Hurricane Isaias live updates

CARE, the humanitarian organization based in Atlanta, said it sent relief supplies to areas expected to be affected by Isaias ahead of the storm to be distributed when needed.

That includes CARE package hygiene kits with soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and CARE package kits for mothers and babies that include baby hygiene items, feeding supplies and baby blankets. 

CARE said it is coordinating with the Alabama and Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and Volunteer Florida. CARE said it also partners with women-led and grassroots organizations to help women and families.

It said depending on community needs, CARE has additional services — including emergency cash assistance for families and grants to local organizations for response and recovery.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said it activated its emergency operations center Saturday morning to monitor weather, assess impacts and coordinate resources.

The airport advised passengers to check their flight status, monitor weather forecasts and allow extra time to get to the airport since weather can affect roads.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has canceled more than 20 flights scheduled for Saturday to or from Hartsfield-Jackson, according to FlightAware.com.

That includes some of its flights to or from Pensacola, Destin, Panama City and Tallahassee, Florida; as well as Montgomery, Mobile and Dothan, Alabama; and Columbus, Mississippi. If the storm's direction or speed shifts, that could mean more flight cancellations.

The Saturday cancellations come after more than 50 flight cancellations Friday.

For travelers who want to change their plans to try to avoid flight disruptions from cancellations, Delta issued a travel waiver applying to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 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, Destin, Panama City, Montgomery, Mobile, Dothan, Birmingham, Columbus or Gulfport-Biloxi, Delta is waiving the cost of certain flight changes.

Wet and windy conditions and power outages are expected to continue Saturday as Georgia feels the effects of Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias.

More than 40,000 Georgia Power customers and 43,000 Georgia EMC customers were without power early Saturday in the wake of the storm.

Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane about 9:30 p.m. Friday near Destin, Florida, 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.

As of early Saturday, Isaias is roughly 25 miles southwest of Montgomery, Alabama. Its maximum sustained winds are as fast as 60 mph in its immediate vicinity.

In Georgia, the cyclone 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.

The entire state remains under a flood watch through Sunday morning in anticipation of heavy downpours. Isaias is expected to produce between 2 to 4 inches of rain across Georgia, with local amounts of up to 8 inches possible.

The wet and windy conditions produce an increased risk of downed trees, power outages and tornadoes.

On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm bringing severe weather to Georgia this weekend. It allows for up to 500 Georgia National Guard troops to be called in for help, along with other emergency response powers.

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Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, around 9:30 p.m. Friday, packing strong winds, heavy rain and what the National Weather Service describes as a life-threatening storm surge.

Heavy rain, flash flooding, strong winds and some tornadoes could come Friday evening through Sunday morning through much of Georgia, including metro Atlanta, the National Weather Service said.

Most of the region, including Atlanta, is under a flood warning through Sunday morning. Parts of western Middle Georgia, as far north as Heard County and east as Pike and Macon counties, and southwest Georgia are under tropical storm warnings until Saturday.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has canceled more than 20 flights scheduled for Saturday to or from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to FlightAware.com as of Friday afternoon. 

That includes some of its flights to or from Pensacola, Destin and Panama City, Florida; as well as Montgomery, Mobile and Dothan, Alabama; and Columbus, Mississippi. If the storm's direction or speed shifts, that could mean more flight cancellations.

The Saturday cancellations come after more than 50 flight cancellations Friday.

For travelers who want to change their plans to try to avoid flight disruptions from cancellations, Delta issued a travel waiver applying to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 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.

Georgia Power said it was monitoring Hurricane Isaias and has prepared personnel and resources to respond to any power outages.

The hurricane is expected to bring wind, heavy rain and possible tornadoes.

Georgia statewide power outage map: Check outages by county

Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency officials advised people to fill up gas tanks, secure outdoor objects and keep a three-day kit with supplies in case there is a power outage. Generators should run outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Georgia Power advises:

• Before a storm, residents should check emergency kits, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power.
• During a storm, residents should take shelter and avoid contact with conductors of electricity such as appliances, metal objects and water.
• After a storm, don't touch downed or low-hanging wires, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Don't go into areas with debris or downed trees because downed power lines could be buried in wreckage. Call 911 or Georgia Power if you see a fallen or low-hanging power line.

Gov. Brian Kemp, who put Georgia under a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Isaias' arrival, warned Friday that hurricane predictions can change suddenly. 

Isaias comes amid a busy travel weekend for college sports fans, with multiple high-profile football games across the Southeast. The anticipated highlight of the weekend is Georgia’s bout with Alabama in Tuscaloosa at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, which has led the University of Alabama to issue precautions ahead of the game. Similarly, 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.”

Saturday programming for the annual festival has been canceled. Sunday festival activities, including the Atlanta Pride Parade, will proceed as planned, weather and safety conditions permitting. Saturday-only Premium Passes will be honored on Sunday.

The National Weather Service said conditions are “rapidly deteriorating” along the northern Gulf Coast as the storm gets closer. Isaias is expected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm late Friday evening off the coast of Alabama and Florida.

In an afternoon briefing, the NWS’s Peachtree City office said all severe weather watches previously issued throughout Georgia had been upgraded to warnings.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm has grown more fierce, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from Isaias’ center, and tropical storm-force winds extend up to 185 miles.

After sunset Friday, bands of rain and wind gusts as fast as 30-50 mph are expected, the NWS said. Isolated severe storms could also bring tornadoes across central Georgia. NWS officials have warned about flash flooding in metro Atlanta.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm possibly bringing severe weather to Georgia this weekend.

“It looks like a wind and rain event here, but with that wind and spinoff and being on the east side or ‘dirty side’ of the storm, there’s potential for spinoff tornadoes, downed trees and down power lines,” Kemp told reporters Friday. “So we just want people to be aware of that. It’s a possibility you may lose power for a while, so just be prepared.”