Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a statewide State of Emergency, effective at noon today, in preparation for the severe and potentially damaging weather front moving into Georgia late this evening and early tomorrow morning.
The State of Emergency executive order authorizes the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to activate the State Operations Center and mobilize any needed resources to address potential impacts. Crews will also be on standby to respond to damage and power outages.
The state of emergency will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18.
“This storm will hit at the worst possible time, as people are heading to or already in bed. Before they retire for the evening, I’m urging everyone to be prepared ahead of time and to remain weather aware as long as this system is in the state,” Kemp said in a statement.
“Given the uncertainty of this storm and the fact it will move through Georgia overnight, individuals and families should prepare now and make plans to stay safe,” the governor added. “Just as we’ve made all necessary preparations on the state level ahead of the system’s arrival, Georgians should get ready now and not wait until the storm is already here.”
Among other provisions, the state of emergency order prohibits price gouging.
The impending weather caused bumpy landings for passengers arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday afternoon.
The weather could bring a powerful line of storms into Georgia late Saturday night through Sunday morning. The main threats will be tornadoes and damaging winds with large hail, which are also possible.
While some strong thunderstorms are possible during the day on Saturday, the main window for severe weather will begin late Saturday night in northern and western Georgia. Supercells and a broken line of storms will shift eastward overnight and should move out of Metro Atlanta by sunrise on Sunday.
The main window for severe weather in eastern and much of southern Georgia will be after sunrise on Sunday.
Significant severe weather will be possible anywhere in Georgia on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Given the expected late-night arrival of the system, residents should ensure that they have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and review tornado safety plans beforehand. Continue to monitor updates from your local National Weather Service office and reliable media outlets throughout this event.
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