This page contains archived news from Hurricane Helene. Follow continued updates on Helene’s aftermath and cleanup here.
The center of fast-moving Helene, which left at least 11 dead and widespread devastation across Georgia, has left the state.
The storm entered Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane around 1 a.m., causing more than 1.1 million power outages statewide.
As of 11 a.m., the storm’s center was over Hayesville, North Carolina, about 17 miles from the Georgia border and 100 miles east of Chattanooga, and moving at 32 mph with 45 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Georgia emergency officials have warned of fallen trees, downed power lines and shuttered roads due to the heavy rainfall. In Atlanta, there have been numerous water rescues, and flooding remains a major concern across the state. Drivers on several interstates and major roads statewide have dealt with delays or closures, and some residents have been forced to evacuate their homes.
Helene made landfall at around 11 p.m. Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River and about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida.
[1 p.m.]: At a news conference late Friday morning, Gov. Brian Kemp acknowledged the 11 people who died in the state as a result of the storm, including a first responder in South Georgia.
“One of our finest lost his life trying to save others,” Kemp said.
Officials are still working to notify the first responder’s family about his death, so Kemp did not share further details.
Rescues of trapped people are still underway across the state. Southeast Georgia, particularly Valdosta, may have been the hardest-hit part of the state, Kemp said.
The governor said resources and manpower are being relocated from the northern reaches of the state to South Georgia.
Officials stressed that, while the storm may have mostly passed, conditions are still very dangerous in much of the state. Flooding, especially in northeast Georgia, is expected to continue or worsen over the next 12-36 hours, and trees are still falling due to saturated soils. A tree fell on the property of the Governor’s Mansion this morning, Kemp said.
Georgia Power has 10,000 personnel on the ground working to restore electricity.
Both Kemp and Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper stressed that Helene severely damaged Georgia’s crops and farming operations, including poultry houses, nut trees and even timber.
Harper’s message to farm families was, “Document, document, document.”
His department has already been in touch with the relevant congressional committees to begin discussions about federal recovery assistance, Harper said, but assessing the damage is the priority right now.
[12:45 p.m.]: The Yellow River Animal Sanctuary was able to move all exposed animals to higher ground before Helene came through.
Co-owner Jonathan Ordway said the wind damage was minimal but the Yellow River has been climbing all morning, now encroaching on more than 20% of the property. They had already moved animals like the lemur, the red fox and the coyotes but also had to evacuate the rabbits around noon.
“It’s like a slow-motion train wreck,” he said.
He said he plans to keep the place open to the public on Saturday and has a lot of field trips lined up in the coming weeks that he hopes won’t be impacted.
[12:30 p.m.]: Natalie Dale with the Georgia Department of Transportation spoke on the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast Friday and urged people to stay off the roads and out of the way of safety crews responding to people trapped in flooded cars and homes.
She also pointed out that ordering food and grocery deliveries puts drivers on the road in dangerous conditions.
“We don’t need any cars on the road, so be mindful of those delivery drivers,” Dale said. “Don’t ask them to put themselves at risk to get something to you during this phase of the storm.”
While the storm itself may be mostly past the metro Atlanta area, the impacts are far from over.
“Even if the sun’s out, give our crews the chance to do the hard work,” Dale said. “Because there are trees down, and they’re still going to come down.”
[12:10 p.m.]: Peachtree Creek is flooding neighborhoods in northwest Atlanta near the Cross Creek Golf Club after heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene.
[11:48 a.m.]: More than 1.1 million Georgians were without power around 11 a.m. on Friday, according to data from Georgia Power and Georgia EMC, which represents 41 electric membership cooperatives in the state.
Roughly 715,000 of Georgia Power’s 2.7 million customers were without electricity after Hurricane Helene lashed the state. The largest numbers of outages were clustered around metro Atlanta, Augusta and Valdosta.
Georgia EMC’s members, which mainly serve rural areas, were reporting an additional 433,000 without power.
[11:35 a.m.]: In far northeast Georgia, officials are enforcing an emergency evacuation of about 300 people downstream of the dam on Lake Rabun on Friday morning, according to Gregg Dover, a manager for the county’s 911 system.
Early in the morning, officials opened a third floodgate on Mathis Dam, which flooded parts of Old Highway 441, a road that runs parallel to the main highway to Clayton.
“We were trying to get people out of there before that happened,” Dover said. But work continued at 11 a.m. to evacuate residents, he said. “No houses are flooded there yet.”
One storm-related injury has been reported in Rabun County after a tree fell on a house, trapping a woman whose legs were pinned down, he said. She was transported to a hospital; her injuries did not appear severe.
The 911 center is now getting calls from people on home oxygen tanks who have no power, including from backup generators, and need to be transported to a local hospital, he said.
“We are on a generator here (in) the 911 center” in Clayton, Dover noted.
“I’m 57 years old and lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen the wind blow that hard,” he said, adding that so many trees were downed in the eastern end of the county that “the fire department told us it looks like a bomb went off.”
[11:15 a.m.]: It appears metro Atlanta dodged some of the worst of the powerful storm, though the danger of falling trees and more flooding remains.
Ryan Willis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, said the enormous storm ended up drifting along the eastern edge of the forecast cone. That left most of metro Atlanta on the storm’s weaker, western side and kept wind speeds in the city lower than in other areas, like Augusta.
Most of the metro area still experienced gusts of about 35 to 45 miles per hour, Willis said. That was strong enough to knock down trees and cause power outages, but was mercifully short of the worst predictions before the storm, which showed near hurricane-force winds potentially blowing through Atlanta.
“We were very fortunate that, at least locally, the center of the storm tracked a little farther east and spared us from what would have been really devastating wind impacts,” Willis said.
Flooding, meanwhile, remains a threat that will linger across the city and state for days.
As the huge amount of rain works its way down larger rivers on the way to the coast, residents living near them should brace for flooding, Willis said.
[11 a.m.]: On the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast Friday morning, Gov. Brian Kemp said the storm impacted all 159 counties.
At least six Georgians have died and some are trapped in their homes, Kemp said.
“We’ve got a lot of critical facilities, like hospitals and nursing homes, that are without power,” he said. “We’ve got people trapped in homes that we’re trying to get to. It’s a very dangerous environment.”
Officials are working to deploy helicopters and drones to assess the damage, Kemp added.
“We’ve heard stories of fire chiefs going out to try to assess and look around, and they just couldn’t even hardly get anywhere,” Kemp said.
Farmers in south Georgia still recovering from other major storms in recent years have again been hit hard. Kemp said this time of year is “the worst time to have a storm if you’re a farmer in South Georgia.”
“This is going to be, no doubt, a devastating blow to our farmers,” Kemp said. “This storm is going to be such a hard hit financially.”
[10:40 a.m.]: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during a press conference Friday morning that 6% of city residents are without power after high winds and downed trees impacted power lines.
The city’s first responders have conducted about 20 boat rescues to save residents from cars or apartments.
