Hurrican Irma preparations in Georgia

Lauren Foreman The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
10:57 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, 2017

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Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday expanded the state of emergency in Georgia from six to 30 counties and ordered the mandatory evacuation of all areas east of I-95.

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Eastbound traffic on I-16 from Savannah to Dublin will be reversed to head west starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Deal said. The last time eastbound lanes of I-16 were reversed for westbound traffic was in early October, when Hurricane Matthew threatened coastal Georgia.

Deal, who issued an executive order banning price gouging at gas pumps and waiving transportation restrictions for drivers ferrying emergency supplies, shared the state’s emergency preparation and response efforts during a press conference Friday morning.

He authorized up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on active duty to help respond to the deadly storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is already deploying 2,600 employees to pass out water, tarps and other supplies.

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If you are looking for lodging in Georgia, please go to http://irma.georgia.org/hurricane , call 1-800-847-4842 or stop at a Welcome Center

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Atlanta Motor Speedway in Henry County opened Thursday for people seeking temporary refuge. Evacuees will have free access to hot showers and restroom facilities, speedway officials said.

The Southern Region of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service waived fees and made all campgrounds, including the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Gainesville, available for individuals displaced by Irma and Harvey.

For people evacuating with animals, the Georgia Department of Agriculture has temporarily suspended Animal Interstate Movement Health Requirements for those entering Georgia from Florida.

The Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry is acting as a horse evacuation site and has 350 stalls available.

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South metro express lanes will remain exclusively northbound to accommodate evacuee traffic, State Road and Tollway Authority spokeswoman Jodi Scott said in a release. Fees and pass requirements will be waived starting at midnight Friday. Tractor-trailers are prohibited from using the lanes.

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