Ian officially a hurricane, tropical storm conditions still forecast for Isles Wednesday
Sep. 26—The main takeaway for Glynn County personnel from a morning briefing with the National Weather Service this morning is that the Golden Isles is likely to get a lot of rain and wind from Hurricane Ian, but that the exact extent is still uncertain. The county and NWS urge citizens to take precautions.
"If you flooded in Irma, now is the time to take precautions," according to a statement from county spokeswoman Katie Baasen. "Rainfall could exceed flash flood guidance.
"The most likely impacts of tropical storm-force winds are still a moving target but confidence is high that we will need to be on high alert Wednesday night and into Thursday."
Little has changed from early predictions as of 8 a.m. today. According to the county, the Golden Isles can expect to see tropical storm-force winds on Wednesday night. Heavy rainfall is forecast Wednesday through Friday.
County officials say the NWS will hold another briefing at 1:20 p.m. today.
An evacuation has not yet been called.
Further, the chance for tornadoes is also expected to increase Wednesday through Friday.
Ian officially became a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph in the early morning hours today, prompting the National Hurricane Center to issue hurricane watches for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast. The center expects Ian to strengthen further today and produce strong wind and storm surges in western Cuba.
A Category 1 storm can pack winds between 74-95 mph, according to the hurricane category system employed by the National Hurricane Center.
The state is also preparing for the storm.
Gov. Brian Kemp ordered the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to activate the State Operations Center on Sunday in preparation for any potential impacts from Ian. The State Operations Center is a multi-agency coordination center used by state, federal, local and volunteer agencies, as well as private sector organizations, to respond to disasters or emergencies that require a coordinated state response.
Visit ready.gov/kit for resources for creating a disaster supplies kit and glynncounty.org/ema to sign up for the Code Red emergency alert system and to find preparedness information and updates on the storm specific to the Golden Isles.
Per the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an evacuation kit should, at minimum, include one gallon of water a day for each person for several days, several days of nonperishable food, a battery-powered or hand crank radio, a flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, whistle, dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape to secure shelters, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a manual can opener and local maps.
All items should be stored in airtight plastic containers.
