Governor Brian Kemp visited the State Operations Center at the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) headquarters Wednesday morning. Kemp was joined by state officials from GEMA and other agencies for an update on Hurricane Idalia’s progress around the state. The storm entered Georgia around 10 am as a Category 1 hurricane and caused significant damage in southeastern Georgia. Idalia has produced 70 to 80 mile per hour winds, with gusts of to 90 mph and as much as 10 inches of rain in some areas.
The storm is still active in the state, hampering efforts to clear downed powerlines and trees, as well as to restore power to some 61,000 residences. GEMA director Chris Stallings discussed the restoration process. He said residents in affected areas should be prepared to wait 72 hours for restoration efforts to begin.
Officials believe the storm will enter South Carolina between 8 pm and 10 pm this evening.
