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This story was updated at 10:44 p.m. on Sept. 26

DeKalb County, GA — DeKalb County is still preparing for Hurricane Helene as the storm gets closer to making landfall in South Georgia. Much of Metro Atlanta will experience rain and high winds. City and county facilities and schools are closed in DeKalb County, and activities have either been canceled or rescheduled.

Garbage collection in DeKalb has also been delayed. For more information, click here.

Tropical Storm Helene has been officially upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane and will maintain tropical storm force as it moves through Georgia, Decaturish media partner Atlanta News First reported. For storm preparedness tips from ANF, click here.

At 7:45 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service, in a series of tweets, continued to remind that community that Hurricane Helene is anticipated to make landfall as a major hurricane later Thursday night.

“Conditions will deteriorate across north and central Georgia this evening and last through Friday,” the tweets say. “A High Risk for excessive rainfall will pose dangerous and potentially life-threatening instances of flash flooding and river flooding for most of the forecast area overnight through Friday morning. Please use extreme caution if you are on the roadways.”

DeKalb County is encouraging residents to sign up for its CodeRED alert system that sends out calls, emails or texts during emergencies.

“Notifications are based on the location registered in the system,” the county’s announcement says. “All information is kept private. Citizens can sign up at www.dekalbcountyga.gov by clicking CodeRED at the top of the home page. DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency encourages residents to be prepared and stay informed. Rely on information from official sources, such as the National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, local and state emergency management and local media.”

The county advises people to make basic emergency preparedness plans that include protecting pets, children, the elderly or those with “other unique needs.”

Here are some important phone numbers:

– Report life-threatening emergencies, downed trees and power lines or localized flooding to 911.

–Report other non-life-threatening emergencies to 404-294-2911

– Water outages and sewer spills should be reported to DeKalb Watershed at 770-270-6243.

– Power outages should be reported to Georgia Power at 1-888-891-0938. To see more information about outages, click here.

– Seniors needing assistance can call the Senior Link Line at 770- 322-2950.

– Persons in DeKalb County who need homelessness assistance or housing services can contact DeKalb County Coordinated Entry at 404-687-3500.

– For downed trees in the city of Clarkston, call Clarkston Public Works at 404-428-4528

– In Tucker, downed trees can be reported to Tucker Public Works at 678-597-9040 or online. To submit a public works request online, click here. The city is asking residents to include the address in a service request when reporting a downed tree. When reporting a signal failure to include the intersection where the traffic signal is locate and specify if it’s flashing or completely dark.

Here’s the latest news in DeKalb County as of Thursday, Sept. 26:

– DeKalb County is opening four severe weather shelters for residents through Saturday, Sept. 28. Contact the DeKalb Emergency Management Agency at 470-927-7025 for transportation coordination to and from severe weather centers. Persons in DeKalb County who need homelessness assistance or housing services can contact DeKalb County Coordinated Entry by calling (404) 687-3500, according to a press release.

Here are the shelter locations:

– Frontline Response International, 2585 Gresham Road, Atlanta 30316. This shelter will remain open 24 hours a day during the event.

– Center for Pan Asian Community Services Inc., 3510 Shallowford Road NE, Atlanta. This shelter opens today at 4 p.m.

– New Life Community Alliance’s auditorium, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur. This shelter opens today at 5 p.m. and will remain open 24 hours a day during the event.

– Tucker First United Methodist Church’s activities center, 4315 Church Street, Tucker. This shelter opens today at 7 p.m., until further notice. There is limited occupancy at this location.

Here’s the latest information from cities about their operations during the storm:

– Stone Mountain city offices closed on Sept. 26 at noon and will be closed all day on Sept. 27.

– Tucker City Hall will close at 3 p.m. on Sept. 26 and will reopen at noon on Sept. 27. All recreation programming is canceled for Thursday and Friday.

– DeKalb County offices and facilities, as well as Brookhaven, Chamblee, Decatur buildings are closed Thursday and Friday. DeKalb Public Health centers are closed Thursday and Friday. City of Atlanta offices are closed Thursday, and parks and recreation activities are canceled for Thursday.

– Avondale Estates City Hall remains open until 5 p.m. Thursday. City Hall will open at 11 a.m. on Friday.

– Atlanta Public Schools and DeKalb County Schools are closed Thursday and Friday. City Schools of Decatur is closed for fall break this week. For more information about school closures in DeKalb, click here.

– Fulton County Schools canceled after school activities for Thursday and will be closed Friday. For more information about Fulton County Schools and North Metro Atlanta, check out appenmedia.com.

– DeKalb Emergency Management Agency is encouraging residents to shelter-in-place due to severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, tropical winds and flooding.

“Move to a safe room or the highest floor in your home,” DEMA said in a Facebook post. “Stay away from windows and glass doors. Ensure you have enough water, food, and communication devices. Stay tuned for updates.”

