ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered a State of Emergency ahead of the projected impact of Hurricane Idalia to south Georgia on Wednesday.
The order takes effect immediately and will remain in place through Friday, Sept. 8 at 11:59 p.m.
The order states it allows for "all resources of the state of Georgia be made available to assist in preparation, response and recovery activities throughout the affected areas." It additionally provides for up to one thousand Georgia National Guard troops to be used "in preparation, response and recovery efforts," along with several other provisions.
It follows a day after Gov. Kemp activated the State Operations Center to coordinate anticipated response efforts.
Idalia (ee-DAL-ya) is expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous hurricane before landfall on Wednesday along the Big Bend of Florida.
It looks likely that Georgia will see rainfall, but exactly how far north that rain stretches will be dependent on Idalia's exact path.
Counties across south and southeast Georgia are under hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings.
"We are taking every precaution ahead of Hurricane Idalia's landfall tomorrow, and I am taking this additional executive action to ensure state assets are ready to respond" Gov. Kemp said in a statement. "Georgians in the expected impact area can and should take necessary steps to ensure their safety and that of their families. We are well positioned to respond to whatever Idalia may bring."
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.
