ATLANTA — President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for Georgia early Monday morning, as dangerous Hurricane Dorian continued to move over the Bahamas on a northwesterly track toward Florida and southeast Georgia.
The emergency declaration is retroactive to Aug. 29. It makes available additional federal aid from FEMA to Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce and Wayne counties.
The 12 counties all lie along or near coastal Georgia in the southeast of the state.
"The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe," according to a release from the White House.
"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency," the White House release said. "Emergency protective measures, limited to Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding."
The declaration authorizes FEMA "to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures ... to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas," according to a fact sheet on it.
According to a FEMA news release, Manny J. Toro has been named the federal coordinating officer for response operations in Georgia.
State of Georgia Resources
- View up-to-date emergency declarations from Governor Kemp here.
- View updates from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency here.
- Visit Ready Georgia for weather alerts and emergency preparedness tips.
- Follow Georgia 511 for real-time traffic information.
- Learn what to do before, during, and after a flood here.
- Report power outages by contacting your power provider. The two main providers in Georgia are:
- Call your local non-emergency police line to report a downed tree on a main road.
Please stay aware of any forecast changes as there are still many questions that remain about where Dorian goes after impacting Florida.
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