- DeKalb Emergency Management is monitoring the situation and preparing to activate the Emergency Operations Center.
- The current track has Irma coming in to south Florida and travelling north to impact Georgia, including the metro Atlanta area. Stay weather aware, as the track can and likely will change some over the next few days. Currently, we are looking at our impacts being gusty tropical storm force winds sustained at 35mph and gusting to 50 mph and the possibility of tornadoes and flooding. These impacts are currently forecast to begin Monday morning and will continue overnight into Tuesday. This will mean down trees and power lines and cause long duration power outages.
- You should prepare your home and business for impacts from the wind.
- Know places to seek safe shelter in your home.
- Bring in or secure outdoor furniture, trash cans and other objects that may be blown around.
- Trim branches that may cause damage.
- Do not tape windows, this wastes time and has been shown through research to have no benefit.
- You should prepare for loss of power for several days.
- This includes having water for each member of your family, including pets and kids.
- Non-perishable food that can be eaten without having to microwave or use electricity to prepare. Do not use grills or other open flame inside.
- Battery powered lighting and extra batteries. Do not use candles.
- Keep cell phones charged. Have a way to charge your cell phone, either by battery or using a car charger.
- Ensure you have cash as ATM’s, debit and credit card machines may be out of service during a power outage.
- Keep generators outside and away from windows, doors and other vents. Do not attach the generator to your house or business, unless a generator switch has been installed by an electrician for this purpose.
- Please do not call 911 to report power outages, unless it is life threatening. Call Georgia Power at 1-888-891-0938.
- Citizens and stakeholders should sign up for DeKalb County CodeRED. This will ensure you receive any emergency information and severe weather warnings by phone call, text, or email.
- You can sign up at the county website, dekalbcountyga.gov
- It is an address based system and you can set up multiple addresses.
- You information will remain protected. We do not use this information for any other purpose.
- The DeKalb County non-emergency number is 404-294-2911. Save 911 for life threatening calls.
- There are currently no shelters open in DeKalb County.
- We have made preparations to open shelters, if needed.
- If shelters are opened, we will publish this information on social media, the county website and through local media.
- A list of shelters open state-wide can be found on the Georgia Emergency Management Agency website.
- There is a lot of traffic from evacuation areas in Florida and Georgia. Be patient.
- I-75 is not contraflowing. The I-75 Express lanes south of Atlanta have the tolls temporarily lifted and all traffic on the express lanes are northbound to accommodate evacuations from Florida.
- Contraflow on I-16 will take place between Savannah and Dublin beginning at 8 am Saturday morning. All lanes will be west bound.
- For the latest information and traffic conditions, visit 511ga.org
- If there is price gouging, do not call local police or 911. Please call the Georgia Consumer Protection Unit, 1-800-869-1123.
1300 Commerce Drive Decatur, GA 30030
404-371-2000