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UGA Expert on Potential Damage in Athens Due to Hurricane Irma

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

While Athenians are preparing to house evacuees seeking refuge from Hurricane Irma, one University of Georgia expert wants residents to know we could also be in the path of destruction. John Knox is a professor of Geography in the Atmospheric Science Program.

“We Irma makes landfall in Florida it won’t magically die, that’s not what happens with hurricanes,” Knox said. “Irma is forecast to move up the Florida peninsula, and then into Georgia along I-75 perhaps around Valdosta or maybe a bit west of there. The its path will arc northwest…that will put a lot of wind and a lot of rain, and potential for tornadoes across a large part of Georgia, including north Georgia.”

Knox tells us what we can expect in Athens and north Georgia.

“If these forecasts come true, we can expect tree damage, branches at 30 and 40 miles an hour, trees at 50 miles an hour,” according to Knox. “If you start to get into hurricane force, which is 74 miles an hour and higher you start to risk roof damage. Along with this obviously comes power outages, disruptions of cell phone coverage, and heavy rainfall as well. We could have some flooding.

Knox says Athens could start seeing the impact Monday afternoon, but the worst should hit Monday evening and overnight into Tuesday.

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