Hurricane Irma: LATEST UPDATE, FRIDAY Latest Need-To-Know Facts

ATLANTA, GA — Hurricane Irma is steamrolling toward Florida and expected to hit Georgia as a tropical storm Sunday night, but it's already earned a state of emergency from President Trump to free up aid and emergency resources. Meanwhile, coastal residents left town Friday, a Florida family lost its cat in an Atlanta crash, some schools are closing, highways and hotels are crowded from Macon to Atlanta, and long lines are reported at gas stations as residents heed warnings about the Category 4 storm.

The Savannah area is under a mandatory evacuation order. Evacuees can find Red Cross shelters open in Macon or camp at Lake Lanier; gas supplies around the Atlanta area are tight but an app can find stations with gas; and tropical storm-force winds are expected to blow into south Georgia by 8 p.m. Sunday and the metro Atlanta area by 8 a.m. Monday. (Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

SEE ALSO: Georgia Braces As Hurricane Irma Rolls On

Analysis: Irma's 'Cone Of Uncertainty' Is Massive

Here are the latest need-to-know facts. Share this with your neighbors on Facebook and Twitter:

• Georgia Braces As Irma Barrels On: Hurricane Irma continued rolling toward the Southeast on Friday, looking most likely to strike in Florida, but promising to have plenty of power left over for Georgia, even as an estimated half-million people began evacuating the area.
• Where To Find Gas In Savannah And Atlanta: As coastal residents evacuate, gas prices in Savannah are rising steadily, and an app helps you find gas stations that still have fuel on the coast and in Atlanta.
• Florida Family Loses Cat In Traffic Accident In Atlanta: A family that evacuated to Atlanta was involved in a traffic accident, and their kitty, Coco, fled during the commotion. It hasn't been seen since.
• Atlanta-Area Mosques Open For Hurricane Irma Evacuees: As evacuees fleeing Hurricane Irma make their way into metro Atlanta, Muslim places of worship were among the facilities opening their doors to those in need.
• 3 Million Could Lose Power: Almost 3 million people between Miami and Atlanta will be without power when Hurricane Irma hits land, according to an online prediction tool.

You may also want to read about Gov. Nathan Deal urging residents to get out of town; Savannah grocery stores plan to close Friday; some schools have closed and those in the Atlanta metro are waiting; store shelves in Decaturwere hit hard by shoppers; 100 animals from Florida in Atlanta through rescue efforts; how to plan for your pet's care during the storm; Red Cross evacuation shelters are open in Macon; the main Florida escape routes cut through Georgia; animal-welfare authorities in Gwinnett County are taking in dozens of displaced animals; and a look back at the worst storms to hit Georgia.

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