</s>Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued a mandatory evacuation order Thursday for all areas east of I-95 and other parts of the state’s coast as Hurricane Irma barrels toward Florida and Georgia with potentially catastrophic force.

The governor’s executive order also authorized up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on active duty to respond to the deadly storm. And he expanded a state of emergency to 30 south-east Georgia counties.

Deal has set a 10 a.m. press conference on Friday with the head of Georgia’s emergency management agency and other public safety officials to outline the state’s storm response.</s>Hurricane Irma evacuation orders were set for the Georgia coastline, which is expected to get hit by the major storm over the weekend.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Dale ordered mandatory evacuations for all areas east of I-95, some areas west of I-95, and all of Chatham County including Savannah on Thursday.

He also extended the state of emergency to an additional 24 counties, on top of the original six declared Wednesday.

The storm is expected make its way up the state of Florida, through Georgia and the Carolinas after wreaking major devastation on islands in the Caribbean.

HURRICANE IRMA'S STORM PATH: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a news conference Thursday that he expects to order mandatory evacuations for coastal areas starting 10 a.m. on Saturday although an official order has not yet been set.

But he warned people to be prepared and start now, as if the hurricane were happening tomorrow.

McMaster has ordered official evacuations for all health care facilities in 8 coastal counties, according to Fox 8.

That includes hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities.

Hospitals can opt out with a waiver to “shelter in place” in order to protect vulnerable patients, McMaster said.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. ET advisory, Irma is currently about 40 miles south of Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph.</s>(ASSOCIATED PRESS) – Georgia’s governor has ordered a mandatory evacuation starting on Saturday from the state’s Atlantic coast ahead of Hurricane Irma. That includes the city of Savannah.

Gov. Nathan Deal issued the evacuation Thursday for all areas east of Interstate 95, all of Chatham County and some areas west of the interstate. He also expanded a state of emergency to 30 counties.

Deal’s order authorizes about 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on active duty to help people respond and recover.

Georgia hasn’t been hit by a hurricane with winds Category 3 or higher since 1898.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, also declared a state of emergency. A major strike there would be the first in nearly 28 years.</s>ATLANTA, GA. (WATE) — Georgia’s governor is joining other states in doubling down on evacuation orders.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued mandatory evacuation order for city of Savannah, other coastal areas, starting Saturday. Florida Governor Rick Scott said 31,000 people have already evacuated the Florida Keys. He urged urged residents who are still in the area to get out immediately.

“We can’t save you once the storm starts,” said Scott. “You can rebuild your home, get your posesssions again, but you cannot rebuild your life or your family.”

Governor Scott said he has activated an additional 3,000 members of the Florida Army and Air national Guard to prepare for the deadly storm.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMasters says he “intends” to issue an evacuation order for 10 a.m. on Saturday. He said he hopes to make that call on Friday. He said 143 inpatient hospitals and treatment facilities along coastal regions in potential impact zones were ordered to evacuate at 2 p.m. Thursday.</s>Gov. Nathan Deal issued a mandatory evacuation order Thursday for all areas east of I-95 and other parts of the state’s coast as Hurricane Irma barrels toward Florida and Georgia with potentially catastrophic force.

The governor’s executive order also authorized up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on active duty to respond to the deadly storm. And he expanded a state of emergency to 30 southeast Georgia counties.

Deal has set a 10 a.m. press conference on Friday with the head of Georgia’s emergency management agency and other public safety officials to outline the state’s storm response.

“I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible,” said Deal.

The mandatory evacuation order includes all of Chatham County and some areas west of I-95 that also could be impacted by Irma’s storm surge. The governor’s office said the evacuation order takes effect on Saturday.

The storm, which has already killed at least 10 people in the Caribbean, has created traffic delays across the state as roads are flooded with evacuees fleeing its path. Many hotels are fully booked, and Deal signed an executive order banning price gouging and waiving transportation restrictions for drivers ferrying emergency supplies.

The storm tests Deal’s overhauled storm response strategy anew, and it is the most significant challenge yet for the new head of the state’s emergency management agency.

Deal tapped Homer Bryson, a former corrections commissioner, to lead the agency shortly after Hurricane Matthew killed four people and left tens of millions of damage in its wake after scraping the shoreline in October.

He replaced Jim Butterworth, who publicly announced he was leaving state government shortly after the storm. Documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution showed internal friction between Butterworth and one of the agency’s top officials over the state’s handling of the response.</s>Following a recommendation from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) officials and local Emergency Management Agencies, Gov. Nathan Deal is expanding his emergency declaration to include 24 additional counties, with a total of 30 counties now included in a state of emergency. Deal also issued a mandatory evacuation order for all areas east of I-95, all of Chatham County and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by the potential storm surge from Hurricane Irma. The executive order also authorized up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on state active duty to support Hurricane Irma response and recovery. The state of emergency prohibits price gouging for all goods and services related to the storm. Read the executive order here.

