Habersham County emergency officials are keeping a close eye on the weather due to the possible inland effects of Hurricane Florence.
E-911 director Lynn Smith says, based on the latest weather briefing, officials expect the county to receive 2-6 inches of rain. “We have started preparing by checking generators, scheduling extra personal if needed, ordered gas for emergency vehicles and have chainsaw’s ready,” she says.
Habersham does not have plans to open emergency shelters. “We can’t open shelters without Red Cross staffing,” Smith says. If shelters become necessary, Smith says they’ll likely open in Gainesville.
“If families can take care of their loved ones they will do better. No one wants to go to a shelter unless necessary,” she says. “If they do have to go to a shelter, they need to take medicine and essential items needed.”
While everything at this point is just a precaution, officials in Georgia from the governor on down are urging Georgians to take Hurricane Florence seriously.
Gov. Deal Wednesday issued a state of emergency for the entire state.
Georgia State Parks are open to out-of-state hurricane evacuees. Georgia Power says it’s holding back its crews from mutual assistance to other states until it knows what impact Florence will have here at home. And already one local university, Truett McConnell in Cleveland, has canceled classes on Monday, Sept. 17 due to the threat of bad weather.
“Hopefully we will get lucky and not have to do anything,” Smith says. She adds, “If the weather gets bad we would ask that people stay off the roads. Stock up on water and essentials to survive for at least three days.”
