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Southeast Georgia updates: Evacuations, closures, services for Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idalia is expected to make landfall Wednesday on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm.

The potential hazards for Southeast Georgia at this time may include sustained strong wind, downed trees, loss of power, and an increasing threat of tornadoes.

Southeast Georgia could see high impacts from the storm as it sweeps northeast.

Based on storm speed and track, Idalia is forecast to impact the area beginning sometime early Wednesday.

Camden County

An evacuation has been ordered for Zone A in Camden County, which consists of Cumberland Island and Little Cumberland Island.

Chairman Ben Casey signed a State of Emergency for the county.

Officials from the Camden County Board of Commissioners and the Cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine, along with Camden County Schools, jointly agreed to close all local government offices and schools Wednesday and Thursday.

Earlier this year the Camden County Board of Commissioners approved new hurricane evacuation zones for Camden County. The county now features four zones to better reflect risk and evacuation management.

Camden County residents, regardless of zone, should strongly consider voluntary evacuation in low-lying areas. Locations that have flooded in the past are likely to flood during this tropical event. Residents in manufactured housing should consider relocating to a stronger structure.

Fort Frederica National Monument and Cumberland Island National Seashore closed visitor facilities and grounds Monday for the safety of visitors and staff. The parks will remain closed through at least Thursday. After the storm has passed, damage assessments will occur, and a re-opening date will be established when the park is deemed safe for visitation. Please visit www.nps.gov/cuis or monitor the Facebook page for up-to-date information about visiting Cumberland Island National Seashore: www.facebook.com/CumberlandIslandNPS/

For more information about Fort Frederica National Monument, visit (www.nps.gov/fofr) or follow the park on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FortFredericaNPS/)

Charlton County

Due to Hurricane Idalia, the garbage pickup schedule is being pushed out one day. The following is the schedule for this week:

  • Wednesday pickup on Thursday
  • Thursday pickup on Friday
  • Friday pickup on Saturday

If your can is damaged, please get in touch with Meridian Waste at (904) 849-5122.

Brantley County

The Brantley County School System continues to monitor Idalia and is collaborating with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and National Hurricane Center for safety updates and guidance.

Due to the projected path of the storm, all Brantley Schools and the Central Office will be closed on Wednesday.

Brantley expects to return to school on Thursday provided there is no significant damage to its facilities, most roads are passable, and there are not have widespread electrical outages in the county.

Updates and any changes to school plans for Thursday will be communicated on the school system Facebook page and through the text out system. Please monitor this site for updates.

Glynn County

There is the potential for destructive life-threatening winds where the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Big Bend region of Florida, with hurricane conditions expected elsewhere in portions of the Hurricane Warning area along the Florida Gulf Coast.

Strong winds will also spread inland across portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia near the track of the center of Idalia where Hurricane Warnings are in effect.

Residents in these areas should be prepared for long-duration power outages.

Ware County

The National Weather Center has released new information that puts Waycross-Ware County in a greater area of concern.

The most likely time of arrival of sustained winds for Waycross-Ware County: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday with localized Flash Flood potential for the Waycross-Ware County area and a tornado threat.

Rainfall of 4″-6″ or more is expected.

Residents are asked not to travel on the roadways Wednesday due to the severe weather and potential roadway blockages.

If you don’t feel safe in your structure take shelter in a more secure structure elsewhere.

The City Auditorium will be open Wednesday for anyone needing shelter: 865 Pendleton St.

Pierce County

Pierce County was upgraded to Hurricane Warning by NWS JAX.

The county urges its community and neighboring counties to prepare for high winds in some areas of 74 mph, flash flooding with 4-6 inches and an elevated chance for tornadoes.


About the Author
Francine Frazier headshot

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

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