Isaias rolls through Georgia

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency is urging the public to “remain vigilant” and monitor weather forecasts and associated alerts as it continues to monitor impacts from Isaias across the state.

The agency says the primary impacts reported so far include downed trees and power outages. It said 120,368 customers were without power statewide shortly before noon Saturday.

“GEMA/HS encourages all Georgians to remain vigilant, monitor local weather forecasts and have multiple ways to receive emergency alerts,” the agency said in a statement Saturday. “Residents should avoid downed trees and power lines, never attempt to drive through flooded roadways and follow guidance from local emergency management officials.”

The agency said there are no flash flood warnings currently in effect, but that a flood watch remains in place for much of Georgia through Sunday morning. A high wind warning is also in effect for North Georgia through 8 a.m. Sunday, the agency said, adding that additional flash flood warnings and/or tornado warnings are possible throughout the state Saturday.

“Gusty winds are expected to continue into the evening hours before gradually diminishing from south to north,” the agency said.

Isaias landed near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm around 9:30 p.m. Friday, packing sustained winds of 105 mph.

In Georgia, the storm is expected to produce long periods of strong wind gusts between 35 and 45 mph, with occasional gusts as strong as 60 mph, according to the NWS’ Peachtree City office.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines canceled more than 20 flights scheduled for Saturday to or from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to FlightAware.com. The Saturday cancellations come after more than 50 flight cancellations Friday.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm possibly bringing severe weather to Georgia this weekend. Kemp said Friday its mounting strength is validating that decision. It allows for up to 500 Georgia National Guard troops to be called in for help, along with other emergency response powers. The governor said in a social media post Saturday he had been in touch with federal emergency management officials.

The forecast prompted changes to some metro Atlanta events, including the cancellation of Marietta’s Chalktoberfest. All Atlanta Pride Festival programming scheduled for Saturday was canceled in anticipation of the storm. In a statement, Atlanta Pride said Sunday’s festival activities would proceed as planned, depending on weather and safety conditions. The Mayor’s 5K on the 5th Runway has been postponed.

Tracking Hurricane Isaias

Isaias was scraping the northern Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon.

Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane about 9:30 p.m. Friday near Destin, bringing with it strong winds, heavy rain and a life-threatening storm surge, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS reclassified the storm as a Post-Tropical Cyclone as it trekked its way along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The storm surge and tropical storm warnings that had been in effect were discontinued.

Isaias was roughly 25 miles southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, by Saturday morning.

The storm was expected to bring 4-10 inches of rain from Friday through the weekend along the central Gulf Coast, extending from southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, but localized areas could see up to 15 inches, the Hurricane Center predicted.

Parts of southern Alabama also were flooded, with officials in Mobile reporting downed trees and power lines. Roads in Houston County, which is in the southeastern corner of the state, were closed because of similar conditions.

Two deaths, one in Alabama and another in Florida, have been reported in the aftermath of Isaiah.

One person died when a tree fell on their house in a neighborhood of Birmingham, according to Shea Hess, an emergency management officer with the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency. She had no further details.

In Florida, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said in a video posted on his Facebook page that one woman died after a tree fell on her home. He did not provide additional details.

Flight cancellations

Several dozen flights were canceled because of the storm. The cancellations included flights to or from Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Pensacola. Also canceled were some flights to and from Gulfport-Biloxi in Mississippi, and Mobile and Dothan in Alabama.

For travelers who want to change their plans to try to avoid flight disruptions from cancellations, Delta issued a travel waiver applying to Atlanta, allowing travelers with flights booked for Saturday to, from or through Atlanta to change their flight plans at no extra cost. Delta also issued a travel waiver applying to other airports that could be affected by Hurricane Isaias. For those with flights booked for Friday or Saturday to or from Pensacola, Panama City, Destin-Fort Walton Beach and Gulfport-Biloxi — as well as Columbus, Mississippi, and Montgomery, Mobile, Dothan and Birmingham in Alabama — Delta is waiving the cost of certain flight changes.

UGA scheduled to play in Alabama

One event still on schedule is Saturday night’s football showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

President Donald Trump, who planned to attend the game, announced Friday afternoon he won’t do so to allow law enforcement and first responders to focus on responding to the storm. Alabama Athletics advised fans to monitor official channels for any weather-related updates and announced changes to game-day operations, such as barring tailgating on campus before noon.

Kemp told Georgians who plan to travel to the game to remain up-to-date on weather forecasts.

“You just need to be prepared to reverse course if things get really bad,” he said. “Hopefully that won’t happen, but people just need to be prepared.”