BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Hurricane Dorian gained a bit of strength Wednesday as it moved away from Jacksonville and tracked up the Southeast seaboard off Georgia's coast.
Georgia Power said about 2,800 homes and businesses were without power Wednesday evening in coastal areas of Georgia. At about 6 p.m., forescasters said Dorian's eye was moving off the Georgia coast.
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In 2017, Hurricane Irma howled into St. Marys, decimating the city's docks and boat ramp. Dorian has created another obstacle, but John Holman, the city manager, said the city remains focused on rebuilding.
"We will be inspecting tomorrow (Thursday). A marine engineer will be coming down and we will be inspecting all our marine facilities to see if there has been additional damage or damage to the structures already installed," Holman said.
Affected by both Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma, St. Marys was prepared for Dorian.
"This is one of the more difficult storms we've had to deal with in the sense of the time it took for the storm to travel as most storms are coming faster," Holman said. "This storm was at such a slow pace that a lot of people became nervous."
To mitigate flooding and damage, St, Marys has incorporated a drainage system that should help protect the downtown water front the regular high tides and future storms. Community awareness and connection has also played a vital role in storm preparedness.
As of the 8 p.m. advisory Wednesday from the National Hurricane Center, the storm was moving north-northwest at 8 mph. The center of the storm was about 130 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. Millions were ordered to evacuate as forecasters said near-record levels of seawater and rain could swamp the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
