While Hurricane Michael is expected to batter the Florida panhandle Wednesday with winds exceeding 100 mph, emergency officials in Bulloch County are preparing for tropical storm-force winds beginning Wednesday afternoon and 4 to 6 inches of rain or more.
The National Weather Service late Tuesday afternoon upgraded the previous tropical storm watch to a tropical storm warning for Bulloch and surrounding counties. This means that tropical storm-force winds, winds exceeding 39 mph for one minute or more at a time, were expected within 36 hours. (To read The Associated Press story, click here.)
"Tropical storm-force winds will arrive Wednesday most likely starting midday and continuing through Thursday morning," Ted Wynn, Bulloch County's public safety director, listed among other predicted conditions in his 5 p.m. update.
School closings
Bulloch County's public schools and Ogeechee Technical College announced all classes are cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday. Bulloch County Schools also cancelled all Wednesday and Thursday athletic and extracurricular activities, and the Board of Education cancelled its Thursday evening regular meeting, carrying over all business to Oct. 25.
Bulloch Academy's campus will be closed, and all school-related and athletic activities cancelled, Wednesday and Thursday. In an announcement on social media Tuesday evening, the school said a decision regarding class on Friday will be announced once the storm passes.
Georgia Southern University has cancelled all classes and activities on all of its campuses Wednesday and Thursday, with only essential personnel to report to work. East Georgia State College also updated its website to announce that all EGSC campuses, Statesboro, Swainsboro and Augusta, will be closed both Wednesday and Thursday.
Earlier deadline
The Statesboro Herald will go to press at 5 p.m. Wednesday for Thursday's paper in anticipation of worsening weather conditions into Wednesday evening and the early morning hours of Thursday.
A possibility of isolated flash flooding from Tuesday night through Thursday, isolated tornadoes possible mainly Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning, downed trees and power outages were all conditions Wynn warned about in his update.
He urged everyone to stay indoors as the weather deteriorates for their own safety and to keep roads clear in case of the need for emergency vehicles to move quickly.
Shelter may open
If conditions warrant, a Good Samaritan shelter will be opened at First Baptist Church in Statesboro, but not before Wednesday evening, Wynn reported. This will be for citizens who do not feel safe in their homes Wednesday night.
Power companies
Georgia Power issued a statement advising customers to charge cellphones and turn off air-conditioners, which can be affected by power surges, before the storm arrives. Afterward, never touch any downed wires, including telephone or TV wires that may touch a power line, and never pull limbs off power lines yourself or enter areas where power lines may be buried under trees or wreckage, the power company advises.
Outages can be reported and an outage map viewed at www.georgiapower.com/storm. Or Georgia Power customers can report outages by calling (888) 891-0938.
Excelsior Electric Membership Corporation's numbers to report outages are (912) 764-2123 and (912) 685-2115, and its website, www.excelsioremc.com, also carries an outage map.