Northbound lanes of interstates like I-75 have been flooded with traffic as a mass exodus of Floridians evacuate into Georgia ahead of Hurricane Milton – a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday afternoon.
Milton will arrive just two weeks after Hurricane Helene barreled through Florida’s panhandle and ravaged parts of south and eastern Georgia.
Northeast Georgia welcomes evacuees
Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols said his county has shelters ready to take in evacuees, if needed, but have not been requested to activate those facilities at this time. Grove Level Baptist Church (1702 Grove Level Rd., Maysville, GA) serves as one of Banks County’s primary shelters open to evacuees.
“They are on standby and ready for the (American) Red Cross to activate them should the need arise,” Nichols said. “Cots have been checked and are ready to be deployed. Red Cross will provide the food and needed necessities. Our personnel are available if needed to staff the areas to assist the Red Cross.”
There are also more than two dozen campgrounds throughout North Georgia available for those who choose to evacuate to the foothills of the state’s mountain region.
Joyce Cooper, owner of Jenny’s Creek Family Campground in Cleveland, said she’s offering spaces for evacuees despite limited capacity. While rates at the campground usually range from $40-$50 a night, Cooper said she’ll work with Floridians in need of a place to stay.
“A lot of my spaces are full, but I will find spaces for them,” she said.
In Helen, employees of Adventure Lodges of Georgia say they’ve seen 10-20 people check into rooms and book campsites at Unicoi State Park.
Autumn Adams, a manager at Yonah Mountain Campground in Cleveland, said her staff continues to see “an influx” of Floridians who’ve come to escape Milton.
“We have definitely been seeing people who are coming from Florida,” she said. “We also provide them a discounted rate as well, just to help them out.”
The campground also has tent sites available and amenities like a bathhouse equipped with warm showers, Adams said.
Beyond Northeast Georgia
(Daniel Justice/Facebook)
Habersham County E-911 Director Lynn Smth said evacuees have been instructed to travel to areas like Albany, Columbus, Macon and Atlanta.
“We certainly encourage those in Hurricane Milton’s path to book a stay in any of our welcoming hotels,” Alpharetta City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said. “This is a terrible storm, and impacts to Florida will likely be devastating. Whether people leave and come to Alpharetta, or simply leave for another safe destination, the important thing is just to get out of that dangerous path Milton is taking.”
State parks throughout Georgia also have opened for RVs and campers to park as needed, according to Smith.
“Georgia state parks (are) prepared to receive visitors impacted by Hurricane Milton,” Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency posted on Facebook. “However, due to the widespread damage across many Georgia counties from Hurricane Helene’s impact, some state parks remain closed. We encourage you to make reservations at parks far from the impacted areas to avoid putting extra strain on limited resources in these communities.”
Visit gastateparks.org/Alerts for a list of park closures and updates.
To make reservations, visit gastateparks.org or call 800-864-7275.
Atlanta Motor Speedway, in collaboration with Henry County’s Emergency Management Agency, has announced that it will open its campgrounds for evacuees of Hurricane Milton.
The grounds of the speedway will provide dry camping free of charge in its Legends Premium Campground for RVs. The speedway also will offer its Legends Tent Campground for pop-up campers and tents. Evacuees staying in these campgrounds will have complimentary access to a nearby shower house during their stay.
Other Georgia shelters
Now Habersham has gathered a list of shelters open to evacuees. For up to date shelter information, visit https://www.redcross.org/local/georgia.html.
- Maynard Baptist open at 5 p.m. (1195 Juliette Rd, Forsyth, GA 31029)
- Central Georgia Technical College at the Larry Walker Arena open at 5 p.m. (80 Cohen Walker Dr. Warner Robins, GA 31088)
- Cordele First Church open at 5 p.m. (302 E 12th Ave, Cordele, GA 31015)
- Delores A. Brooks Rec. Center open at 5 p.m. (3326 Ocmulgee E Blvd, Macon, GA 31217)
- South Bibb Rec. Center open at 5 p.m. (7035 Houston Rd, Macon, GA 31216)
- Jackson First Baptist open at 5 p.m. (1227 W 3rd Street, Jackson, GA 30233)
- Frank D. Chester Recreation Center open at 5 p.m. (1441 Benning Dr. Columbus, GA 31903)
Now Habersham reporter Jerry Neace contributed to this article