“We have a flash flood emergency in the city of Atlanta,” Dickens said after heavy rain hit the city throughout the night.
The mayor said that Atlanta’s north neighborhoods, like areas of Buckhead, suffered the worst of the flooding while other areas like English Avenue, Vine City and Peoplestown — usually most susceptible to storms — have avoided floodwaters for now.
City officials are urging the city’s unhoused residents to seek shelter. Shuttles at the Gateway Center will take Atlantans experiencing homelessness to the old Atlanta Medical Center or another shelter to stay out of the storm.
Dickens had a stern message to drivers who may try to traverse the city’s roadways cluttered with debris: “please stay home.”
No injuries or deaths have been reported in Atlanta so far and hospitals remain operational.
[10:35 a.m.]: The North Georgia State Fair will reopen at 4 p.m. Friday and plans to operate normally throughout the weekend.
[10:30 a.m.]: At least six people have died in Georgia due to the storm.
In Dublin, about 50 miles east-southeast of Macon along I-16, two people died in separate storm-related incidents, Laurens County’s Emergency Management Agency’s Director Bill Laird said.
One of the deaths was the result of a car wreck. The other happened when a tree fell on a house, Laird said.
Two deaths have also been confirmed in Jeff Davis County, according to WJCL in Savannah, both due to falling trees. And two others in Wheeler County died when a suspected tornado flipped their mobile home, the TV station reported.
Laird noted that Helene’s somewhat unexpected easterly jog began hammering the Oconee River city in the hours around 3 a.m. Winds that had been gusting to 30 mph surged to 60-plus-mph, he said. Soon, 911 calls poured in about fallen trees, blocked, impassable roads and widespread power outages.
“We have had to start here at my office and we’re working out toward all corners of the county, and we’re seeing the same (widespread damage) everywhere,” Laird said.
— Staff writer Joe Kovac Jr.
[10:20 a.m.]: Meghan Barwick, a Lowndes County spokeswoman, said the Valdosta area has taken “extensive damage.”
“Pretty much 99% of the county is without power right now,” she said. “We have tons of trees all over the county down, power lines are over the roads.”
Barwick said she is not aware of any fatalities or injuries there related to the storm, but the county encourages residents to continue sheltering in place.
“Stay home,” she said.
— Staff writer Meris Lutz
[10:15 a.m.]: No injuries have been reported in Augusta, which got hit with 80 mph wind gusts Friday morning.
Shawn Granato, director of Columbia County Emergency Management Agency, urged residents via social media to stay home and off roadways as flood and tornado watches remain in effect.
County departments responded to reports of downed trees and damage to homes and vehicles, including on Washington Road where Augusta National Golf Club is located.
— Staff writer Fletcher Page
[9:50 a.m.]: Fire crews in Cobb have undergone several water rescues, including one woman lifted by firefighters from her flooded car. She was carried to safety in Mableton near Fontaine Road, the county posted to Facebook Friday morning.
”Turn around, don’t drown isn’t just a cute saying,” the post says. “Floodwaters will be an issue throughout the day, even after the rain stops.”
For a list of local road closures, visit the county website at www.cobbcounty.org/helene-information.
[9:45 a.m.]: Hurricane Helene brought wind gusts of up to 76 mph to the Savannah area overnight, downing trees, tearing awnings from storefronts and causing a roof collapse on a historic building in the heart of downtown.
No injuries were reported Friday morning.
Tornadoes were forecast as the greatest threat to Savannahians ahead of the storm’s arrival because of the city’s location on the northeastern edge of the system. Tornado sirens began sounding on the suburban islands east of Savannah at 8:45 p.m. Thursday as a twister was detected off the coast of Wassaw Island, an uninhabited barrier island home to a national wildlife refuge south of Tybee Island. At one point, seven sirens were sounding simultaneously across Chatham County.
Limited street closures dotted the area, including on the U.S. 80 causeway that links Savannah to Tybee Island. Storm surge related to Helene’s passing caused that closure, with the Fort Pulaski tide gauge measuring 9.84 feet at high tide’s peak, more than three feet higher than predictions but not enough to swamp the low-lying road.
Another street closure was on Broughton Street in Savannah’s historic district where the roof of a building collapsed shortly after 2 a.m. Friday. The three-story structure was built in 1890, and the falling roof caused the blowout of several windows on lower floors. Savannah Police closed off the block in front of the building out of concerns about the structural integrity of the building.
[9 a.m.] The state operations center in Atlanta lost power, Gov. Brian Kemp said, in a sign of how widespread power outages are. The facility is running on backup power.
[8:55 a.m.] Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order early Friday authorizing an additional 1,000 Georgia National Guard troops to be deployed to help with the Tropical Storm Helene recovery. There are already 250 Guard troops deployed and another 250 entering the field, state officials say.
[8:35 a.m.] Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been minimally impacted by the storm, according to spokesman Andrew Gobeil. The airport is expecting 75,000 passengers to go through security Friday and is urging travelers to follow airlines’ social media and check apps to get the latest flight status. Travelers can check security wait times and parking updates at the airport’s website.
[8:20 a.m.] As of daybreak in Macon, rain had slowed to a drizzle, but winds were still gusting to 45 mph.
The city was largely spared the brunt of Helene because the center of the storm pivoted to the east of I-16 toward Dublin. Even so, some neighborhood roads in and around Bibb County were blocked by fallen limbs, trees or clipped power lines.
About 15% of Macon’s Georgia Power customers were without electricity at 7 a.m., according to the company’s website.
— Staff writer Joe Kovac Jr.
[7:30 a.m.] Metro Atlanta residents received emergency alerts to their cellphones from the National Weather Service.
Most North Georgia counties are under a flash flood warning until after 1 p.m. today. Much of the metro area is likely to face flash flooding that is already ongoing in some areas, according to the latest NWS bulletins.
Some locations are also under flood warnings urging residents to “move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
To see specific warnings for your location, visit the NWS watches and warnings section.
[7:22 a.m.]: The latest National Hurricane Center forecast shows Helene continuing its northward track with the center of rotation passing to the east of Atlanta and then eventually turning west over Tennessee and into Kentucky.
By that time, the rainfall and winds should have diminished. Any remnants will dissipate by the 72-hour mark.
Still, while the system has weakened as it moves inland, it is still packing a punch for North Georgia with sustained tropical storm-force winds at 70 mph as of 5 a.m.
In metro Atlanta and North Georgia, rain should die down by late morning Friday and be mostly dry by afternoon, the NWS reports. Local rivers and streams could still rise, though, as runoff filters through drainage basins.
By the time the storm’s center reaches northern Tennessee on Friday evening, sustained winds are expected to die down to 40 mph with stronger gusts in higher elevations.
Flood warnings will be in effect for all of North Georgia at least through the afternoon.
[6:30 a.m.]: A family of three — two adults and an infant — and their two dogs were rescued from flood waters after being trapped on the roof of their car along Bohler Road in northwest Atlanta on Friday morning.
