Early Friday afternoon, Statesboro and Bulloch County began feeling the effects of Hurricane Matthew, which still posed a threat to the area despite the storm’s slight weakening overnight. Reports of officers removing debris from city streets and work crews responding to a call about a fallen tree in a roadway were dispatched over police radio, mingled with other calls regarding traffic accidents and weather-related issues. The storm was continuing its predicted course along the coast of Florida, according to Bulloch County Public Safety Director Ted Wynn, reporting after a briefing from the National Weather Service that indicated the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and was moving north-northwest at 12 mph.