Metro Atlanta braces for Hurricane Helene
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City and state officials are preparing for flash floods, heavy winds and downed trees as Hurricane Helene, a massive and potentially historic storm, plows through south Georgia and into Atlanta.
Why it matters: National Weather Service forecasters say the storm will drop intense amounts of rain — possibly over a foot in some areas — and unleash powerful, tropical storm wind gusts as high as 85 mph Thursday through Friday night.
- Risks could include power outages, downed trees, dangerous flooding and potential for tornadoes.
The latest: Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday evening along the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane before moving northwest through Georgia. Counties in central, south and southwest Georgia are under a hurricane warning, including the cities of Macon and Columbus.
- Metro Atlanta is under a tropical storm warning, meaning tropical storm conditions are not just possible, but imminent, in our area.
The big picture: Helene will be an unusually large storm, making a focus on the track of the eye deceiving, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
- NOAA issued a rare special announcement for Hurricane Helene alerting communities that the storm's "flooding rainfall and high winds won't be limited to the Gulf Coast and are expected to travel hundreds of miles inland."
- The National Hurricane Center said "strong wind gusts are also likely farther north across portions of northern Georgia and the Carolinas, particularly over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians," where rainfall total forecasts are up to 18 inches.
State of play: The storm forced Atlanta Public Schools to close its offices and classrooms Thursday and Friday, and other school districts, colleges and universities south of the metro area also said they will shut down. See more school, health and government closures.
- Numerous flights into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were delayed or canceled Wednesday, as storms swept across the South. Officials warn that travel could be worse today and tomorrow.
Zoom in: City of Atlanta crews have cleared storm drains to curb flooding and are prepared to remove trees that block critical roads, Mayor Andre Dickens said at a Wednesday press conference.
- The Downtown Westin Hotel near the city's E-911 center has offered to house staff working around the clock.
Zoom out: Power outages are likely to be widespread in Georgia, as the storm may still be a hurricane when it moves into southern and south-central parts of the state on Friday.
- Meteorologist Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia's Atmospheric Sciences Program, told the AJC that the storm could rival 2017's Hurricane Irma, which brought down trees and caused numerous power outages in Atlanta.
- View the latest outage map.
The city and state have both opened emergency operations centers and Georgia Power says crews are prepared to assist.
Yes, and: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says state parks are able to accommodate people displaced by the storm, including horses.
- For more information, visit the state parks website or call 1-800-864-7275.
The bottom line: Make a plan to protect yourself and loved ones.
- Please exercise caution and prepare for a potentially unprecedented weather event.
Sign up for city of Atlanta emergency text alerts at NotifyATL
Follow the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency's updates