Ahead of Hurricane Florence, Georgia gov. declares state of emergency for all counties

Another September, and another major hurricane impacting inland Atlanta.

Jeff Byard, associate administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Wednesday that Hurricane Florence will throw “a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast,” and Georgia is liable to feel residual rainfall, too.

Of course, places like Myrtle Beach are likely to feel the brunt of the storm, which could brew into a Category 4 hurricane, but Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal wasted no time preparing the Peach State for possible inclement weather.

The governor issued an executive order Wednesday, declaring a state of emergency for all 159 Georgia counties.

“The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Florence,” said Deal in a press release.

“In light of the storm’s forecasted southward track after making landfall, I encourage Georgians to be prepared for the inland effects of the storm as well as the ensuing storm surge in coastal areas,” he continued.

Curbed Atlanta

As rain began to batter North Carolina Thursday morning, the distinct possibility emergerged that Georgia could get off lucky and stay “drier,” at least during the beginning of the storm, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

But if last year’s Hurricane Irma is any indication of how quickly comfortable weather can change, Georgians need to be prepared with food and water for the worst.

In September 2017, Georgia’s schools and government buildings shuttered, MARTA ceased operations, and hundreds of flights from Hartsfield-Jackson International airport were grounded. Thousands of Atlantans went without power for days.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency offers resources for out-of-state refugees and residents who want to know how to prepare for Florence. (The Atlanta Motor Speedway, as one example, is offering free camping for anyone seeking refuge from Florence.)

Keep up to speed on the latest emergency information over here.

• Hurricane Florence sends drier weather to Georgia [AJC]