“As they were making their way through, the vehicle started to float and moved off the roadway,” Atlanta fire Battalion Chief Scott Seely said.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
Seely said fire crews have been doing water rescues all night.
“Once they got a boat over to (the family) and we were able to load them into a boat, bringing them over here to dry land and get them off (the car) safely,” he said.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
[6 a.m.]: Athens-Clarke County government is reporting a number of roads closed due to downed trees and power lines, including the Athens perimeter loop, where power lines were down early Friday, closing the road in both directions between Atlanta Highway and Oglethorpe/Tallassee Road.
[5:45 a.m.]: Georgia Power’s outage map showed close to 576,000 of its customers statewide are without power. While the company is facing outages statewide, the largest numbers are in the southern and eastern regions, including around Augusta and Savannah.
Georgia EMC, which represents 41 electric membership cooperatives that mostly serve rural parts of the state, said about 330,000 of its members’ customers were without power as of 5 a.m. Friday. So far, most of the outages are in the southern half of the state, the group said.
In addition to downed power lines, Georgia Transmission Corp. reported damage to some of its high-voltage transmission lines and substations.
As soon as it is safe to do so, Georgia EMC said it would be begin assessing the damage and restoring power, aided by crews arriving from Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa and Ohio.
—Staff writer Drew Kann
[5 a.m.]: Helene is categorized as a tropical storm with sustained 70 mph winds and is situated about 40 miles east of Macon, moving at about 30 mph, the NHC reports.
[4:30 a.m.]: According to Jeff Davis County Emergency Management, a person died after a tree fell onto a mobile home on Bell Telephone Road near Hazlehurst, Savannah-area news station WJCL22 reported. It was the third reported death in Georgia as a result of Hurricane Helene.
[4:18 a.m.]: More than 110 flights into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have been canceled so far today, according to FlightAware. More than 50 departures and more than 60 flights scheduled to arrive in Atlanta have been canceled, FlightAware data show.
Delta Air Lines also issued a travel advisory for flights traveling to, from or through several destinations in the forecasted path of the storm between Wednesday and Friday. Delta is encouraging its customers to monitor flight status closely on its website or Fly Delta app. If traveling today, contact your airline for the latest information.
— Staff writer J. Scott Trubey
[4:15 a.m.]: Georgia Power reported close to 390,000 customers without service. Chatham County, which includes Savannah, and other areas along the Atlantic coast, as well as the Valdosta area, are most impacted by the outages.
Fulton County reported more than 5,400 customers without power, while DeKalb County had close to 13,000 customers impacted.
[4:05 a.m.]: North Druid Hills Road at Lenox Park Boulevard in Brookhaven is closed due to a tree being down on power lines and an unoccupied vehicle. Brookhaven police officers are on scene waiting for Georgia Power to arrive.
[4:01 a.m.]: In Roswell, crews were able to remove a large downed tree across Cedar Knoll Road in Martin’s Landing in about an hour, according to city officials. Azalea Drive is closed from Willeo Road to Ga. 9 due to flooding and downed power lines.
[3:45 a.m.]: Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement early Friday morning offering his condolences concerning the deaths of two people in Wheeler County as a result of Hurricane Helene.
”Marty, the girls and I are saddened to learn of the loss of two lives in Wheeler County this evening. As we join their families in mourning their deaths, we urge all Georgians to brace for further impact from Helene, remain vigilant, and pray for all those affected,” the statement reads.
[3:30 a.m.]: Sandy Springs officials are advising residents living near Nancy Creek to evacuate to higher ground due to extreme flooding. The Windsor Parkway Bridge between Northland Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road over Nancy Creek is closed.
[3:15 a.m.]: Power outages throughout the state have surpassed 500,000. Georgia EMC reported more than 280,000 outages, with the majority in South and southeast Georgia. Georgia Power reported more than 310,000 customers without service, with the majority in Lowndes, Glynn, Chatham and Effingham counties.
Close to 6,000 customers are without power in Fulton County. DeKalb County has 14,000 customers impacted, while Gwinnett County has 6,000 without power.
[3:10 a.m.]: Helene continues to weaken as it makes its way through South Georgia but remains a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the National Weather Service. It is moving north/northeast through the state.
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
[3:05 a.m.]: Boat rescue crews helped residents of the Peachtree Park Apartments on Peachtree Park Drive after the apartment complex in north Atlanta flooded, Channel 2 Action News reported.
[2:20 a.m.]: Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding on many roads around metro Atlanta, according to the 95.5 WSB Traffic Tracker:
- In Sandy Springs, Windsor Parkway near Northland Drive has all lanes blocked.
- In DeKalb County, Buford Highway at Jimmy Carter Boulevard has a pothole blocking lanes in both directions, Briarcliff Road at Briar Lake Road is blocked, and a fallen tree is blocking three right lanes on I-285 westbound near Flat Shoals Road.
- In Decatur, flooding is blocking all lanes at West College Avenue and South McDonough Street.
- In Brookhaven, flooding is blocking Buford Highway at Curtis Drive.
- In Midtown, multiple lanes are impacted at the Buford Spring Connector exit to Peachtree Street.
- On I-20 in DeKalb, the eastbound ramp to I-285 South is flooded.
- In Clayton County, the I-285 westbound ramp to I-75 North is blocked.
- Near Fairburn, flooding is impacting all lanes on Ga. 92 near Lees Lake Road.
[2 a.m.]: Helene has weakened as it makes its way quickly through South Georgia. The now Category 1 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and was located about 30 miles north of Valdosta. It is expected to continue moving toward North Georgia into Friday morning.
[1:45 a.m.]: Griffin first responders were called to a house on Hammond Drive shortly after 11 p.m. in reference to a roof collapse caused by a fallen tree, police said. A woman was extricated from the home and taken to Spalding Regional Medical Center, were she was said to be stable.
[1:30 a.m.]: Four areas of I-285 in DeKalb, Cobb and Clayton counties reported flooding, causing lane closures, according to the 95.5 WSB Radio traffic tracker.
In DeKalb, right lanes are blocked near Covington Highway due to flooding, while a downed tree is blocking up to three right lanes near Flat Shoals Road. In Cobb, a left lane is flooded near South Atlanta Road, causing problems on I-285 South. And in Clayton, water is blocking the I-285 westbound ramp to I-75 North.
In Sandy Springs, flooding was reported on Windsor Parkway, blocking all lanes. In Midtown, flooding is impacting multiple lanes on the Buford Spring Connector exit to Peachtree Street. Also, Buford Highway near Curtis Drive is blocked.
[1:21 a.m.]: The eyewall of Hurricane Helene has entered South Georgia, bringing sustained winds of over 100 mph. The National Weather Service told residents not to leave shelters and remain in place through the passage of the life-threatening and catastrophic winds.
[1:03 a.m.]: As Hurricane Helene makes its way into Georgia, power outages are becoming widespread throughout the state.
