Eager to avoid a replay of last year's disastrous snowjam
, Gov. Nathan Deal is acting aggressively ahead of the wintry blast expected to blanket much of north Georgia.
The governor declared a state of emergency for most of metro Atlanta and the rest of north Georgia to go into effect at 2 p.m. Wednesday. And he ordered state government offices across the region to close at noon, hours before the worst of the icy front churns through the region, to prevent a flood of office-workers on the roads after they're coated with snow.
“With forecasts showing we could see accumulation by 4 p.m., I want to make sure we get as many commuters home before then as possible,” said Deal. “While current models show that temperatures will remain above freezing, we don’t want to run the risk of having normal rush hour traffic volume if there’s snow or ice on the highways."
He's asking public and private sector workers who can telecommute to do so tomorrow as well. And he's made state resources available tonight.
The state transportation department has already moved 80 extra staffers into north Georgia from other parts of the state. It will also unleash 13 tanker trucks to apply a ballyhooed brine mix to major highways at midnight.
At least 15 newly-formed "strike teams" will be poised to help clear traffic and remove debris. And the Georgia State Patrol is to deploy 174 troopers for rapid response to accidents, and it's requiring all tractor-trailers to pull in to weight stations to ensure they are properly equipped for the icy weather. The hope is to avoid the jackknifed catastrophe that blocked roads for hours during the 2014 gridlock.
The 50 counties in the winter storm warning are Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Rockdale, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield counties.
Expect to hear more details from Deal at a noon press conference to discuss preparations and the latest forecasts.
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