Hall County is still expected to feel the effects of Hurricane Irma with high winds and heavy rain from the storm Monday into Tuesday.

Destructive tropical storm force winds with sustained speeds of 40 to 60 miles per hour and gusts of 50 to 75 mph are expected across much of Georgia, according to the National Weather Service. Gainesville is forecast to get 50 to 55 mph wind gusts.

“Thousands of trees and power lines will be downed, and power outages may last over 24 hours,” the Weather Service report states. “Travel disruptions and delays due to downed trees may be substantial.” 

The area also is forecast to receive 3 to 5 inches of rainfall, according to the reports provided by David Kimbrell, Hall County's Emergency Management Agency director.

“Areas along and north of the center of the storm are at an increased risk of brief tornadoes. They would be rain-wrapped and nearly impossible to see,” the report said.
Irma is expected to come into South Georgia by early Monday as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, according to the National Weather Service’s latest briefing. The tropical storm will weaken later in the day Monday as it moves north.

“Due to the massive area extent of Irma, impacts will likely be felt statewide regardless of the forecast error cone or further track and intensity refinements,” the Weather Service report said. “These impacts will also be felt well before the center of the storm reaches Georgia.”

Tropical storm force conditions could begin as early as Sunday evening in South Georgia, according to the NWS briefing.

“After moving northward through the state, tropical storm force conditions could linger in North Georgia through Tuesday,” the report said. “Hurricane force impacts are expected in South Georgia beginning Monday morning and continuing through Monday evening.”

Impacts expected from Irma based on the current forecast include:

• Destructive winds: Higher sustained winds and gusts could occur in South Georgia, particularly along and east of the center of the storm. Winds of this magnitude will cause impacts comparable to those of Hurricane Opal in 1995 when wind gusts of 50 to 75 mph occurred in the Atlanta metro area. 

• Heavy rainfall and flash flooding: Southeast Georgia could see 8 to 15 inches of rain with isolated amounts up to 20 inches. Other portions of Eastern Georgia could see 4-8 inches of rainfall, and Western Georgia will likely see 2-5 inches of rainfall.  

Meanwhile, many in the path of the storm from Florida have been heading north. Jaemor Farms in Alto are seeing Floridians drive by and stop in as they head to shelter.

“It is bad to have to flee from your home,” Judah Echols, Jaemor Farms manager, said Saturday. “I feel for them having to leave their home behind, but it is good that they can come up here and I think most everyone in Georgia welcomes them with open arms.”

Echols said they have seen business pick up over “the last couple of days with all the traffic coming by on the way to the mountains.”

He said they are seeing a larger amount of customers than usual.

“On a day like today we are having an extra 300 to 400 people in our store,” he said. “We typically see about 2,000 a day on a Saturday, but a 400 extra would be an extra 20 percent bump in business.”

Those he has spoken to, Echols said, have made plans to either stay in second homes, with family and friends or in campers.

“We are seeing some people in campers, but I think most of them have made arrangements to either stay with family or friends up in the mountains,” he said. “There are quite a few people, especially retirees in Florida, which actually have second homes up in the mountains from Rabun County up to the Franklin area, even into North Carolina.”