Here are GEMA's tips for Floridians fleeing Hurricane Milton

Caption

Atlanta Motor Speedway, located in Henry County, Ga., is opening its campgrounds for evacuees of Hurricane Milton.

Credit: Henry County

Hurricane Milton has progressed from a tropical depression into a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph in only 48 hours, one of the most extreme hurricane intensifications GEMA has ever seen. Although Milton has weakened to Category 4, further strengthening is possible through tomorrow as it moves northeast towards Florida.

Although weakening is anticipated before landfall, the storm's wind field will expand. This will cause impacts to be felt far from the center of the storm, including in South Georgia, where FEMA is on the ground helping those still recovering from Hurricane Helene.

State officials say Milton could be one of the largest storm evacuations from Florida since Irma in 2017. What do Floridians leaving the state and coming our way need to know? 

GPB's Chase McGee spoke with GEMA Director James Stallings to find out. Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Travelers are welcome

"We're very supportive of our friends to the South, so we want them know they are very welcome to seek refuge in Georgia," Stallings said. "But we'd also like them to know that we, too, have been hit recently with Hurricane Debby as well as Hurricane Helene. So, a lot of the traditional landing places that they may have come to just over the [Florida/Georgia state] line, which are currently a lot of those that are [currently] filled with either individuals who are displaced or we've got power crews that are in town helping restore power from those damages and or first responders coming from other parts of the state that are already in those traditional locations that they might stop. So there's southern border counties: All we would ask is that they kind of call ahead, look for a place. We've got plenty of space here in Georgia."

Georgians and Floridians should turn on alerts for weather warnings

Although Hurricane Milton is not projected to affect the entire state of Georgia, Stallings says "keep those audio alerts on loud." The storm's impacts may affect southern counties and Coastal Georgia.

"Make sure, because, again, it's a nighttime storm that's going to be coming through," he said. "So make sure they're loud enough to wake you up should you need to evacuate. Any time we have these events, we're always going to get some type of tornado [watch or warning]. We're going to get some type of event that is off the sides of the centralized event. So we want to make sure everybody's getting those alerts. It's so important for us to get on these these media channels that are going to be in the impacted area. And so making sure that we get the message out early so that folks can prepare and begin a plan. And I think that goes a long way. "

Shelters are open

For up-to-date shelter information, check the American Red Cross.

Credit: GEMA

Best options for hotel, camping vacancies are north of Georgia's southernmost counties

Stallings said many of Georgia's southern counties are still in recovery mode from Hurricane Helene and additional travelers could put a strain on resources. Also, larger metropolitan areas a little further north may have more options. 

"A lot of times our friends there in northeast Florida, [evacuees] just go straight to Savannah," Stallings said. "We know that. But we've got other places in Georgia that aren't traditional landing places, maybe [like] Albany. You're going a little further north to Macon or Columbus and certainly to Atlanta."
 

Many of Georgia's state parks are accepting RVs and campers

"Also want folks to be aware of our state parks," Stallings said." We understand this time of year we're starting to see some of our snowbirds move south from up north. And so a lot of them are traditionally in their RVs. And so we've got places there in our parks that they can go. Of course ... if need be, we'll open up other facilities. Our friends over at Atlanta Motor Speedway are always very inviting to their infield. We'll set up Perry National Fairgrounds if we need to. So there's a lot of those locations."

For the latest availability, go to GaStateParks.org/Alerts or call 1-800-864-7275. 
 

Make a plan, call ahead

As travelers make their way to Georgia, they are advised to make contact with their destination, whether that is with friends or family, hotels and other lodging or state parks.

"What we would ask is that when you call ahead, just make sure that whatever city you go to, you contact [parks or hotels, etc]," Stallings said. "And certainly, you can go to any of our websites we're documenting and trying to keep up with pace of vacancy or what those other directions certainly might look like."

Resources for travelers

ExploreGeorgia.org has created a handy hurricane evacuee guide with lodging availability, visitor services, traveling with pets and other emergency resources.

Georgia Emergency Resources:

• Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency

Evacuation Routes and Road Conditions: 

• Georgia 511
• Georgia Department of Transportation 

Weather Updates:

• NOAA National Hurricane Center
• The Weather Channel