Hurricane Helene updates

Hurricane Helene has still not made landfall in Florida, but the City of Atlanta is beginning to feel the impact.

Atlanta will remain under a tropical storm warning, a flash flood watch and a severe weather advisory through Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service Peachtree City. Governor Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency for all of Georgia’s 159 counties Wednesday evening.

“The current forecast for Hurricane Helene suggests this storm will impact every part of our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “We are not taking anything for granted, which is why I have directed appropriate state agencies to work around the clock to ensure we’re prepared for whatever is heading our way. I want to thank them for their diligence and ask that all Georgians make preparations now to keep their families and property safe.”

Updates:

• City of Atlanta emergency shelter locations, 06:27 a.m., Friday
• Helene weakening, but still dangerous, 05:58 a.m., Friday
• Flash flood warning extended, 9:25 p.m., Thursday
• “Prepare for an extended period of power loss,” National Weather Service says, 6:35 p.m., Thursday
• National Weather Service issues flash flood warning for parts of the Metro Atlanta area, 3:35 p.m., Thursday
• Governor Kemp asks Georgians to stay off roads, 1:56 p.m., Thursday
• Georgia Power finishes preparations, 1:01 p.m., Thursday
• DeKalb County preparedness, 12:08 p.m., Thursday
• Interstate-20 shut down, 11:30 a.m., Thursday

City of Atlanta emergency shelter locations, 06:27 a.m., Friday

The City of Atlanta has several emergency shelter locations open for residents escaping damages from Tropical Storm Helene.

Those locations are:

• WellStar AMC, 261 Parkway Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA
• Gateway Center: 275 Pryor St. SW, Atlanta, GA

If needed, the following locations will be used as overflow shelter:

• Selena Butler Park Recreation Center, 98 William Holmes Borders Senior Dr SE.
• Adamsville Park Recreation Center, 3404 Delmar Ln NW.
• Central Park Recreation Center, 400 Merritts Ave NE.

Helene weakening, but still dangerous, 05:58 a.m., Friday

Over 20,000 Atlanta residents are without power Friday morning, according to Georgia Power, as Tropical Storm Helene begins moving through the area. Over 700,000 customers are without power statewide.

On Friday morning, the National Weather Service warned that though the Helene is weakening, “the storm remains dangerous. Additional tree and power line damage is probable as the storm moves northwards.”

The weather service forecasts that rain and wind will intensify in the metro Friday until late morning or early afternoon. Metro Atlanta remains under a flash flood warning until 11:30 a.m. Friday. Rain gauge stations around the city show rainfall amounts of between four and six inches over the past 12 hours.

Residents are reporting pockets of flooding throughout the Metro Atlanta area. Brookhaven Police have closed down several intersections for weather-related issues, including reporting multiple sinkholes near the 3540 block of Buford Highway.

Flash flood warning extended, 9:25 p.m., Thursday

The flash flood warning for the Metro Atlanta area was extended until 3:15 a.m., Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The metro area is also under a tropical storm warning with no set expiration.

“Prepare for an extended period of power loss,” National Weather Service says, 6:35 p.m., Thursday

The National Weather Service Peachtree City issued a new forecast late Thursday afternoon, and the National Hurricane Center advised that Helene is now a Category 4 hurricane. The latest forecast calls for four to eight inches of rainfall over much of Georgia, including the Metro Atlanta area, and some local areas may get up to 10 inches.

The NWS also increased the hurricane warning northward from earlier forecasts. The warning now includes Butts, Jasper, Jones, Laurens, Pike, Spalding, Wheeler, and Wilkinson counties

The weather service said “hurricane-force wind gusts” up to 80 mph are possible for Metro Atlanta.

Given the saturated soils, widespread downing of trees and significant power outages are expected,” NWS forecasters wrote. “Prepare for an extended period of power loss!”

National Weather Service issues flash flood warning for parts of the Metro Atlanta area, 3:35 p.m., Thursday

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for several counties, including Fulton and Dekalb, Thursday afternoon. The warning will remain in effect until 9:15 p.m., Thursday.

The weather service reports that half an inch to 1.5 inches of rain has fallen in the flash flood warning area and that one to three additional inches of rainfall are possible.

