PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Hurricane IRMA Preparedness
1:30 p.m., Friday, September 8, 2017
Sheriff Mitch Ralston Announces:
The National Weather Service (NWS) has predicted that parts of Georgia, including Gordon County, may be impacted by Hurricane IRMA. This dangerous hurricane has already inflicted catastrophic damage and been responsible for several deaths. IRMA is anticipated to make landfall in southern Florida sometime in the next 24 – 48 hours. If this storm travels northward as predicted, our community may be affected. The volume of automobile traffic on Interstate 75 has increased within the last 24 hours due to evacuations now underway in Florida. When using the Interstate, please be patient and remember that these travelers are following the recommendations of authorities and doing their best to remove themselves from harm’s way and stay safe. The volume of traffic is likely to increase even more as evacuations remain underway. My senior staff is continuing to monitor the weather situation as conditions rapidly evolve. We are meeting with and consulting other state and local authorities and agencies to ensure the greatest level of preparedness is maintained here in our community. I recommend that everyone be aware of the possibility of severe weather here within the next few days, and monitor Hurricane IRMA’s status and location via the NWS and media outlets. We will continue to keep the public informed of the situation as it develops and as it may affect Calhoun and Gordon County.