Georgia Evacuations: 94 Counties Under State Of Emergency, Shelter Locations

SAVANNAH, GA — Southeast Georgia is under orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma, and Gov. Nathan Deal added 64 counties to the list of those 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. A growing number of Red Cross shelters are open in Macon for residents who need a place to stay. (See the full list below.) State officials say residents should contact their local emergency management agency for information on good samaritan shelters available locally.

All six of the state's coastal communities have been ordered to evacuate by 8 a.m. Saturday, when authorities will change all of Interstate 16's lanes into a one-way route westbound. "If there's a freight train coming at you, then you get off the tracks," Tybee Island Mayor Jason Buelterman told the Associated Press. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

If possible, residents should leave coastal Georgia on Friday, authorities say. With updated forecasts projecting that Irma's track will shift west, more of the state will be buffeted by hurricane force winds, rain and potential flooding. In total, 94 counties are now under the emergency declaration. Mandatory evacuations for coastal areas east of I-95 and all of Chatham County remain in place and contraflow on I-16 will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday.

A state of emergency now exists in these counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crawford, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Harris, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Muscogee, Peach, Pierce, Pike, Pulaski, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Upson, Ware, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson and Worth Counties.

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Evacuation Information

At a Friday morning press conference, Gov. Nathan Deal reiterated the importance of residents who are under the mandatory evacuations to heed those warnings. “If you are in a mandatory evacuation area, evacuate because we can not risk the lives of those who are trying to help others by sending them into areas that we have already identified that are going to be hazardous to everyone’s health and safety."

All areas east of I-95, all of Chatham County and some areas west of I-95 are under a mandatory evacuation starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. This map shows if you live in the mandatory evacuation zones. Those zones are highlighted in yellow.

Shelter locations

The following is the current list of Red Cross shelters, as well as their planned opening times.
Open Shelters:

• East Macon Park: open at 5 p.m. Address: 3326 Ocmulgee E Blvd., Macon, GA 31217
• North Macon Park Community Center: open at 10 a.m. Address: 815 N Macon Park Dr., Macon, GA 31210
• Waycross High School: open at 5 p.m. Address: 700 Victory Dr., Waycross, GA 31503
• Blackshear Trail Elementary: open at 6 p.m. Address: 1001 Blackshear Road, Cordele, GA 31015
• Delores A. Brooks Recreation Center (formerly known as the East Macon Recreation Center) 3326 Ocmulgee E Blvd, Macon, GA 31217
• North Macon Park Community Center Address: 815 N Macon Park Dr., Macon, GA 31210
• First Baptist Church of Cuthbert: open at 2 p.m Address: 567 College St, Cuthbert, GA 39840
• Westside High School: open at 5 p.m. Address: 1002 Patriots Way, August, GA 30904
• Blackshear Trail Elementary: open at 6 p.m. Address: 1001 Blackshear Road, Cordele, GA 31015

Open Campgrounds:

West Point Lake has opened Holiday campground to accommodate evacuees from Hurricane Irma. Registration for a campsite will be handled at Holiday campground gatehouse. Although not required, evacuees are encouraged to call Holiday campground in advance at 706.884.6818.

Provide some form of identification that verifies they reside in one of the impacted areas from
this hurricane before obtaining a campsite. Address: 954 Abbottsford Road, LaGrange, Georgia 30240. The park is located off GA Highway 109, approximately 10 miles west of Lagrange, GA.

Atlanta Motor Speedway has opened its camping facilities free of charge on their unreserved campground facilities to evacuees seeking temporary refuge from the approaching Hurricane Irma. The speedway will open its facilities Thursday. Evacuees will have free access to hot showers and restroom facilities at the Rinnai Shower Station camper bath house. For more information, contact the speedway at (770) 946-4211 or go to www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

Patch file photo