The tropical storm that’s expected to hit the Florida panhandle late Thursday or early Friday could bring heavy rain and high wind speeds to Central Georgia.
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As of 3 pm Hurricane Hermine was located near latitude 28.1 North and longitude 85.4 West, which places the storm about 390 miles southwest of Savannah and about 115 miles SSW of Apalachicola, FL. Residents in other low-lying areas prone to flooding area also being asked to evacuate.
Florida Governor Rick Scott ordered state government offices in 51 counties to close at noon on Thursday.
The order included the state capital Tallahassee and home to tens of thousands of state workers.
There is a tornado threat as well across north Florida and South Georgia.
While Florida residents prepare for the hurricane, authorities have been distributing sandbags to contain the rising waters. That forced city officials to keep motorists from driving onto the Charleston peninsula and into its historic district.
By Friday afternoon, Hermine could push ashore a risky storm surge that could trigger widespread flooding.
The Tropical Storm Warning has been extended southward along the west coast of Florida to Englewood, including the greater Tampa and St. Petersburg area and southward along the east coast of Florida to the Flagler/Volusia County line. It’s made up of mostly rural communities and smaller cities away from Interstate 10 and Interstate 75. “If the storm continues far enough up the coast, there is a possibility downstate NY may experience high rip currents, heavy rain and strong winds this Labor Day weekend”. Despite the bravado, he said, “I’m anxious”. The highest so far reached 2.5 feet at Cedar Key Wednesday night, he said. “Pretty much the new equipment is my primary concern”.
For those who don’t live in the Sunshine State, the words “Florida” and “hurricane” might feel rather synonymous. Isolated tornadoes and wind damage will be likely as well.
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“We’re going into this week, as of last Sunday, right on target for a year ago”, says Manasquan Beach Manager Wally Wall.
