Governor declares state of emergency as Ian approaches

Sep. 28—Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for all counties in Georgia as Hurricane Ian moves closer to making landfall in the U.S.

Kemp made the announcement Tuesday following the upgrade of Hurricane Ian to Category 3. The state of emergency goes into effect Thursday at 7 a.m.

The southeast Georgia coast is likely to be hit with a tropical storm or depression before the storm exits Georgia on Sunday, with possible storm surges, beach erosion and rip currents predicted.

Coastal Camden and Glynn counties are already under a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the entire Georgia coast.

Across the state, Georgians could face heavy rains, flooding, high winds and the loss of power, the governor's office said.

Georgians are encouraged to pay close attention to local officials' guidance and make emergency plans. Those in low-lying or coastal areas should consider moving to higher ground.

Georgia activated the State Operations Center this week to help prepare for the storm. The state of emergency extends until Oct. 28.

Ian made landfall in Cuba early Tuesday morning and is expected to arrive in the Cobb County area as early as Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida by Wednesday afternoon.

The storm could reach Category 4 status before reaching Florida.

Ian is expected to be downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm by the time it reaches Georgia, AccuWeather reports, but is still likely to bring rainy and windy conditions.

The Cobb County School District said that Friday's four scheduled high school football games have been moved to Thursday due to the storm. Each team—Lassiter, South Cobb, Sprayberry and Walton—is playing on the road in Fulton County.

On Friday, the Cobb forecast predicts cloudy conditions in the morning, followed by rain moving in toward the afternoon. The forecast includes a high of 71 degrees, a 40% chance of rain, winds moving north at 17 mph and wind gusts up to 41 mph, AccuWeather reports. Friday night is expected to see a low of 60 degrees, with winds up to 30 mph, and a 95% chance of rain, which is expected to accumulate up to 1 inch.

Saturday will see the brunt of the system in Cobb, as the county forecast calls for heavy rain throughout the day, with a high of 66 degrees and winds up to 30 mph. Cobb could see more than 2 inches of rain Saturday, according to AccuWeather, with a low of 60 degrees later that evening.

The storms are expected to move out of the area Sunday.

The National Weather Service is warning residents to prepare for possible power outages due to strong wind gusts, as well as potential flooding as a result of heavy rain.

County officials are emphasizing that Ian's impact on Cobb County could vary widely depending upon the storm's eventual track. The Cobb Department of Transportation is preparing equipment, as well as adjusting crew shifts, in anticipation. County crews have begun clearing areas that see excessive standing water.

Ian could put a damper on the ongoing North Georgia State Fair, which is scheduled to run through Sunday.

"We'll just have to wait and see," said fair manager Tod Miller. "We're in the holding pattern right now and are monitoring the weather like everyone else."

Miller added that he and his team will update the public on the status of operational fair hours this weekend, posting any weather cancellation notices on the fair's website and social media pages. Anyone wishing to stay up to date on cancellations can visit the fair's website at www.northgeorgiastatefair.com or its Facebook page.

The storms could also impact the Atlanta Braves' final homestand of the season. The Braves are scheduled to host the New York Mets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Truist Park. — Rebecca Grapevine contributed to this report.