State of Emergency
Governor Kemp has declared a State of Emergency for all 159 counties is Georgia in response to impending Tropical Storm Helene. Click here to see the executive order.
Government Office Closures
A number of government offices will be closed on Friday, September 27, 2020. The list of closed offices may be viewed 
here.
Local Emergency Management Agencies
If you need assistance, contact your local Emergency Management Agency. Click here to find the listing of all Georgia EMAs.
Shelters
The following shelters are available for individuals in need of a secure location to ride out the storm.
| County | Location |
|---|---|
| Appling | Appling County Recreation Center - 65 Junior High Dr, Baxley, GA 31513 |
| Camden | PSA Rec Center - 1050 Wildcat Drive, Kingsland, GA 31548 |
| Coffee | Central Square Complex - 216 S. Madison Avenue, Douglas, GA 31533 |
| Fulton (City of South Fulton) | Burdett Gym - 2945 Burdett Road, Atlanta, GA 30349 |
| Jefferson | Jefferson County Rec Center - 1377 Hwy 17 S Louisville, GA 30434 |
| Lowndes | Park Avenue Methodist Church - 100 E Park Ave, Valdosta, GA 31602 |
| Pierce | Rec Dept. Gym - 705 College Avenue, Blackshear, GA 31516 |
| Rabun | Clayton Baptist Church - 87 S Church Street, Clayton, GA 30525 |
| Richmond | Henry Baptist Rec Center - 2463 Golden Camp Road, Augusta, GA 30906 |
Weather Update (8 a.m. 9/26/24)
Hurricane Helene is centered just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. It is expected to rapidly intensify as it moves northward through the Gulf of Mexico over the next 24 hours. Helene is forecast to reach category 3 or higher strength before making landfall as a major hurricane along Florida's Apalachee Bay tomorrow evening. Southwest and South-Central Georgia are under a Hurricane Warning and should expect hurricane conditions to begin tomorrow evening, lasting through Friday morning. The rest of Georgia is under either a Tropical Storm Warning or Watch and should expect tropical storm conditions Thursday night through Friday morning.
This will be a major rainfall and wind event in Georgia on Thursday and Friday.The combination of several inches of rainfall and tropical storm or hurricane force wind gusts will cause trees and powerlines to come down all over Georgia, leading to extended power outages. Additionally, the potential for 8-12 inches of rainfall in North and Central Georgia, including all of Metro Atlanta, will lead to a significant risk of flash flooding on Thursday and Friday. The Weather Prediction Center has issued a rare High Risk (level 4 of 4) for flash flooding in Northeast Georgia – the same risk level issued for Hurricane Debby in Southeast Georgia last month. Most of the rest of Georgia is under a Moderate Risk for flash flooding from several inches of rainfall over the next 48 hours. There is also the potential for several tornadoes in Southeast Georgia, with the Storm Prediction Center issuing an Enhanced Risk (level 3 out of 5) for tornadoes on Thursday and Friday morning.
Heavy rainfall has already begun in Northwest Georgia and will continue across North and Central Georgia through this evening ahead of Helene. 2 to 4 inches of rainfall is forecast in Metro Atlanta and along the I-85 corridor through tomorrow morning. Heavy rain from Helene will move into southern Georgia tomorrow morning and afternoon ahead of the core of the hurricane. Conditions in South Georgia will rapidly deteriorate early Thursday evening and will not begin to improve until sunrise Friday. Conditions in North and Central Georgia will deteriorate later Thursday evening and will not improve until late Friday morning. The remnants of Helene will exit northern Georgia by early Friday afternoon. Pleasant weather is expected across Georgia this weekend with low rain chances and highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s.
Georgia State Parks Open for Evacuees Ahead of Tropical Storm Helene
The Department of Natural Resources State Parks & Historic Sites Division is prepared to take in displaced people and pets, including horses. State Parks outside of the path of the storm are open and available to displaced citizens. State Parks is housing 15 evacuees. For current information on park availability, including equestrian facilities, visit gastateparks.org/Alerts or call 1-800-864-7275.
Lodging
Explore Georgia can assist in providing travel alerts and information during Hurricane Helene. Visit exploregeorgia.org/tropical-storm-helene-travel-alertsto obtain resources in finding hotels and lodging availability. The site can also offer assistance from their Visitor Information Centersand other important emergency resources. If you are concerned about your travel plans for existing reservations, contact your hotel directly.