Georgia Power reported more than 80,000 customers without service, while Georgia EMC said crews were contending with nearly 100,000 outages. Georgia Power had more than 7,400 outages in Fulton County, along with over 12,000 in DeKalb.
In South Georgia, Lowndes County reported more than 30,000 outages, while Camden had 6,000 and Glynn County had more than 13,000.
[12:50 a.m.]: Hurricane Helene will enter Georgia shortly and is expected to continue north through Macon and Atlanta into Friday morning.
[12:05 a.m.]: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the death of a person who was killed when a sign fell onto their car as they were driving on I-4 in Tampa, the Associated Press reported.
”It just shows you that it’s very dangerous conditions out there. You need to be, right now, just hunkering down,” he said at a news conference.
[12:04 a.m.]: Georgia Power and dozens of electric membership cooperatives are grappling with an increasing number of outages.
Georgia Power reported more than 50,000 customers without service as of about midnight. Georgia EMC, which represents the cooperatives across the state, reported crews were contending with more than 52,000 outages. The outages are widespread throughout the state.
Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, has more than 2.7 million customers. About 5,700 in Fulton County and more than 10,000 in DeKalb County were without service. Chatham County was reporting more than 4,700 outages.
[11:52 p.m.]: More than 1 million customers are without power in Florida. Of those, more than 200,000 were located in Pinellas County.
[11:45 p.m.]: As Helene made landfall, officials in Macon, which is in the storm’s direct path, were preparing for the worst.
As midnight neared, Macon-Bibb County spokesman Chris Floore said, “Our biggest worry is the downed trees and power lines. We figure we’ve had rain all day long ahead of the storm and that’s gonna be our focus. We’ve got crews on standby. As soon as the storm passes, we’ll be rolling them out there.”
Floore, who was in the county’s Emergency Management Agency bunker next to City Hall where the Bibb sheriff and others were gathered, estimated the brunt of Helene would blow through sometime around 2 or 3 a.m. Meanwhile, locals appeared to heed warnings to stay off the streets.
At 11 p.m., downtown’s main thoroughfares were all but empty as light rain fell.
— Staff writer Joe Kovac Jr.
[11:43 p.m.]: The National Weather Service has issued extreme wind warnings in Thomas, Brooks and Lowndes counties in South Georgia. Those are issued when winds are expected to exceed 115 mph within the next hour. A flash flood warning was also issued for Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb and Clayton counties until 5:30 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
[11:30 p.m.]: Two people were killed in Wheeler County in Middle Georgia when their mobile home overturned during a storm Thursday night, Macon news station WMAZ reported.
[11:10 p.m.]: Hurricane Helene has made landfall, according to The Weather Channel. The Category 4 storm hit near Perry, Florida, and is expected to continue a northern path into Georgia.
[10:07 p.m.]: Georgia Power and dozens of electric membership cooperatives are grappling with increasing numbers of outages as Hurricane Helene nears landfall in Florida as a dangerous Category 4 storm.
Georgia Power reported more than 25,000 customers without power as of about 10 p.m. Georgia EMC, which represents the cooperatives across the state, reported crews were contending with more than 7,800 customers without power. The outages are widespread throughout the state.
Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, has more than 2.7 million customers throughout the state. More than 3,500 Georgia Power customers were without power in Fulton County. More than 2,700 were without power in Chatham County along the coast.
[10:02 p.m.]: The eyewall of the hurricane is beginning to move ashore in Florida, according to the National Weather Service. Residents were being advised to shelter in place.
[9:36 p.m.]: Power outages are starting to pile up in Florida as Helene approaches landfall. The totals will likely continue to grow as the storm moves inland.
[9:31 p.m.]: The following counties remain under a flash flood warning until 3:15 a.m., according to the National Weather Service: Barrow, Butts, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, DeKalb, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Lamar, Monroe, Pike and Rockdale.
[9:10 p.m.]: The eye of Hurricane Helene is quickly approaching the Florida Big Bend region as a massive storm with 140 mph winds, the National Hurricane Center said. The Category 4 storm is about 65 miles from Cedar Key and 90 miles from Tallahassee, moving at 24 mph.
[8:50 p.m.]: Metro Atlanta roads were flooding due to heavy rain that continues to fall, resulting in several crashes.
In DeKalb County, lanes of I-285 northbound near Covington Highway were closed due to flooding. In Cobb County, a crash on I-75 southbound at Delk Road was blocking several lanes.
Law enforcement agencies were advising residents to stay home and avoid driving if possible.
[7:42 p.m.]: Emory Healthcare announced some outpatient clinics and surgery centers will be closed Friday related to Hurricane Helene-related weather conditions. But several exceptions are being made for clinically time sensitive appointments.
The closures include Emory Clinics, Emory Specialty Associate clinics and ambulatory surgery centers. All patients will be notified whether their appointment is canceled or still on. Patients who receive cancellation notifications for Friday appointments will be rescheduled for make-up appointments as soon as possible, according to Emory Healthcare. Exceptions will be made for infusion therapy for cancer treatments, dialysis and in vitro fertilization. These patients will be notified by a member of their health care team about their appointments still taking place on Friday.
All Emory hospitals and businesses offices will operate as usual. The closures were announced Thursday evening with “the safety of our patients, families and team members top of mind,” a spokesperson said.
— Staff writer Helena Oliviero
Credit: George Mathis
Credit: George Mathis
[7:30 p.m.]: The Publix at Sam’s Crossing in Decatur, along with others in metro Atlanta, closed early amid heavy rain due to the oncoming storm. At 6:45 p.m., a store employee greeted customers by saying the store would close in 15 minutes. Inside, customers scrambled to fill their carts before the deadline. ”Don’t worry, Ieft some for you,” said a woman in the packed bread aisle. At 6:56 p.m., a man pushing a cart filled with triplet toddlers was told by a customer he “better hurry up, they about to lock the doors!”
— Staff writer George Mathis
[7:15 p.m.]: According to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, a Weatherflow station at Egmont Channel near the entrance of Tampa Bay recently reported a sustained wind of 54 mph and a wind gust of 71 mph. Tropical storm conditions are approaching the coastline of Florida’s Big Bend. A Weatherflow station at St. George Island reported a wind gust of 46 mph.
[6:24 p.m.]: Hurricane Helene was upgraded to a Category 4 storm Thursday evening as it nears Florida’s coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said an aircraft found that Helene’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 130 mph, making the storm “an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane.”
[5:30 p.m.]: On Thursday afternoon, several restaurants announced discounts for Florida residents evacuating to Atlanta.
Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall and Ranger Station in Old Fourth Ward and Muchacho in Reynoldstown will offer 50% off food and drinks to guests who show a Florida ID throughout the weekend. Michael Lenox, owner of all three businesses, said he saw how devastating a disaster like this can be after his friend from New Orleans stayed with him during Hurricane Katrina. He said he wanted to do what he could to accommodate evacuees.
”There’s a lot of things we can’t do from afar, but what we can do is we can show the best hospitality that we can to folks that are going through a really stressful period of time, and hopefully bring a brief moment of joy,” he said.
