ATLANTA – State Representative Penny Houston (R-Nashville), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development, yesterday visited the State Operations Center and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) headquarters and received a briefing regarding Hurricane Ian’s path and potential impact on South Georgia. The State Operations Center, which was activated this week by Governor Brian Kemp and emergency management officials, is a Multi-Agency Coordination Center used by state, federal, local and volunteer agencies, as well as private sector organizations, to respond to disasters or emergencies that require a coordinated state response.
“I am grateful to Governor Kemp for his strong leadership and for quickly moving forward with deploying the State Operations Center,” said Rep. Houston. “Based on our briefing at the State Operations Center, Berrien, Cook and Tift counties should plan for some devastation as the storm makes its way from southeast to northwest Georgia. Residents should not wait any longer to make preparations for this storm and make sure they have enough resources to get through the weekend.”
Ahead of the storm’s domestic landfall, Rep. Houston, along with State Representatives Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville), Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert) and Mike Cheokas (R-Americus), traveled to the State Operations Center and the GEMA/HS headquarters to meet with GEMA/HS Commissioner James C. Stallings, the agency’s lead meteorologist and other members of the executive team. The legislators received a detailed report of the storm’s developing path, preparations taking place in their communities and were told to expect power loss and property and tree damage from strong winds.
GEMA/HS is continuing to provide updates to Rep. Houston regarding the storm. As of Tuesday morning, the forecast track has shifted slightly to the south and east, and Ian is now forecast to make landfall over west-central Florida Wednesday and Thursday as a Category 3 hurricane. Ian’s forward motion will slow dramatically Wednesday and Thursday before picking up speed to the north on Friday. According to the agency, lighter rain could begin to move into southeastern Georgia on Thursday, but heavy rain bands and gusty winds will likely move in on Friday and overspread Georgia from southeast to northwest throughout the day.
Ian will rapidly weaken Thursday night and Friday and could impact southeastern Georgia as a tropical storm or tropical depression on Friday. Southeastern Georgia could receive tropical storm force sustained winds of greater than 39 mph with higher gusts. The wind field will expand as the storm weakens and moves northward, and damaging winds over 40 mph will be possible across Georgia, even well away from the center of the track. Downed trees and power lines are possible statewide on Friday and Saturday. Heavy rain is expected on Friday and Saturday, generally moving from southeast to northwest. Flash flooding will be possible where heavy rainfall occurs, especially in Southeast Georgia. Ian will continue to weaken and move northward through Georgia on Saturday before exiting the state on Sunday.
For information on hurricane preparedness from GEMA/HS, please click here.
To view and/or download photos from Rep. Houston’s visit to GEMA/HS, please click here.
*Editor’s Note: A graphic from GEMA/HS regarding the storm is attached.
Representative Penny Houston represents the citizens of District 170, which includes all of Berrien and Cook counties and portions of Tift County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1997 and currently serves as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development. She also serves on the Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care and the Banks & Banking, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Economic Development & Tourism and Ways & Means committees.
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