Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in all 159 counties on Oct. 8 to prepare for Hurricane Isaias as the storm approached the Gulf Coast.
The governor’s office said it expects the hurricane to make landfall on the Gulf Coast on Friday evening, potentially bringing strong wind gusts and heavy rain to Georgia through Saturday.
Kemp warned of possible tornadoes, downed trees and power lines, and flooding caused by the severe weather. He said the declaration would allow the state to position resources and activate the State Operations Center ahead of the storm’s impact.
“As we always do with weather events, we’re hoping for the best but preparing for the worst,” the governor said in a statement.
“I encourage all Georgians to take this storm seriously and prepare now by stocking up on food, batteries, flashlights, water, and other necessities in case of severe weather impacting communities Friday night through Saturday.”
Residents were advised not to drive or walk through standing water and to stay away from fallen power lines in case of flooding.
Officials said if a tornado warning is issued, storm cellars or basements provide the best protection. They recommended going to a small, windowless room or hallway on the lowest floor possible if an underground shelter is unavailable.
“All parts of the state could see impacts from this storm, and we have the resources ready to assist them if that is the case,” Josh Lamb, director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, said in the statement.
Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Oct. 8, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
In an update, the weather agency said the hurricane would remain dangerous as it neared the northern Gulf Coast on Friday night.
“If a hurricane warning or a storm surge warning has been issued for your area, any preparations to protect life and property from storm surge and damaging winds should be rushed to completion today,” NWS said.
The National Hurricane Center said on Oct. 8 that a storm surge warning was in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River. A hurricane warning was also in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida.
The agency warned in another update that power outages were possible in parts of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, and southern Mississippi where a hurricane warning was in effect.
Alabama declared a state of emergency in 40 counties on Oct. 7 as the state braced for a potential landfall.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said on Oct. 8 that state offices and buildings in Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Mobile counties would close from noon Friday.
Ivey also ordered the evacuation of tourists and visitors from coastal areas of Baldwin County south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, including Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and from Dauphin Island in Mobile County.
“Forecasts continue to show the real likelihood this hurricane will hit Alabama as early as Friday. NOW is the time to prepare,” the governor said.
