ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is monitoring Hurricane Helene as it is expected to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flooding statewide.
All Georgia DOT district teams have equipment loaded and crews are on alert, including immediate-response strike teams ready to respond to the hurricane as it approaches and makes landfall overnight on Thursday, Sept. 26 into the morning hours of Friday, Sept. 27.
“We’ve done this before. Let’s hope it’s not that bad,” Southwest District Maintenance Manager Cliff Webb said Wednesday in a briefing with other managers. GDOT’s Southwest district of 31 counties borders Florida. Employees will shelter in place and will respond to reports of debris and flooding on state roads as soon as it is safe to do so. District signal technicians plan to head to the southwestern counties Friday morning, as those are currently the areas that are expected to feel the brunt of the storm.
Gov. Brian P. Kemp has issued a state of emergency in Georgia in anticipation of the storm and its projected impacts effective until Oct. 2. This storm system also has the potential to produce severe impacts to citizens throughout the entire state, which includes potential for prolonged power outages, downed trees as well as possible tornado activity the remainder of this week.
For the safety of the department’s employees, Georgia DOT crews monitor weather conditions at all times and will stop cleanup and debris removal from interstates and state routes when sustained winds reach 40 mph. Work will resume once sustained wind speeds die down. Priority will be placed on interstates, then state routes with highest priority given to routes to hospitals and other essential public services.
As the storm moves into the state with its significant impacts, motorists can expect detours and road closures due to debris, downed trees and power lines and potential roadway flooding as the department responds to the weather event. In the event that motorists have to drive, be sure to follow 511GA for up-to-date road closures. Motorists are also reminded that in the event that a signalized intersection has no power, treat that intersection as a four-way stop.
Georgia DOT is preparing on a statewide level in partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the National Weather Service and state and local officials. The traveling public’s safety is a top priority as department readies for this major weather event and advises motorists to avoid non-essential travel, particularly following the storm when roads may still be impacted by debris and could be impassable. If you must travel and encounter a Georgia DOT vehicle or crew out on the roadways, please give them the space to accomplish their critically important tasks safely.
Motorists are reminded to remain cognizant of standing or rushing water and to respond appropriately to road conditions that could change quickly. Please remember that when heavy rainfall occurs in a very short amount of time, water on roadways – even with storm drains that function well under normal rainfall – can rise temporarily similarly to creeks and rivers. Motorists should take caution and be prepared to turn around when encountering water in the roadway. Vehicles can get swept away by as little as twelve inches of moving water.
Hurricane Safety Tips
As preparation for Hurricane Helene continues, motorists are reminded to be cautious of strong winds, flooding, downed power lines and the potential for falling trees. Avoid non-essential travel as much as possible and monitor real-time road conditions using the 511GA app.
- Call 511 to report flash flooding, downed trees or other obstructions that impede travel on roadways or bridges
- Do not drive around barricades that are in place for motorist safety or through standing water
- Residents should never clear tree limbs, downed trees or debris from roadways, live power lines could be tangled in debris and can cause injury or death; instead, wait for Georgia DOT and Georgia Power crews
- Motorists who must drive should always treat flashing red and non-operational signals as a four-way stop