5Church in Midtown and Buckhead will also be offering a 10% discount to guests with a Florida ID throughout the weekend.
— Staff writer Olivia Wakim
[5:25 p.m.]: The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has instituted a curfew for Jefferson County, near Augusta, starting Thursday at 9 p.m. through Friday at noon. Sheriff’s offices in Turner, Wilcox and Crisp counties have also issued 12-hour curfews from 8 p.m. Thursday until 8 a.m. Friday.
— Staff writer Jozsef Papp
[5:21 p.m.]: Hurricane Helene is moving toward Florida’s Big Bend region at 23 mph, and the National Hurricane Center predicts it “will be at or very near Category 4 strength upon making landfall.” The storm was 130 miles west of Tampa.
After Helene moves inland, a turn to the north over Georgia is expected late Thursday into early Friday. Damaging wind gusts are anticipated to extend across parts of Georgia and the Carolinas overnight.
[5:06 p.m.]: Hurricane Helene is projected to still be a Category 2 hurricane with windspeeds of up to 105 mph around 2 a.m. Friday when the center of the storm is between Tifton and Albany, according to the National Hurricane Center.
[4:53 p.m.]: Forecasters responsible for much of the North Carolina mountains say flooding in the region could be worse than anything seen in the past century.
The National Weather Service in Greer, South Carolina, said 7 to 10 inches of rain have already fallen the past two days along a front before Helene-related storms arrive. They predict an additional 9 to 14 inches could fall as what remains of the hurricane moves across the area Thursday into Friday.
”This will be one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era,” forecasters said in post on X. They said it could be the worst flooding since 1916 when two decaying tropical systems rained themselves out over the region, causing widespread floods and mudslides that killed 80 people, wiped out dozens of miles of railroad tracks and brought down boulders that still sit in fields today. Asheville and other mountain towns were cut off for weeks. Helene also could bring hurricane-force wind gusts to the highest peaks in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina and gusts over 60 mph to the rest of the region.
– The Associated Press
[4:44 p.m.]: More than 190 flights into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have been canceled for today, according to FlightAware. So far, more than 60 flights into and out of Atlanta have been canceled for Friday. These figures could grow later today and into Friday.
— Staff writer Savannah Sicurella
[4:26 p.m.]: Hurricane Helene is accelerating toward the Florida Big Bend region at just over 20 mph as a Category 3 storm with winds topping 120 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical storm conditions are affecting much of Florida’s west coast. Helene is still expected to intensify over the next few hours before making landfall.
— Staff writer Caroline Silva
[4:22 p.m.]: Columbus-based Aflac said its Florida workforce was directed to work from home Thursday, while its Middle Georgia offices will close at the end of Thursday’s normal work hours, company spokesman Jon Sullivan said.
”Our current plan is to be open on Friday,” he said. “However, we have a dedicated team of crisis management professionals that are monitoring the situation to determine if we need to modify our approach.”
Aflac’s strategy is similar to other large Georgia employers, such as Mailchimp and NCR Voyix. NCR Voyix spokeswoman Susan Sloan said its Midtown Atlanta headquarters remains open while “employees should use their best judgment regarding their commute” and should prioritize safety. All three companies said they don’t anticipate bad weather impacting or disrupting their digital services and operations.
— Staff writer Zachary Hansen
[4:16 p.m.]: Helene was expected to lash Macon and Bibb County and other parts of Middle Georgia in Friday’s wee hours.
“In some ways that’s good,” Bibb Sheriff David Davis said, “because there won’t, hopefully, be people out or people at work.”
He said extra deputies would be on duty well into the day Friday. Davis expected the Macon area to see felled power lines as trees topple and branches snap. He also said the county jail would deploy a couple of inmate work crews as needed to help clear roads.
“They can respond quickly along with public works,” the sheriff said.
— Staff writer Joe Kovac Jr.
[4:05 p.m.]: Yellow River Animal Sanctuary in Lilburn faced a massive flood that caused plenty of damage in 2009 and is prepping for a comparable flooding problem overnight.
“We’re kind of panicking,” sanctuary co-owner Jonathan Ordway said. “This happened so quickly.”
He said they have moved animals in the flood plain such as the red fox, the porcupine, lemurs, hawks and coyotes to higher ground. At least three employees will hunker down in the main building overnight.
“We’ll have our emergency crew come in when the storm lets up,” Ordway said. “We have chainsaws ready.” The recently added river otters, he noted, will be fine.
“They’ll probably enjoy it,” he said.
— Staff writer Rodney Ho
[3:53 p.m.]: A flash flood warning has been issued for central Fulton County, DeKalb County, Clayton County, southwestern Gwinnett County, northwestern Henry County and northeastern Fayette County until 9:15 p.m. Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, locations that could be affected include Atlanta, Decatur, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Peachtree Corners, South Fulton, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Dunwoody, East Point, Duluth, Stockbridge, Union City, Forest Park, Riverdale, College Park, Lilburn, Chamblee, Norcross and Doraville.
[3:49 p.m.]: SK Battery America, which operates a massive lithium-ion battery factory in Commerce, will skip its evening, overnight and morning shifts due to Hurricane Helene, a company spokesman said.
Plant operations will shut down Thursday at 6 p.m. and will not resume until noon Friday. The spokesman said the company has advised employees to “evaluate their individual circumstance and prioritize their safety,” only returning to work Friday if they can safely commute.
— Staff writer Zachary Hansen
[3:41 p.m.]: Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission in Tifton, is concerned the rough weather will wreak havoc on peanut farms that have already been stressed by conditions that were either too wet or an August that was extremely dry.
Georgia is one the nation’s largest peanut producers – making up 53% of the U.S. peanut market.
”This is a big, huge storm,” Koehler said. “Everybody always looks to where the eye is and the wind factor but it’s the rain factor as well. We’re right in the midst of harvest and if you get enough rain, even without the wind, it’s going to hurt.
Georgia’s peanut farmers were counting on a good crop this year, he said. Now, “these hopes can be washed away.”
— Staff writer Shelia Poole
[3:22 p.m.]: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued guidance on avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning from generators and other post-storm hazards to be aware of.
Carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators “can kill whole families in minutes,” the commission warned. Portable generators should be operated outside and at least 20 feet from the home to ensure proper airflow. People are advised not to burn charcoal indoors, and to make sure carbon monoxide sensors and smoke detectors are working. It cautioned against using or touching appliances that are still plugged in after flooding. Battery-powered flashlights and candles are helpful in the dark, but the commission said it’s important to blow out candles before leaving the room or falling asleep.
— Staff writer Taylor Croft
[3:16 p.m.]: UPS services in the southeast may be impacted by the hurricane, specifically in Florida, the Sandy Springs-based company said. UPS facilities are providing pickup and delivery services as conditions allow, but delays are possible. The company said contingency plans are in place to ensure shipments arrive at their destinations as quickly as possible.
