The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency GEMA/HS is issuing serious warnings ahead of the impending Hurricane Helene, which is expected to cause significant damage throughout all 159 counties in the state.
According to GEMA/HS Director Chris Stallings, the hurricane is predicted to make landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm in the Apalachee Bay area before moving inland. It could still be a Category 3 hurricane as it impacts southern Georgia.
State Meteorologist Will Lanxton anticipates Category 3-level impacts, especially in extreme southern and southwestern Georgia, affecting areas like Americus and Plains.
Local emergency officials, such as Sumter County EMA Director Jerry Harmon, have been working to prepare their communities, adopting a prepare for the worst, hope for the best mindset.
Plains, Georgia, home to former President Jimmy Carter, is also preparing for the storm.
Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, reassured the public that safety measures are in place for his grandfather’s residence, which has been his home since 1961.
Aside from potential structural damage, officials are warning of severe impacts on crops and orchards, as well as the risk of mudslides in the north Georgia mountains due to the heavy rainfall.