Cobb County could be saddled with power outages, flooding and strong winds as Hurricane Michael rips through the Florida Panhandle and moves through South Georgia, a spokesman for the county said Wednesday.
“We expect some gusty winds and up to two inches of rain in this area,” county spokesman Ross Cavitt said in a news release. “Much of this will happen after dark tonight.”
Hurricane Michael was upgraded to a Category 4 storm early Wednesday and made landfall at Mexico Beach in the Florida Panhandle just before 2 p.m. The storm reached 150 mph winds at noon and has been dubbed the strongest to hit the area, Channel 2 Action News reported. By 5 p.m., the storm had weakened to Category 3, making its way to South Georgia.
HURRICANE MICHAEL COVERAGE:
“The biggest concern remains downed trees and power outages, especially since we've been in a fairly dry period,” Cavitt said.
Cobb DOT crews spent much of the day Wednesday clearing clogged storm drains and preparing their tree clearing equipment in anticipation for the storm, set to arrive in Georgia late Wednesday and early Thursday.
For now, Cavitt said the tornado threat in Cobb remains low, but officials are monitoring the situation.
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