals as a four-way stop For more hurricane safety tips, please visit our hurricane webpage.

For real-time road conditions, call 511 (www.511ga.org). For weather information, visit the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia (https://www.weather.gov/ffc/).

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