As Hurricane Michael pounds the Florida Panhandle, DeKalb County’s chances of gusty winds nearly doubled in the time the storm made landfall.
DeKalb is expected to get up to three inches of rain with winds between 25 and 30 mph, DeKalb emergency management specialist Chayne Sparagowski said in an updated NextDoor post. Wind gusts are expected to reach 40 mph Wednesday night to Thursday morning.
“These winds will come with bands of rain as they move through,”Sparagowski said. “We will also see short-lived bursts of heavy rain.” Earlier forecasts projected the county could see between 10 and 15 mph winds with gusts reaching 35 mph.
With wind speeds at 155 mph, Hurricane Michael became a Category 4 storm Wednesday morning and made landfall in Mexico Beach just before 2 p.m., Channel 2 Action News reported. The storm is now the strongest to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle. At 5 p.m., the storm had weakened to a Category 3.
HURRICANE MICHAEL COVERAGE:
Hurricane Michael could bring flooding and downed trees to DeKalb County once the storm passes through Georgia late Wednesday and early Thursday, emergency officials said
“While impacts should be minor, we will likely see some localized street flooding and trees down,” Sparagowski said. “This will cause power outages and impact travel.”
Despite the storm’s track, which is projected to go through Florida and South Georgia, Sparagowski said the impacts to the county are expected to be minimal.
Still, DeKalb EMA Chief Sue Loeffler is not taking any chances.
"We're asking our folks to shake out gaps in their plans from (Hurricane) Irma," Loeffler told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Last year, Hurricane Irma left millions of Georgians without power in its wake and claimed three lives.
“We’re still in planning mode,” Loeffler said. “It’s more about getting the information out on what we’re expecting and as they change, communicate that with our internal and external partners so that they’re prepared.”
Loeffler urged residents prone to flash flood areas to avoid driving through standing water. DeKalb will also open its emergency operating center overnight staffed with police, fire and road safety crews.
“We’re asking everyone to stay weather aware overnight and in to tomorrow,” she said.
CLOSINGS| Here's what's closed in Georgia ahead of Hurricane Michael
PHOTOS| Florida Panhandle battens down for Hurricane Michael
SCHOOLS| DeKalb Schools monitoring Hurricane Michael as landfall looms
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