Georgia Braces for Impact as Storm Heads North

Georgia braced for impact Monday as Hurricane Irma, still a Category 1, moved inward over Florida’s Panhandle coast. The northern bands of the storm had already knocked out power to 150,000 customers in southern Georgia, and the eye of the hurricane was set to leave Florida around 11 a.m. Experts warned that rivers throughout the state could see significant flooding from heavy downpours and the storm surge threatens its Atlantic coast. Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in all of Georgia’s 159 counties Sunday. For the first time ever, Atlanta’s public-transit system announced it would shut down all train and bus service Monday due to dangerous high winds. All public schools and most courts and government offices were also closed in the city.