Hurricane shifts westward; plans in place

Police, emergency crews standing by

Seen from the intersection of I-16 and Highway 67, traffic flows from Coastal Georgia on both east and west-bound lanes Thursday afternoon in advance of Hurricane Matthew. The Georgia State Patrol and other public safety organizations were posted all along to the route to help facilitate a smooth evacuation.

W 100616 HURRICANE EVACUATION 02 — Seen from the intersection of I-16 and Highway 67, traffic flows from Coastal Georgia on both east and west-bound lanes Thursday afternoon in advance of Hurricane Matthew. The Georgia State Patrol and other public safety organizations were posted all along to the route to help facilitate a smooth evacuation.

As of Thursday evening, Hurricane Matthew had taken a turn westward, increasing chances of significant impact on the Bulloch County area, said Bulloch County Public Safety Director Ted Wynn. “Matthew’s projected path has shifted to the west in the latest weather service update,” he said. Around 6 p.m. Thursday, the storm was a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, with a northwest movement at 13 mph, he said.

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