Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp visited the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Wednesday afternoon and provided an update on the state’s storm response and preparation on the heels of Hurricane Helene and hours before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Kemp issued a state of emergency for counties that may feel impacts such as storm surge or tropical-storm force winds from Milton ― Chatham County is among them. Residents should be “weather aware” of those potential conditions and prepare for power outages or downed trees from already-strained systems from Helene, Kemp said.
“We want to overprepare and hope this storm for us at least overdelivers,” Kemp said.
Although Georgia is not expected to experience a direct hit, the Savannah area is expected to begin feeling the strongest winds from Hurricane Milton around midnight Thursday as the storm moves over the Florida peninsula. Gusts of 35-40 mph are expected to last into mid-afternoon before diminishing by early evening.