— Staff writer Savannah Sicurella
[3:07 p.m.]: In Middle Georgia’s Monroe County, which straddles some 25 miles of I-75 between Macon and McDonough, Sheriff Brad Freeman expects to be “working the mess out of wrecks” as Helene rolls through.
“You’re going to have trucks jackknife,” Freeman said, “and just create a big old mess.”
Deputies there were triple-staffing shifts until the storm passes, keeping an eye on the county, which stretches from High Falls southwesterly toward the Flint River to Culloden, and standing watch along the freeway. The sheriff said drivers, if they must venture out in the foul weather, should slow down.
“It’s not sunny and 75 degrees,” he said. “It’s a hurricane.”
— Staff writer Joe Kovac Jr.
[2:52 p.m.]: Two of Georgia’s largest grocers, Kroger and Publix, are asking customers to remain calm ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival.
Kroger, which operates 165 stores across Georgia, urged patrons not to “panic-buy” and purchase only the supplies they need to weather the storm. Publix shared a similar sentiment for its 214 Georgia stores, adding that its employees will be constantly restocking essential shelves.
”Kroger has already put our emergency preparedness plan into play and our teams are replenishing supplies as quickly as possible,” a Kroger spokesperson said. “We station maintenance teams, refrigerated trucks and products in surrounding areas, so supplies such as bread, water, milk, ice and fuel can be replenished as quickly as possible.”
Kroger added that residents should make sure they have a seven-to-10-day supply of prescription medication on hand. A law signed last year in Georgia allows non-addictive prescriptions to be refilled early when Georgia is under a state of emergency. Both grocery chains said their stores will remain open pending weather conditions. Publix said to check www.publix.com/status for updates, and Kroger recommended customers call their local store for updates. Another grocery chain, Trader Joe’s, said its six Georgia locations will provide updates on their individual websites, which can be found at https://locations.traderjoes.com/ga/.
— Staff writer Zachary Hansen
[2:35 p.m.]: The National Hurricane Center in Miami says its hurricane hunter aircraft found Helene’s maximum sustained winds had increased to nearly 120 mph, making the storm a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. The hurricane center says additional strengthening is expected before Helene makes landfall this evening in Florida’s Big Bend.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
[2:33 p.m.]: As Helene made its final approach toward land, Atlanta was under a tropical storm warning Thursday, marking just the third time the landlocked city has been under such an alert. The other two came in 2017 during Hurricane Irma and 2020′s Hurricane Zeta.
While tropical storm warnings in Atlanta are rare, Ryan Willis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, said the agency has only been issuing the warnings for inland areas since the early 2010s. He said it’s likely the city would have been placed under warnings during other storms before the policy changed, but stressed Helene is still an incredibly dangerous storm that people need to prepare for.
”This will be one of those historic events that people will remember,” Willis said.
— Staff writer Drew Kann
[2:30 p.m.]: Some metro Atlanta counties are opening shelters for locals and those who may be unhoused.
In Cobb County, MUST Ministries’ Hope House, located at 1297 Bells Ferry Road, will be open through Friday.
At least four other shelters will be open in DeKalb County until Saturday.
Frontline Response, located at 2585 Gresham Road will be open at all hours. The Center for Pan Asian Community Services located at 3510 Shallowford Road will open Thursday at 4 p.m. New Life Community Alliance located at 3592 Flat Shoals Road will open Thursday at 5 p.m. and will then remain open at all hours. First United Methodist Church of Tucker located at 4315 Church St. will open Thursday at 7 p.m.
— Staff writers Taylor Croft and Caroline Silva.
[2:19 p.m.]: The damage from Hurricane Helene could be more costly than Hurricane Michael, Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday.
”It’s going to be a lot,” Kemp said during a news conference at Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency’s operations center. “This is one of the biggest storms we’ve ever had.”
With a diameter of about 500 miles, Helene is expected to produce at least tropical force conditions in all 159 Georgia counties tonight and tomorrow. Kemp encouraged Georgians to make final preparations before Thursday afternoon.
Kemp said there were crews stationed across Georgia to clear debris and help residents. Roads will be monitored by the Georgia Department of Transportation, and about 150 teams from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources were called up to help clear streets and conduct water rescues. Some of the crews are equipped with chainsaws, including 10 teams from the Georgia Forestry Commission. The GBI has 150 agents who also are ready to assist, officials said.
— Staff writer David Aaro
[2:05 p.m.]: Gov. Brian Kemp said preparations are underway and that he authorized up to 500 National Guard troops in case they’re needed. The governor said 250 guardsmen have been called up already and that additional reserves are standing by.
“This will be a statewide event,” Kemp said Thursday afternoon. “We expect strong winds across the state, with wind gusts of up to 80 mph possible into tonight.”
The brunt of the storm is expected to hit southwest and south-central Georgia, but residents across the state are urged to stay home ahead of the Helene’s arrival.
[1:41 p.m.]: Gov. Brian Kemp is giving an update on emergency preparations in place ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival. Watch the live news conference here.
[1:15 p.m.]: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. to brief the public on storm readiness plans and address concerns.
[1:05 p.m.]: Kim Greene, the president and CEO of Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric utility, warned Thursday that Georgians should “prepare for the potential of power outages that could last multiple days due to the size and extensive reach of this storm.”
The company and dozens of electric membership cooperatives across the state are already grappling with thousands of power outages before Helene even makes landfall.
“Helene is a very large storm, moving into South Georgia with very little time to substantially weaken, and we expect the high winds and heavy rain to cause significant damage in many of our communities,” Greene said in a statement.
The company said it already has 10,000 personnel on the ground to respond and is refining plans as the storm approaches. Just after noon on Thursday, Georgia Power’s outage map showed showed about 6,600 of its 2.7 million customers statewide were without power. Most were clustered around the Atlanta area.
— Staff writers Scott Trubey and Drew Kann
[12:50 p.m.]: Iris Tien, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Georgia Tech, said Hurricane Helene could cause a number of problems for the region’s infrastructure in addition to the cascading effects from power outages.
“We’ve seen in systems that we’ve studied that many times, any outages in the water system aren’t actually due to water system outages themselves, but actually due to power outages at the substations that support them,” Tien said. “Even drinking water, which clearly is a critical resource and asset for everyone, is potentially at risk.”
Stormwater and drainage systems designed to prevent flooding of streets, houses and businesses do not require power, but they could be overwhelmed by heavy rainfall, especially if infrastructure has not kept pace with development.
[12:45 p.m.]: Metro Atlanta residents should be in their final stages of preparation ahead of Hurricane Helene, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said.
With the anticipation of power loss, residents should have enough food and water to last at least three days, FEMA deputy regional administrator Robert Ashe told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Those needing last-minute medication are advised to refill them before Thursday night.
