MARTA Suspends Rail, Bus Service Due To Hurricane Irma

ATLANTA, GA -- The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has said it will suspend all bus, rail and mobility service for Monday, Sept. 11, due to the anticipated weather conditions Hurricane Irma is expected to bring into the state.

MARTA said it announced the suspension due to the storm's projected path and Gov. Nathan Deal expanding the state of emergency to include all of the state's 159 counties.

“The projected impact of this approaching storm requires us to suspend all MARTA service for Monday," said MARTA CEO/GM Keith Parker. "We will continue to coordinate with state and local officials and emergency personnel to determine our service schedule for Tuesday. Safety remains our top priority for both our customers and employees.”

MARTA customers are encouraged visit the MARTA website or call customer service at 404-848-5000 for updates regarding Tuesday’s service plans (Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Atlanta is under an unprecedented tropical storm warning and Georgia's governor has issued a state of emergency for the entire state as Hurricane Irma sent strong winds and rain across southern Florida Sunday, then turned north toward Tampa, and eventually the Peach State. The storm is expected to hit the Atlanta metro as a tropical storm as early as Monday morning, leaving the entire region bracing for potential widespread power outages.

All of Georgia's 159 counties are now under a state of emergency issued early Sunday afternoon by Gov. Nathan Deal, a directive issued hours after the National Weather Service placed the metro Atlanta area under a tropical storm warning ahead of Hurricane Irma's arrival into the Peach State. All metro Atlanta and north Georgia public schools, colleges and universities have announced closures, as have the state and many local governments.

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

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

• Hurricane Irma: Get Ready For Widespread Georgia Power Outages: For the first time in its history, Atlanta is under a tropical storm warning as monster storm Hurricane Irma heads north through Florida and then into Georgia. The warning is in place to urge Georgians to prepare for high winds, downed trees and widespread power outages, according to the National Weather Service.
• Twitter Freaks Out At Atlanta's First Tropical Storm Warning: Atlanta residents are shocked their city is under a tropical storm warning—for the first time in recorded history—as Hurricane Irma made landfall as a category 4 storm over the Florida Keys Sunday.

Image via National Weather Service