Metro Atlanta hotels and shelters say they could be bombarded with hurricane evacuees over the next couple of days as Hurricane Florence nears the coast of the Carolinas.
The American Red Cross says it will be waiting with open arms.
"The Red Cross is standing by ready to respond as much as needed. We're mobilizing volunteers, resources, supplies," Ashley Henyan of the Red Cross told WSB-TV's Justin Wilfon.
The organization said volunteers will operate Red Cross shelters across Georgia, most of them along the Interstate 20 corridor, for people fleeing from South Carolina.
“This is a really strong storm, so we want to make sure that we’re ready for anybody who needs a place to stay in Georgia,” Henyan said.
The Red Cross still isn’t sure how many evacuees will end up in shelters, with others heading to metro Atlanta hotels.
"We've never left for a storm before," one person told Wilfon while arriving at a DeKalb County hotel after evacuating from North Carolina. "Hoping everything will be fine when we come back."
Despite big events in Atlanta this weekend, a spokesperson for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau told Wilfon that plenty of hotel rooms are still available in Cobb and Gwinnett counties and around the airport.
Atlanta Motor Speedway announced Tuesday that it is opening its campgrounds at the racetrack for evacuees.
The Georgia State Parks system said it is opening campgrounds at parks across the state to help evacuees.
"Campsites and cottages are still available and 'dry camping' outside of normal camping areas is available for no charge. Our group shelters are also open to those fleeing the storm. Contact park offices directly for assistance," the system said on its website.
Check available campsites here.
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