In an executive order last night at 11pm, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for the entire state of Georgia. The state of emergency will last until 11:59pm on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024.
What’s going on with Helene?
Currently (9/25/24 at 10:15am), Helene is considered a tropical storm. It is expected to reach Hurricane status at some point today, as it travels up the United States. Some models predict it to make landfall as a category 1 storm, others predict a category 4 storm.
According to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency,
Heavy rainfall could begin across Georgia as soon as Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but heavier rain will start to overspread the state throughout the day on Thursday. The heaviest impacts will enter southern Georgia early Thursday evening and continue through Friday morning. The main impacts across North and Central Georgia are expected between early Friday morning and early Friday afternoon. What remains of Helene will move out of northern Georgia by late Friday afternoon.
The Department explains:
This will be a significant wind and rainfall event across Georgia on Thursday and Friday. The wind field is expected to be quite large – over 300 miles wide – with tropical storm force winds extending well over 100 miles from the center of the track.
What does a state of emergency mean for Georgia?
A state of emergency sounds very scary, and while it can mean disaster, it’s also put in place to make sure everyone is ready for an emergency. This just means that it’s time to prepare for an emergency: NOT to panic!
Here’s what you can do to stay safe:
- Know what’s going on. It’s a good idea to monitor weather reports and updates from the National Hurricane Center. You will also be able to see if any disasters are declared in Georgia on the FEMA website here.
- Make sure your phone and devices are all charged up. Just in case you lose power, you want to have as much of a charge as possible!
- Close outdoor umbrellas and bring in those outdoor plants. If you’ve got outdoor objects like grills, patio furniture, plants or anything else, secure it down. In heavy winds, these objects could become projectile and harm people or property.
- Make sure you’ve got some non-perishable food at home. This doesn’t mean run to the store and buy every can of soup. Just make sure you’ve got a couple days’ worth of food, batteries, and other essentials, just in case you need it.
- Have a plan in place. Write down emergency contacts, make sure you know where your children and others in your care are. Include inventory of valuables, just in case they get damaged. You can find resources and alert rescue teams/response teams for Georgia HERE.
- Do NOT cross standing water. Whether walking or driving, do not cross pools of water, especially if it’s moving. You can’t tell how deep it is, what’s in it, or anything else about it.
- Stay inside. This might seem like a no-brainer, but if you are able, take shelter during the storm. You don’t want to be caught outside in heavy rains and wind. If at all possible, AVOID TRAVEL.
Stay safe and dry, Atlanta! And hunker down for Hurricane Helene.