Having key insurance documents available is also important if your home is damaged. Those with portable generators should keep them outside in a well-ventilated space to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
“It’s important for residents to listen to the local authorities,” Ashe said. “We need them to stay in place long enough to give the authorities an opportunity to go out and do an assessment. We’re concerned about downed power lines. We’re concerned about standing water in places that people may drive through. So, allowing time for those processes to take place is important.”
Download the FEMA app or go to ready.gov for more information on storm prep.
— Staff writer David Aaro
[12:30 p.m.]: An analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of U.S. Census and National Hurricane Center data found that nearly 3.5 million Georgians have the highest probability of experiencing tropical storm force winds from Hurricane Helene.
In the latest update from the NHC, Air Force Hurricane Hunters found that tropical storm force winds (39 mph or greater) extended 345 miles from the center of the storm.
A good portion of the state will most likely experience those winds according to the weather service estimates.
[12:15 p.m.]: The Georgia Department of Emergency Management has announced a list of emergency shelter locations for those needing a safe place during Hurricane Helene. One of the shelters is east of Atlanta, in Newton County. The others are in South Georgia. Here is a list of locations and a map.
In Middle Georgia, evacuation shelters will open on Thursday afternoon, but not in Macon-Bibb County.
The county would typically help open a shelter, but the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and the American Red Cross “made a decision to open elsewhere,” said Chris Floore, the county’s spokesman.
“We’re not opening shelters. That’s not a local call, that’s a GEMA call,” Floore told The Telegraph.
Monroe County likely will open shelters earlier than 4 p.m. Thursday, an official confirmed. The shelters are open to anyone, not just Monroe residents, said Ashley Palmer, the county’s administrative coordinator. They will close at 5 p.m. Friday.
Monroe evacuation shelters include:
» New Providence Baptist Church at 260 Highway 41 South in Forsyth.
» Monroe County Recreation Department at 100 Dan Pitts Drive in Forsyth.
» High Falls Station 2 at 42 Towaliga River Drive in Jackson.
— from AJC Staff and The Telegraph in Macon
[11:45 a.m.]: Lifeline Animal Project, which operates shelters in Fulton and DeKalb counties, said they have 25 large dogs in the old Fulton County shelter in need of emergency placement.
The old shelter, at 860 Marietta Boulevard, was built in the 1970s and has a history of flooding during large storms, Lifeline officials said in a news release.
“We urgently need to find homes for all dogs who are temporarily living at this shelter,” Lifeline officials said in a statement. “They were moved here due to the severe overcrowding at the new shelter, but they can’t stay here.”
The shelter will be open during special hours Thursday until 2 p.m. for those who can temporarily foster or adopt a dog.
— Staff writer Taylor Croft
[11:40 a.m.]: Many restaurants across metro Atlanta announced closures Thursday, but some eateries are still debating what to do.
Avery Cottrell, owner of the recently opened East Lake restaurant Gene’s, was smoking meat Thursday morning.
Cottrell and his family are from New Orleans, so they’ve been “hurricane people for a while,” he said. He’s deliberating whether to stay open or, perhaps, cut the restaurant’s hours. His primary concern is for the safety of his staff, but closing is a hard decision to make, especially since the restaurant is a new business.
He is nervous about losing power for several days, which would put their product at risk if it can’t stay refrigerated.
“This is going to leave us in a weird kind of quagmire with our smoking schedules,” he said. “What are we going to do with all this meat now, and then what if we lose power and then all the stuff we cook is toast?”
As of Thursday morning, Cottrell planned to remain open but will monitor conditions. In New Orleans, he said, they likely wouldn’t close for a tropical storm, but “if your city isn’t set up for this kind of stuff, or if your residents are not used to it, I could see it becoming a bigger issue than just the storm itself.”
In the meantime, he’s smoking meat for a “hurricane barbecue feast” and might even offer some frozen hurricane drink specials to go with it.
— Staff writer Olivia Wakim
[11:35 a.m.]: President Joe Biden approved Georgia’s Emergency Declaration on Thursday morning as Hurricane Helene marched toward the state, a White House statement said. The measure adds federal funding and assistance to the state and local hurricane response.
The emergency declaration allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
More than 50 Georgia counties are tabbed to receive direct federal aid, including Cherokee, Forsyth and Hall counties.
The lion’s share of Georgia counties will receive limited federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, which includes evacuation and shelter support, according to the White House statement. Five metro Atlanta counties were included in that list: Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett. Clarke County, where Athens is located, and Glynn County, home to St. Simons and Brunswick, will also receive this level of support.
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.
— Staff writer Henri Hollis
[11:25 a.m.]: National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Nadler said on the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast Thursday morning that Helene is unique because of its size and speed.
It will likely hit the Atlanta area late Thursday night into Friday morning after it makes landfall in Florida this evening.
”It’s a very intense, powerful hurricane,” Nadler said. “It is going to weaken as it moves inland, but because it’s moving so quickly, as it gets into Georgia and approaches the Atlanta metro area, the winds are still going to be really intense later tonight into tomorrow morning.”
He encouraged people to stay home and off the roads and to be prepared to lose power. With the storm’s speed, it will likely move through Georgia rapidly and intensely.
”The duration of the real intense threats with the wind and around the center of Helene should be in and out within a couple of hours,” Nadler said. “The magnitude of what we see in that two to three or four-hour window could be really intense.”
[11 a.m.]: The number of canceled flights into and out of Florida and Georgia continues to climb as the Southeast braces for Hurricane Helene.
As of 11 a.m., more than 100 flights into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have been canceled for Thursday, according to FlightAware. That figure could grow later today and into Friday as the metro Atlanta area feels the full brunt of Helene.
Delta Air Lines expects Helene to impact its hub at Hartsfield-Jackson as the storm moves north, the airline said in a news release. It anticipates possible changes to its scheduled operations at the airport Friday morning, as inclement weather may affect the airport early in the day.
The airline also issued a travel advisory for flights traveling to, from or through several destinations in the forecasted path of the storm between Wednesday and Friday. Affected cities include Valdosta, Key West, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville and Hilton Head Island, among others. Delta is encouraging its customers to monitor its flight status closely on its website or Fly Delta app.
[10:45 a.m.]: The storm is expected to be as dangerous as any storm Georgia — and metro Atlanta in particular — has faced in its recorded history. Here’s why.
It’s moving fast: The storm is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane somewhere between Florida’s Panhandle and its Big Bend region Thursday, then move into Georgia. But Helene’s relatively quick forward motion means it’s not likely to weaken as quickly over land as past storms. That means it will still be packing tropical storm-force winds — with even more powerful gusts possible — when it moves past Atlanta.
It’s huge: Hurricanes are the largest storms on the planet, but even among the giants, Helene stands out. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Helene’s wind field is expected to extend 345 miles from its center. That’s farther than the distance from Atlanta to Savannah and means areas far from the eye will still face damaging winds. Helene’s rain bands will stretch even farther from the center.
