Residents along the Georgia coastline have been told to evacuate as life-threatening Hurricane Dorian is set to hit the East Coast of the United States.
Gov. Brian Kemp issued a mandatory evacuation order Sunday Sept.1, 2019. The order is set to take effect on Monday at noon and will last through Sept. 9. The evacuation applies to the counties east of I-95, including Camden, Bryan, Liberty, Glynn, and McIntosh counties.
There is a state of emergency in effect for 12 southeastern Georgia counties. Downed trees, power lines, debris, and flooding are anticipated when Dorian rampages through the east coast.
According to the evacuation order, the Georgia Department of Transportation will start a contraflow from the coast. The plan is to reverse the eastbound lanes on I-16 on Tuesday, at 8 a.m.
Kemp has announced that he will be heading to Savannah and Brunswick to outline storm preparations. Those briefings are expected to happen on Monday.
Hurricane Dorian has pummeled the northern Bahamas as the Category 5 storm struck the islands Sunday, at noon. Winds from the storm have been clocked at 185 mph, with gusts well above 200 mph.
Dorian has tied the record for the most powerful hurricane to come ashore, equaling the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. This was before storms were given names.
The power of Dorian is second only to Hurricane Allen in 1980. The storm did not make landfall but had winds of 190 mph.
After the storm struck the Bahamas, the slow-moving Dorian is expected to move along the east coast of the United States on Tuesday. It is anticipated to hit Florida first.
By Jeanette Smith
Sources:
12 News Now: Mandatory evacuation issued for Georgia’s coastal counties
TC Palm: As Hurricane Dorian churns off Treasure Coast, Labor Day holiday isn’t typical
Patch.com: President Trump Declares State Of Emergency In Georgia
Image Courtesy of Bob B. Brown’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