Affected areas include Atlanta, Decatur, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Peachtree Corners, City of South Fulton, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Dunwoody, East Point, Duluth, Stockbridge, Union City, Forest Park, Riverdale, College Park, Lilburn, Chamblee, Norcross, and Doraville.

“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the NWS advised. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”

Governor Kemp asks Georgians to stay off roads, 1:56 p.m., Thursday

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Governor Brian Kemp announced that 500 Georgia National Guardsmen have been activated, and all Georgia State Patrol troopers are on duty for Hurricane Helene.

Kemp called it a “statewide event” and asked that all Georgia residents stay off the road to allow emergency response services to move freely.

“We believe it can remain through hurricane strength as it travels up through Macon and possibly into the Metro Atlanta tomorrow evening,” Kemp said.

GEMA Director James C. Stallings said saturated ground from Wednesday’s storm system will lead to downed trees and widespread power outages.

Kemp warned that utility workers cannot work while winds remain high and asked Georgians for patience during power outages.

Officials recommended that residents fill bathtubs in case of water outages.

Georgia Power finishes preparations, 1:01 p.m., Thursday

Georgia Power announced it activated over 10,000 personnel to handle power restoration of outages expected to arise as Helene moves into Georgia. The company says some outages may last for days.

“Our teams are well trained and experienced, and we’ve been watching this storm and making every preparation throughout the week,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “As conditions are safe, our teams will be in the field working to restore power as quickly possible. Even so, we encourage customers to keep safety first in the coming days and prepare for the potential of power outages that could last multiple days due to the size and extensive reach of this storm.”

The company says it has 6,649 employees and provides power to over 2.7 million customers. Georgia Power brought in personnel from 35 companies across 11 states to handle the emergency.

Georgia Power customers can sign up for Outage Alerts and report or check the status of outages on its Storm Center Page or by calling 888-891-0938.

DeKalb County preparedness, 12:08 p.m., Thursday

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond asked residents to stay home and said the DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) activated the Emergency Operations Center.

“We urge residents to stay off the roads, and if necessary, properly reporting emergencies can expedite a coordinated response by the appropriate department or agency tasked with handling the issue,” Thurmond said.

DeKalb County provided the following numbers to address severe weather related incidents:

• 911 for:
  • Life-threatening emergencies
  • All downed trees and power lines
  • Localized flooding

• 404-294-2911 for:
  • Other non-life-threatening emergencies

• 770-270-6243 for:
  • Water outages and sewer spills

• 1-888-891-0938 for:
  • Georga Power outages 

DeKalb residents can sign up for CodeRED, the county’s emergency and severe weather warning system. CodeRED provides localized updates based on an in-county mailing address.

The county is opening four severe weather shelters for unhoused residents. Three shelters will remain open through Saturday, Sept. 28.

• Frontline Response International, 2585 Gresham Rd., Atlanta, 30316.
  • Will remain open 24-hours a day.
• Center for Pan Asian Community Services Inc., 3510 Shallowford Rd. NE, Atlanta 30341.
  • Will open at 4:00 p.m., Thursday.
• New Life Community Alliance, 3592 Flat Shoals Rd., Decatur, 30034.
  • Will open at 5:00 p.m., Thursday.
• Tucker First United Methodist Church, 4315 Church Street, Tucker, 30084.
  • Will open at 7:00 p.m., Thursday with limited capacity and will remain open until further notice.

Residents can contact DEMA at 470-927-7025 for transportation to and from the temporary centers.

Interstate-20 shut down, 11:30 a.m., Thursday

The Georgia State Patrol and Atlanta Police Department shut down east and westbound traffic on Interstate 20 Thursday morning as Georgia Power inspected a utility pole that had the potential to fall onto the interstate, according to police radio traffic. All roads had reopened by 11:06 a.m.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to discuss the city’s emergency preparedness for Helene’s impact. The city set up additional shelters for unhoused residents. deployed the Department of Public Works (DPW), Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD), and Atlanta Department of Transportation (ADOT) to clear drainage systems, bridges, and curb inlets expected to flood; and ATL311 expanded its hours to provide 24-hour service.