Kemp says state stands ready to act as winter weather moves into Georgia
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - State leaders ed Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday at the Georgia emergency management center to outline the state’s response to yet another blast of winter weather.
News 12 meteorologists have declared a First Alert Weather Day for Tuesday with a forecast of bitter cold and up to 3 inches of snow.
The state operations center is activated, and Kemp declared a state of emergency to mobilize any needed resources to address potential impacts.
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We are keeping an eye on the weather and what some of our school districts may do after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The emergency order also authorizes up to 250 Georgia National Guard troops if needed both before and after the storm.
Kemp is urging Georgians to stay home and be ready for the weather. He said central and south Georgia stand to see the most snowfall, something they’re not used to. He also said the storm is already proving to be unpredictable.
“When you think about from Columbus to Macon to Augusta, and then the metro line, which is really kind of Atlanta to Athens in Gainesville, there’s a big difference in those two lines,” Kemp said. “You’re talking about 4 to 5 inches in middle Georgia and below, and then just a couple inches in metro Atlanta. But if those things shift just a little bit it can create a lot of havoc.”
State officials also announced one death due to the weather. They said a patient slipped out of a critical care facility and died from hypothermia, but did not identify the person or facility.
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The state of emergency authorizes the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to activate the state operations center and mobilize any needed resources to address potential impacts.
It also allows for the Georgia Department of Defense to provide up to 250 Georgia National Guard troops, should they be needed for preparation, response, and recovery efforts.
The state of emergency will run through Jan. 28.
Kemp said that through the weekend, he’d been working with state agencies to ensure we’re prepared.
“I urge everyone to make their own preparations to ensure they and their families can remain safe over the coming days, especially if road conditions prevent travel,” he said.
He noted that the Georgia Department of Transportation has been pretreating roadways since Sunday.
Also, Federal Emergency Management Agency is closing its Georgia disaster assistance centers Tuesday and Wednesday.
Among other provisions, the state of emergency prohibits price gouging; suspends hours-of-service limitations for commercial vehicle operators involved in response activities; and temporarily increases weight, height, and length limits for commercial vehicles transporting essential supplies. Access the full State of Emergency Executive Order here.
Given the breadth and continuing uncertainty of the weather forecast, and to help GDOT prepare roadways by limiting traffic as much as possible, state offices in the City of Atlanta -- including the State Capitol and surrounding area -- will be closed Tuesday, January 21, as state employees who live in or commute to an office in the city limits work remotely. Agency officials have discretion to close offices outside of Atlanta and instruct employees to work remotely for the safety of their workers. That discretion extends into Wednesday and possibly into Thursday, depending on the weather.
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