Coastal Georgia residents who evacuated ahead of Hurricane Dorian are beginning to return to their homes. Gov. Brian Kemp this morning lifted the mandatory evacuation order for people east of Interstate 95 in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty, and McIntosh Counties.
So far, Bryan, Camden, Glynn, and Liberty Counties have authorized re-entry for residents and visitors, according to the governor’s office.
“I want to thank the countless emergency management officials, law enforcement, first responders, local leaders, and Georgians who worked together to prepare and respond to Hurricane Dorian” Kemp said when lifting the evacuation order. “As Governor, I am incredibly proud of our statewide collaboration and deeply grateful that we experienced no loss of life.”
Hurricane Dorian has grown into a Category 3 storm as it moves away from Georgia and the Lowcountry. The center of Dorian will continue to move close to the South Carolina coast today and then move near or over the coast of North Carolina tonight and Friday, the National Hurricane Center says. It’s expected to continue up the eastern seaboard, reaching New England by Friday night.
High winds, life-threatening storm surge, and tornadoes are still a major concern for the coastal Carolinas as crews in Georgia work to repair damage left by the storm.
Dorian knocked out power to some 15,000 Georgia Power customers. Nearly 1,500 Georgia Power personnel have been mobilized and are responding to more than 250 individual cases of damage, including broken poles and downed power lines, the company says.
Georgia’s Electric Membership Cooperative reported a few hundred outages in areas affected by the storm.
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has begun inspecting roads and bridges in counties affected by the storm. Bridges into St. Simons and Jekyll Islands, the Sidney Lanier Bridge at Brunswick, and the Tybee Island Causeways are all cleared for travel.
“Many Georgians still have challenges ahead – power outages, fallen trees, and property damage – in the aftermath of this powerful storm, but I am confident that we will address them and emerge even stronger,” said Governor Kemp. “Now, we must stand together and offer our assistance to the Bahamas and our neighbors, South Carolina and North Carolina.”
In all, twenty-one Georgia counties were placed under a State of Emergency ahead of Dorian. The declaration frees up state resources to assist in recovery efforts.
Updated 9/5/19@11:25am
