Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered more than half a million coastal Georgia residents to evacuate as Hurricane Matthew approaches.
The mandatory evacuation order applies to everyone in Bryan, Chatham, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties who lives east of I-95. Another 30 southeast Georgia counties are urged to voluntarily evacuate.
Eastbound lanes on I-16 between Savannah and Dublin have been reversed. All lanes are now westbound.
Those who don’t have a place to stay can find shelters at the Red Cross website. Check the Georgia Emergency Management Agency website or follow GEMA on Twitter for further updates.
The National Weather Service predicts that Matthew will hit Florida late tonight and Savannah early Saturday morning, likely as a category 2 or 3 hurricane, bringing 60–70 mph winds, 8–14 inches of rain and 4–8 foot storm surges.
Matthew could bring some rainfall to Athens Friday night and Saturday morning.
Officials have decided to keep the Georgia-South Carolina in Columbia rather than move it to Athens or Atlanta, but the game could be delayed until Sunday or Monday, depending on the weather.
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