ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp announced the tragic death of a 19-year-old who was killed, and thousands are without power while Tropical Storm Debby moves through south Georgia.
47,000 people are without power in the region, according to the governor.
He held a news conference on Tuesday morning at the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency headquarters.
In the neighboring state, Florida, four people were killed when the storm ripped up against the west coast, making landfall in the Big Bend as a Category 1 hurricane.
"We have had a heavy impact on southwest Georgia with heavy winds and certainly a lot of rainfall," Kemp said in his news conference.
Following a briefing from state emergency leaders, Kemp and GEMA/HS Director Chris Stallings discussed ongoing and future response efforts to track and help those impacted by the storm.
His announcement comes shortly after he enabled National Guard troops and an executive order state of emergency. Kemp also said on Tuesday that he had a preapproved disaster emergency plan for possible evacuations and shelters just in case they were needed.
The Peach State governor gave a message to residents who were in the impacted areas.
"I hope you will be patient with us. Do not let this storm lull you to sleep, as a lot of affected areas right now are not experiencing rain and high winds, but both models are showing rain and winds will come back," Kemp stated. "Give us time to clear roads, get power crews in, and help with any emergency efforts that we need to do. Just try to stay off the roads if you can today."
Kemp also addressed some concerns farmers might have about their summer crops and stated teams will monitor efforts to help those in need of those resources.
GEMA director Chris Stallings also spoke at Tuesday's news conference, where he reiterated keeping the roads clear to help recovery teams.
Major General Wilson stated that there were 300 National Guard troops who were on standby to respond to those who might be in need.
Kemp also stated that several south Georgia ports are closed for the time being until the storm passes.
A state meteorologist stated that there were some models that could bring more rain to the Peach State.
"There are some very reliable models that are showing a better scenario for us, and that would be reflected in the National Hurricane Center's track where by Thursday, the center of the storm that is currently off our coast will be moving to the Carolinas, and we will start to see the rain move out of Georiga," said GEMA State Meteorologist Will Lanxton. "If that were the case, we would see another four to five inches of rain before the wrap-around moisture happens in Savannah. There are a couple of models that show the center moving back into Georgia, which would be the worst-case scenario for us. Savannah could see another eight to nine inches of rain."
North Georgia is seeing mostly cloudy skies with mild winds, while southeastern regions, particularly Savannah, are experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding.
Other things to note:
- Georgia Power crews are on standby to address power outages.
- Emergency responders are actively working in flood-affected areas.
- Residents in vulnerable areas are advised to follow local officials' instructions and consider relocating temporarily.