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Hurricane Irma Update for Moultrie/Colquitt County

11 Sep, 2017

Forecasts are indicating that we will begin feeling the outer edge of Hurricane Irma around 12:00am – 1:00am early tomorrow (Monday) morning. That will include localized rains and sustained winds of 40mph. As we move closer to 7:00am tomorrow morning, we can expect 60mph sustained winds. Moving on throughout the day, forecasts indicate we may have sustained winds of up to 80mph around 12:00 noon on Monday. We expect that Irma will enter southwest Georgia as a Category 1 Hurricane. Rainfall totals will be anywhere from 6-10 inches.
It is estimated that Hurricane Irma will clear southwest Georgia by Monday evening.

Based on these forecasts, local government agencies issued a voluntary evacuation for Colquitt County at 7:00pm on Saturday, September 9th, 2017. If you do not feel safe remaining in your home under these conditions, you are advised to seek shelter elsewhere immediately. For citizens who wish to remain in Colquitt County, you are advised to seek shelter in a solid structure as Hurricane Irma moves in our direction.

Several citizens have inquired about shelters. Below includes a comprehensive list of the current shelters open in Colquitt County. These shelters are not sponsored by the Red Cross and will not be staffed by Red Cross personnel. If you decide to shelter in one of these locations, you will need to bring your own bedding and supplies to include enough food and water to sustain you or your family for 24-48 hours. These shelters are for protection only. At this point, the shelters are not pet-friendly. All shelters listed below are scheduled to be open this afternoon at 6:00pm:
1) Heritage Church – 844 GA Hwy 33 S, 229-891-3421
2) Immanuel Praise Tabernacle – 109 Baker Street, 978-698-1017
3) Ellenton City Hall – 103 North Baker Street, 229-324-2900
4) Tommy Meredith Gym – 1100 5th Street SW, 229-985-1974 (6PM)
5) Ryce Community Center – 305 7th Street NW (6PM), 229-873-3110
6) R.D. Smith Youth Center – 700 5th Avenue NW (6PM), 229-985-3714
7) Kingwood Baptist Church – 310 Lane Street (6PM), 229-985-3580
8)Pine Grove Baptist Church – 4103 Bay Rockyford Road, 229-941-2836

Curfew: There will be a county-wide curfew in effect from 8:00pm on Sunday, September 10th (today) until 6:00am on Tuesday, September 12th. No vehicles or individuals should be on the road unless there is an absolute emergency. The curfew will be enforced by county-wide law enforcement to include local police departments and the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office. Citizens are advised to remain indoors throughout the entire period of the curfew.

Please keep the following items in mind as we get closer to the arrival of the storm:
-E-911: If you observe or sustain personal or property damage, please dial 911. If you observe or sustain non-emergency events (such as a power outage), please contact your power company. Please do not tie up E-911 emergency phone lines with non-emergency calls.

-There is a possibility that emergency services may not be able to respond to E-911 calls due to the severity of the storm. If this occurs, you will be informed by the E-911 dispatcher.

-Reporting power outages: For Colquitt EMC, call 1-800-217-9104. For Georgia Power, call 1-888-891-0938. For City of Moultrie, call 229-668-6000. Georgia Power also has online power outage reporting.

-Downed trees or water over roads: Call the County Road & Bridge department at 229-616- 7480.

-Sand bags: There will be a limited number of available sand bags. County residents can contact the County Road Department at 229-616-7480 to requests sand bags. City residents can contact the City of Moultrie Service Center at 229-668-5423/4 to request sand bags.

-If you are using a generator, make sure it is located in a well-ventilated area. If you lose power, and you utilize your generator, please shut off the main power breaker to your home.

-Neither Colquitt County nor the City of Moultrie Administrative offices will be open tomorrow (Monday). Colquitt County Schools will be closed on both Monday and Tuesday.

-Solid Waste Pick-Up: Neither Colquitt County nor the city of Moultrie will run solid waste pick-up routes on Monday. If able, your cans will be collected on Tuesday, along with the regular Tuesday route. The Colquitt County landfill / transfer station will not be open on Monday.

This is a very powerful storm that is moving in our direction. Please continue to make preparations and monitor local forecasts.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our community and our neighbors as we prepare for this storm.