Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp is bracing for a severe weather front that’s due to slam into the state, with the urgency prompting him to declare a State of Emergency, effective at noon prior to the storm’s anticipated arrival. According to the press release from the Governor’s Office, the preemptive measure is to ensure that the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) can activate their State Operations Center (SOC) and mobilize any resources to mitigate potential impacts as they move into standby mode to respond to any damage and power outages occurring late in the evening.
Recognizing the timing of the storm, the Governor warned, as the night presses in, “This storm will hit at the worst possible time, as people are heading to or already in bed.” Governor Kemp, in a statement obtained from his press release, urges “everyone to be prepared ahead of time and to remain weather aware as long as this system is in the state.” He advises residents to not delay preparations until the storm is already present. His order also puts a halt on price gouging during the emergency, which is set to expire at 11:59 p.m., tonight.
Looking at the weather forecasts, a significant severe weather event is predicted to take hold of the Southeast this weekend. It’s expected that Georgia will face a powerful line of storms late Saturday night through Sunday morning, bringing with it tornadoes, damaging winds, and the potential for large hailstones. The threat is on such a scale that it’s recommended for citizens to have multiple ways of receiving severe weather warnings and to pre-review their tornado safety plans…