The ground is already soaked: Soils in North Georgia had been parched by drought for weeks before a cold front on Wednesday brought several inches of rain to the area. Plants needed the moisture badly, but now, the ground could be saturated and unable to absorb much of the additional four to six inches of rain Helene is projected to dump. That could worsen runoff and raise the risk of flooding, especially in places like Atlanta with lots of impermeable roads and buildings.
— Staff writer Drew Kann
[10:35 a.m.]: The I-75 express lanes south of Atlanta will remain northbound until Thursday afternoon to accommodate increased traffic related to Helene, the State Road and Tollway Authority announced. Typically, the lanes are closed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
— Staff writer Sara Gregory
[10:20 a.m.]: Hurricane Helene has altered two college football games and dozens of Georgia high school football games.
Valdosta State was scheduled to host West Alabama on Saturday, however, the game was canceled Wednesday. Earlier this week, Florida A&M — located in Tallahassee, Florida — postponed its home football game against Alabama A&M. Georgia’s school games are being moved to Saturday and beyond.
Despite movement in the southeast area sports landscape, there is likely to be no Helene-related impact on college football’s highly anticipated Georgia-Alabama football game.
— Staff writer Caitlyn Stroh-Page
[10:15 a.m.]: Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retail chain, opened its command center on Wednesday to keep track of the hurricane.
“We are indeed monitoring the storm trajectory very closely,” spokeswoman Sarah McDonald said.
The company has sent more than 100 truckloads of various products to stores that are in Helene’s expected path. That includes materials meant to replenish items likely to be in demand, she said.
As of Thursday morning, no Home Depot stores or distribution centers were closed.
At the Lowe’s in the Edgewood Retail District, nearly all the generators were out of stock by 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Just two $929 Craftsman generators were left in the locked cage where they are stored.
Donald Anderson, a local property manager, was disappointed when he saw the meager supply. He was looking for a backup in case his office loses power. “Don’t want to take the risk,” he said.
He quickly left the store to see if he could find the generator he was looking for.
Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline, the nation’s largest refined oil product pipeline, said it has taken many precautionary steps to protect its team and facilities during extreme weather. Its system transports more than 100 million gallons of fuel per day between New York and Texas, including through Atlanta.
Coca-Cola, another major Atlanta-based company, will close its headquarters for the rest of the week, according to spokesman Scott Leith. Employees have been asked to work from home.
Assurant, a Fortune 500 insurance company headquartered in Atlanta, has closed its office and asked employees who can work from home to do so, the company said in a statement.
Inuit Mailchimp, which has about 800 workers at its new headquarters along the Atlanta Beltline, said the facility is open Thursday, but it will be closed Friday.
In Savannah, the Georgia Ports Authority’s terminals will remain open Thursday and Friday, though crews won’t load or unload vessels between noon Thursday and 1 p.m. Friday due to concerns about high winds.
— Staff writers Michael Kanell, Mirtha Donastorg, Zachary Hansen and Adam Van Brimmer
[10 a.m.]: Centennial Yards, the $5 billion redevelopment of downtown Atlanta’s Gulch, is preparing its construction site to withstand Hurricane Helene’s damaging winds.
Three tower cranes are being used for the construction of two high-rises at the site, which is near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Project lead Brian McGowan said Thursday that the crew is “working to tighten up the construction site and make sure that the two buildings under construction are safe and secure in case of high winds.” That involves laying down some of the cranes for safety, he added.
Centennial Yards’ other operations have pivoted to remote work on Thursday and Friday.
— Staff writer Zachary Hansen
[9:30 a.m.]: A steady stream of shoppers headed into the Kroger on Glenwood Avenue on Thursday morning. But as lines grew inside the store, supplies like bottled water and bread were already dwindling.
Kim Shashy, a Grant Park resident, was among those stocking up on essentials. Shashy, who is originally from Florida, has dealt with hurricanes before, but the possibility of tropical storm-force winds blowing through Atlanta with its extensive tree canopy concerns her.
Credit: Drew Kann
Credit: Drew Kann
“I live in an old house with big trees around it so yeah, it’s always a little scary,” she said.
The gas pumps outside the store, meanwhile, were fairly quiet. A few customers filled their tanks as a light rain fell, but there were no lines.
At the Target along North Druid Hills Road, there was a constant flow of customers.
Storm prep essentials were in high demand, with employees seen restocking both the bread and paper goods aisles.
Tommy Gilfert picked up bread, water, toilet paper and other supplies. The Florida native is no hurricane rookie.
”You always want to think it won’t be bad,” he said. “But you have to be ready in case it’s worse than you hoped.”
— Staff writers Drew Kann and Zachary Hansen
[9:15 a.m.]: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is urging residents to make sure they are prepared for the possibility of major flooding.
Authorities advise that storm preparations should be completed as early as possible.
Find more tips on how to prepare for the hurricane here.
[8 a.m.]: Dave Nadler from the National Weather Service will join “Politically Georgia” today to talk about Helene’s impacts. The show begins at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1.
[7:45 a.m.]: Hurricane Helene has been upgraded to a Category 2 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.
That means it has sustained windspeeds of 100 mph. It is situated about 320 miles southwest of Tampa and is moving at 12 mph.
ORIGINAL STORY: Hurricane Helene will make landfall as a major storm along Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday evening, and its impact will be felt throughout Georgia.
As of Thursday morning, the storm is still swirling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a strong Category 1 hurricane with sustained windspeeds of 90 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Over the next few hours, it is expected to gain speed and strengthen as it closes in on the coast.
Once it reaches 96 mph winds it will graduate to a Category 2. A Category 3 is declared once wind speeds reach 111 mph. A Category 4 would mean windspeeds have reached 130 mph.
After landfall, Helene will continue its quick northward march, potentially holding on to Category 1 hurricane-force winds by the time the eye of the storm reaches metro Atlanta.
“This is a big deal,” Channel 2 Action News Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz said
Widespread damage is expected across the state, according to the National Weather Service. Storm preparations should be completed as early as possible, officials warn.
Tropical storm conditions are expected as far north as the southern Appalachians in Tennessee and North Carolina. Still, gusts up to 80 mph can be expected well into North Georgia.
Already, between 2 and 4 inches of rain have fallen ahead of the storm thanks to what is known as a “predecessor rainstorm,” according to the NWS. Even more rain is expected throughout Thursday before the storm arrives. In all, some areas in Georgia could see up to 8 inches of rainfall, the NHC predicts.
With so much rain, flooding is a major concern. Most of Georgia is under a moderate risk for flooding, with the state’s northeastern corner under a high risk.
The flooding, coupled with hurricane-force winds, will cause trees to fall, taking power lines with them starting Thursday afternoon. The threat will remain mostly to the east of a line that stretches from Helen to Peachtree City to Columbus and will spread northward overnight, the NWS warns.
The good news is that with Helene moving so quickly, the persistent rain should start to taper off by Friday, the NWS predicts. Some lingering flooding conditions will remain for some of the larger rivers, but water levels should recede over the weekend.
Dryer weather will set in for the first half of next week, though some areas could still see a few showers.
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