NOAA Satellite image 09.13.2018 10:30 a.m.
As we all know, forecasted paths of storms can change, but due to the fact a change to the forecast path of Hurricane Florence now includes most of Georgia, University of Georgia State, District, and County Extension Faculty & Staff were sent a note from Pam Knox, Interim Director of the Georgia Weather Network Crop and Soil Sciences Agricultural Climatologist. She noted that due to a change in the steering air currents, areas in Georgia may be affected, and while the winds may not be hurricane-force, they could still be strong enough to cause a lot of tree damage due to saturated soils, and resulting power outages are likely. Rainfalls could be very heavy since waves of storms will move repeatedly over parts of the state.
So UGA is asking their personnel to prepare for this potential extreme event. Since almost all of Georgia is now in the 5-day cone, this means that everyone in the state should be preparing for impacts, not just those along the coast.
Knox noted that since this is an evolving situation, everyone should keep watching the official forecasts from the National Hurricane Center and follow the recommendations of local emergency managers regarding evacuations.