State Of Emergency Declared In Georgia As Hurricane Ian Approaches

hurricane approaching the American continent visible above the Earth, a view from the satellite.

Photo: Getty Images

As of Wednesday, Governor Brian Kemp has declared Georgia to be in a state of emergency in preparation for what is yet to come from Hurricane Ian. According to WSB-TV, Georgia is now welcoming Florida evacuees as winds from the powerful storm reach 155 mph. The speed of the winds nearly categorizes Hurricane Ian as a category five storm. Officials have predicted coastal Georgia to see damage similar to that of Hurricane Irma in 2017.

WSB-TV listed ways in which Georgia is preparing for the storm to hit later this week. Schools with sporting events scheduled for the weekend have moved all events to Thursday. In addition to these cancellations, The Georgia Department of Transportation is stopping all road work projects that are blocking lanes across major highways to help move hurricane traffic along at a quicker pace.

"Beginning today all projects requiring lane closures along I-16, I-75, and I-95 south of Atlanta will be halted to help ease potential congestion along evacuation routes," GDOT detailed.

Another way that Georgia is preparing for the storm is by requiring welcome centers and rest areas to be open 24-hours to serve as storm shelters for evacuees. WSB-TV also mentioned that gas prices have begun to rise throughout the state as Georgian's brace for impending weather conditions.


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