“The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Irma,” said Deal. “I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible. Beginning Saturday, a mandatory evacuation order will take effect for Chatham County, all areas east of I-95 and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by this catastrophic hurricane and storm surge. GEMA/HS continues leading our preparedness efforts as we coordinate with federal, state and local officials to safely evacuate the coastal areas, provide public shelter and minimize the disruption of traffic. Finally, I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in Hurricane Irma’s path.”

The 30 counties under a state of emergency are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jenkins, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne and Ware Counties.

A map of mandatory evacuation areas and a list of local emergency management authorities are attached.

Gov. Deal and the State Operation Command Team will hold a news conference Friday morning at 10 a.m. to provide updates on storm preparations. A live stream of the conference will be available here.

GEMA/HS is coordinating disaster preparedness efforts along with the Georgia Department of Defense (GA DoD), the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Please see below for resources and updates from each of the agencies.</s>SAVANNAH, Ga. – Governor Nathan Deal is expanding his emergency declaration and issuing a mandatory evacuation order Saturday for all of Chatham County and all areas east of I-95.

Gov. Deal is expanding his emergency declaration to 24 additional counties, with a total of 30 counties now included in a state of emergency.

Some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by the potential storm surge from Hurricane Irma are also under the mandatory evacuation order.

The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Irma. I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible. Beginning Saturday, a mandatory evacuation order will take effect for Chatham County, all areas east of I-95 and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by this catastrophic hurricane and storm surge. GEMA/HS continues leading our preparedness efforts as we coordinate with federal, state and local officials to safely evacuate the coastal areas, provide public shelter and minimize the disruption of traffic. Finally, I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in Hurricane Irma’s path.

The 30 counties under a state of emergency are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jenkins, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne and Ware Counties.

Please see below for resources and updates from each of the state agencies.
• Sheltering and state park information are available on the GEMA/HS website or by calling 1-800-TRY-GEMA.
• For additional information on GEMA/HS relief efforts, contact Catherine Howden at catherine.howden@gema.ga.gov or 404-606-2928.
• For additional information on GA DoD relief efforts, contact Desiree Bamba at desiree.b.bamba.nfg@mail.mil or 470-303-2329.
• Contraflow on I-16 will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9. See the attached graphic for more information. For more information on GDOT preparations, contact Natalie Dale, ndale@dot.ga.gov.</s>Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued a mandatory evacuation order for Savannah and other coastal areas beginning on Saturday at 8 a.m.

The order follows an emergency declaration for 30 Georgia counties in a state of emergency.

This evacuation could make an impact on those evacuating Florida heading north into Georgia.

Anyone driving north towards Georgia from Florida could potentially hit heavy traffic as they meet with those evacuating parts of Georgia.

Hotel accommodations may also be harder to come by for Floridians evacuating with many in Georgia also expecting to be displaced due to Hurricane Irma.

If you are concerned about evacuations, contact 1-800-955-5504.</s>Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency for 30 counties ahead of any potential impacts of Major Hurricane Irma.

The 30 counties under a state of emergency are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jenkins, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne and Ware Counties.

The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Irma,” said Deal. “I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible. Beginning Saturday, a mandatory evacuation order will take effect for Chatham County, all areas east of I-95 and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by this catastrophic hurricane and storm surge. GEMA/HS continues leading our preparedness efforts as we coordinate with federal, state and local officials to safely evacuate the coastal areas, provide public shelter and minimize the disruption of traffic. Finally, I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in Hurricane Irma’s path.

Deal also issued a mandatory evacuation order for all areas east of I-95, all of Chatham County and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by potential storm surge from Hurricane Irma. All citizens east of Interstate 95 along Georgia's coastline are asked to mandatorily evacuate the region beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 9, 2017. The executive order also authorized up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on state active duty to support Hurricane Irma response and recovery.
• Sheltering and state park information are available on the GEMA/HS website or by calling 1-800-TRY-GEMA.
• For additional information on GEMA/HS relief efforts, contact Catherine Howden at catherine.howden@gema.ga.gov or 404-606-2928.
• For additional information on GA DoD relief efforts, contact Desiree Bamba at desiree.b.bamba.nfg@mail.mil or 470-303-2329.
• Contraflow on I-16 will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9. See the attached graphic for more information. For more information on GDOT preparations, see the attached graphic or contact Natalie Dale, ndale@dot.ga.gov.

If you feel that you may have been the victim of a scam or price gouging while in the aforementioned counties, please contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit. Call 1-800-869-1123 toll-free outside of the metro Atlanta calling area, or call 404-651-8600 inside the metro Atlanta area, or click here to report suspected price gouging online. Detailed information, including copies of relevant documentation and pictures, may be uploaded to this site.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issues a mandatory evacuation order for the state's Atlantic Coast and the I-95 corridor.