Hurricane Matthew’s eyewall passed over parts of coastal Georgia and South Carolina Saturday morning. The National Hurricane Center reports the storm has since made landfall southeast of Mclellanville, South Carolina.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal held a press conference Saturday morning to discuss the state’s emergency response to the storm. He says he understands people are eager to get back home but cautions them against returning too soon. “We are still in a dangerous situation,” Deal warns. Flooding from the storm surge and heavy rainfall threaten the coastal region and relief efforts are just now getting underway. “It will take time to restore power, to inspect bridges and to remove the debris and the fallen trees and to clear and repair our roads,” he says.
“We still are in a dangerous situation.” ~ GA Gov. Nathan Deal
State transportation and utility crews are now being allowed into the areas east of Interstate 95 to assess the damage. Evacuees, however, are not being allowed to return to their homes. No timeline has been given as to when they will be allowed to return. “The reality is that the timeline may very well be different for various areas along the coastal area because the conditions are different,” says Deal.
The Georgia State Patrol and National Guard have set up a security perimeter at I-95 from the Florida line all the way to the South Carolina border. “Water, wind, trees and power lines don’t mix,” says Director of Public Safety Commissioner Mark McDonough. “You’re safety is in doubt if you attempt to go east of I-95.” He says anyone attempting to reach the coastal areas at this time will be turned away. “If we have to be the heavy, that is exactly what we will do; we’ll be the heavy to tell you to turn around.” He adds, “You are safe where you are. Stay there because we’ve established that perimeter to make sure that only those that need to get in to correct the issues can do so to make sure that you have a safe return when you’re allowed to do so.”
As of early Saturday, thousands of evacuees remained sheltered inland, with 10,500 staying at Georgia’s state parks.
WATCH: Gov. Deal press conference on Hurricane Matthew
Georgia Power is moving 5,000 workers into coastal communities over the next couple of days to begin restoration efforts. More than 300,000 Georgians lost power in the storm and nearly a quarter of a million of them remain without electricity, mostly in the Brunswick and Savannah areas.
The Georgia Department of Transportation is sending in crews from around the state to begin the process of inspecting all bridges and roadways for safety and damages, and to begin clearing debris and trees from the roadways.
Over 60 maintenance workers in Northeast Georgia, including some from White County, were on standby ready to assist early Saturday. G-DOT officials say a second team could be dispatched Sunday for additional support. “If our forces are needed,” Strickland says, “some local maintenance work may be postponed while efforts are focused on removing danger from roadways on the coast.”
President Barack Obama signed a Federal Emergency Declaration at the state’s request Thursday, freeing up federal aid to assist with the relief efforts.
Deal says search and recovery efforts are set to begin in areas of Georgia that were supposed to have been evacuated. At least one death in Georgia is being investigated as possibly storm related. Hurricane Matthew is being blamed for at least 4 deaths in Florida and more than 800 in the Caribbean – mostly in Haiti.
READ: Haiti mission team member tells of devastation, injuries after the storm
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Hurricane warnings remained in effect from Altamaha Sound, Georgia to Surf City, North Carolina, according to the Weather Channel. This includes the cities of Savannah, Georgia; Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Wilmington, North Carolina.
