This story was updated on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 11:54 p.m.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida late Thursday night on its way to Georgia in what forecasters warned could create a “nightmare” storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S.
“This is one of the biggest storms we’ve ever had,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said at a press conference on Thursday. “It’s literally going to affect all 159 counties.”
The latest forecast shows Hurricane Helene hitting Georgia early Friday morning, moving north across the state through Atlanta and then out of the state by Friday afternoon.
“Devastating hurricane-force winds are expected across portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia where the core of Helene moves inland,” according to the National Weather Service.
Hurricane-force wind gusts could also occur in the Atlanta area in addition to tropical storm-force winds, according to a 5:16 p.m. update from the National Weather Service.
A tropical storm warning was issued in metro Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon, indicating tropical storm-force winds are expected in the area on Friday. This brings the risks of damage to homes, road closures due to debris, and damage to trees which could lead to snapped power lines and outages. A watch had been issued earlier — indicating the potential for tropical storm-force winds —before being upgraded to a warning.
As of 5:16 p.m. on Thursday, a hurricane warning was extended northward to reach Griffin, around one hour away from Atlanta, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood watch has also been issued in metro Atlanta, which could lead to overflowing waterways and road closures.
What was normally evening rush hour for metro Atlanta’s more than 6 million residents on Thursday revealed a city that had already gone home to button up for Hurricane Helene. The city’s downtown office district was nearly deserted, and normally traffic-choked freeways were all flowing freely.
Most areas of metro Atlanta received 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of rain during the day Thursday, atop heavier rain Wednesday.
Helene could be the worst strike on a major Southern inland city in 35 years, said University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd.
“It’s going to be a lot like Hugo in Charlotte,” Shepherd said of the 1989 storm that struck the North Carolina city, knocking out power to 85% of customers as winds gusted above hurricane force.
Georgia DOT: Stay off the roads if you can
The Georgia Department of Transportation warned motorists Thursday to avoid non-essential travel due to potential flooding, strong winds, downed power lines and falling trees.
As Hurricane Helene moves inland, the National Weather Service has projected flash flooding throughout the state. GDOT instructed motorists to exercise caution when seeing standing or rushing water on the road and turn around if necessarily, since “as little as twelve inches of moving water” can sweep up vehicles.
Motorists should call 511 if they see flash flooding, downed trees, fallen power lines and other road blockages. GDOT strongly urged motorists not to clear debris on the road by themselves, since downed power lines could still be live and cause electric shock or death.
Those who need to use Georgia roadways should consult www.511ga.org or call 511. The City of Atlanta advised residents to call 311 if they see downed trees, trees blocking the road or flooding (unless someone is hurt, then call 911).
GDOT crews will prioritize cleanup on interstates, then address state routes, focusing on roads to hospitals and other essential services.
Atlanta police and fire departments prepare for calls, shelters being lined up
The City of Atlanta is preparing for Helene’s predicted high winds and heavy rains. Crews are cleaning out storm drains and bridges, and checking on places prone to flooding. Preparations are also underway for tree and debris removal as the storm moves through.
“We are asking everybody to think about everything that you have from your pets to your patio furniture, to any kind of thing that is outside,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“Think about events that you may be planning for tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening. With high winds, heavy rain, you may want to postpone those events and make sure that they either move indoors or that you postpone them altogether,” Dickens said.
The mayor said the fire department is prepared for swift water rescues and the police department is also prepared to respond to emergencies. E-911 operators are ready to work and shelter in place if needed, and the city’s non-emergency 311 line will run 24 hours a day starting Thursday morning, according to Dickens.
LaChandra Burks, chief operating officer for the City of Atlanta, said the city has been working with the non-profit Partners for HOME to provide shelter for homeless people in the former Wellstar Hospital. They’ve gotten permission to extend the time they use it. If they need more space, three city recreation centers can open and be used as overflow shelters: Selena Butler Park Recreation Center, the old Adamsville Recreation Center and the Central Park Recreation Center.
Power outages could last into the weekend
Georgia Power is warning its customers to be prepared for power outages that could last multiple days.
The state’s largest power company says it has more than 10,000 people on the ground in advance of Helene. Still, given the power and speed of the storm, Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said the company is expecting widespread damage and potentially extended power outages.
“Helene is a very large storm, moving into South Georgia with very little time to substantially weaken, and we expect the high winds and heavy rain to cause significant damage in many of our communities,” Greene said in a written statement.
In addition to Georgia Power’s own staff, crews from its sister company, Mississippi Power, are also being mobilized to respond, according to the utility. Crews from more than 10 other states are also lined up to assist, as part of a national utility mutual assistance network.
View a map of the latest Georgia Power outages here and a map of the Georgia EMC outages here.
Flight cancellations expected at Atlanta airport
Officials at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport say they have a severe weather plan in place, as they expect about 90,000 travelers to fly out of the airport Thursday.
Delta Air Lines has issued a travel advisory for Atlanta for Friday, as well as for 25 other airports in Southeastern states, plus Cuba and Mexico.
The airport has plans for cancellations and stranded passengers. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during a press conference on Wednesday that concessionaires are planning to stay open as needed to accommodate passengers, crew and workers. Additional people will be on hand to clean terminals and concourses.
Some 200 flights into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson airport had been canceled Thursday as of 6:51 p.m., according to FlightAware.
State parks in Georgia that are outside the storm’s path are prepared to host evacuees, and can shelter people with pets including horses. A handful of state parks are closed ahead of the storm.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state of Georgia. That move makes federal assistance available to support state and local agencies responding to the storm. Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Georgia on Tuesday, which, among other actions, activated 500 National Guard troops to assist in storm preparation, response and recovery.
AP and WABE’s Meimei Xu and Rahul Bali contributed to this report.
