Hurricane Irma Trek Likely To Batter Georgia With Wind, Rain, Coastal Storm Surge

ATLANTA, GA — By the time now-category 3 Hurricane Irma reaches Georgia it should have petered out to a tropical storm system that could wreak havoc for the Monday commute in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the monster-sized storm may land a powerful swipe at southeast Georgia, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a storm surge watch and a hurricane watch for the Savannah region. Three to five feet of water could surge onto parts of Savannah and Tybee Island Sunday morning, while tropical storm-strength winds will buffet the area Monday into Tuesday.

Residents from the state's coastal region have flooded into Atlanta hotels, and Interstate 16 is filled with cars headed away from the sea. At 4 p.m., the state will return the interstate to normal two-way traffic so emergency vehicles and equipment can reach the area; officials said there were few vehicles still headed west. Shelters have opened in Macon, Augusta, Waycross and other inland areas for both people and their pets. The city of Alpharetta will open its Wills Park Community Center as a "limited service shelter" to serve evacuees, and the Equestrian Center at the park will allow evacuees with horses to house their animals there. Find a state list of shelters here. Liberty Square Church at 2001 Liberty Square Dr NE also opened a shelter Saturday morning.

Buses in Savannah are taking residents inland to shelters, but that service will stop at 7 p.m. Saturday, officials said. Evacuees can bring pets with them on the buses if they domesticated, in a cage and the owner has their shot record on hand. Head to the Savannah Civic Center to board an evacuation bus.

Watch: Georgia Coastal Residents Instructed To Evacuate

The Atlanta area will likely begin to see signs of the storm Sunday. Winds will pick up to “squalls of torrential rain later Monday into Tuesday,” according to Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz. Atlanta will feel wind gusts of 50-55 mph, and up to six inches of rain, which increases the chance of tornadoes, he said. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Cuba has taken some of the edge off the former category 5 storm, which has since been downgraded to a category 3 storm as of around noon on Saturday. Still, it is still classified as a major hurricane and could have devastating effects on the Florida coast.

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By 11 a.m. Saturday, Irma, the behemoth that tore through the Caribbean, leaving at least 20 people dead in its wake, was packing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. Irma was located about 175 southeast of Key West, moving west at 9 mph.

An Augusta health center is accepting neonatal patients from coastal areas in Georgia ordered to evacuate because of Hurricane Irma. Twelve of their new patients are newborns from Savannah, according to reports. The predicted strong winds headed to the area could knock down power lines and damage hospitals housing the most fragile patients.

Gov. Nathan Deal has placed 94 counties under a state of emergency as authorities brace for heavy rains, wind damage, and power outages when the storm powers through parts of the Peach State.

Irma image courtesy of NOAA