– Waller’s Coffee Shop, located at 240 DeKalb Industrial Way in Greater Decatur, is going to open later than usual on Friday. The shop will open at noon if it has power.

– Chamblee Public Works are working to stabilize split elm trees in Keswick Park, the city said on Facebook around 12:20 p.m. Thursday. The city contacted Georgia Power to address the limbs on the power lines. The city is asking pedestrians to avoid using the sidewalks in the area.

– The city of Chamblee has also blocked off a sinkhole at Chinatown Mall and selected a contractor to make repairs.

“A stormline collapsed due to the storm. No one was injured. It’s been blocked off by Public Works, and a contractor will start repairs after the storm has passed,” a spokesperson for the city said.

The timeline for the repairs is currently unknown.

– The Peachtree Creek Greenway in Brookhaven is closed due to rising water and flooding. The city will make an announcement when the park is reopened.

– All City Schools of Decatur facilities, including College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, are closed Thursday and Friday. All CSD extracurricular activities have also been canceled.

– City of Decatur’s sanitation services are canceled for Friday until further notice.

“Updates on city services will be posted on social media and the city of Decatur website,” a Facebook post from the city says. “We thank you for your patience as we work to keep our community safe during these rapidly changing and unpredictable severe weather conditions.”

– The Biden-Harris administration says it is preparing for Helene to be a “multi-state” event. Here is the full press release from the White House:

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Helene is a massive, dangerous storm and FEMA is prepared for anticipated multi-state impacts. In advance of Hurricane Helene’s landfall in Florida, the Biden-Harris Administration approved pre-landfall emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. These declarations enable FEMA to provide federal resources to the states for emergency protective measures like reimbursement for evacuations and sheltering and aid initial response and recovery efforts.

FEMA urges people in the path of Hurricane Helene to take immediate action to protect themselves as the storm approaches. Hurricane Helene is expected to continue strengthening and bring life-threating storm surge and hurricane conditions to Florida starting today. There is also the risk for dangerous flash and flooding in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is ready for this event. We are prepared and postured for response,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “People in Hurricane Helene’s path need to take this seriously. Listen to your state and local elected officials. If they tell you to evacuate, evacuate. If they tell you to shelter in place, stay where you are. These decisions can save lives.”

FEMA, the entire federal family and partner organizations are actively coordinating response efforts across Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. There are over 1,100 personnel actively supporting from across the federal government, which include Urban Search and Rescue Teams, Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and power restoration teams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An additional 700 FEMA team members already deployed across the region from previous events. To help people who may need to evacuate, the American Red Cross is actively standing up shelters in the areas likely to feel the impacts from Helene.

Safety Tips During the Storm

Residents in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina can find a list of state, tribal and local resources such as evacuation, shelter and important storm updates on FEMA.gov.

Pay attention to local officials: Weather conditions can change quickly. Make sure to heed their warnings and evacuate immediately if told to do so.

NOW is the time to finish preparations: Today is the day to prepare for this storm. Take action immediately to protect yourself, your family, your pets and your home. Finish gathering any supplies like food, water, medication, flashlights and food for your pets now. If possible, include cash in your emergency kit, as ATMs may not work after the storm.

If you did not evacuate, stay safe at home. Gather your supplies including flashlights, battery operated radio and food and water and keep them on a high shelf or upper level. Find a safe location to ride out the storm, such as a designated storm shelter or interior room for high winds.

Be in the know about your evacuation route. Several counties in Florida issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders. Visit Evacuation Orders | Florida Disaster to see the full list. Florida residents can call 800-729-3413 for shelter locations. People in Florida, Alabama and Georgia should be prepared to evacuate quickly if they are in the path of this storm and are told to do so.

Have several ways to receive alerts. People in areas along Florida’s Panhandle, west coast and into Alabama and Georgia should follow the forecast carefully and instructions of state and local officials by monitoring local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which require no sign up. You can also download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area.

Your neighbors are your lifeline. Check on your neighbors, especially older adults or those who may need additional assistance, to make sure they have what they need to ride out the storm. Have a plan to remain in contact during and after the storm.

Power outage and generator safety. If you lose power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. If using a generator, remember to always use them outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Additionally, make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. De-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and put up hurricane shutters if you have them.

Stay out of floodwater. Walking, swimming or driving through flood waters is extremely dangerous. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines or contain hazards such as wild or stray animals, human and livestock waste and chemicals that can lead to illness.

Turn Around. Don’t Drown™. Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous. Almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your car, look out for flooding in low lying areas at bridges and at highway dips. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle or fall if you are walking through it. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups.

Keep important documents safe. Save copies of birth certificates, passports, medical records and insurance papers in a safe, dry place. Keep important documents in a waterproof container and create password-protected digital copies. Take photos or videos of your belongings and property on your phone or upload them to the internet. Move valuables like photo albums, heirlooms and other treasured items to higher levels.

– The Georgia Department of Transportation is also ready to deploy staff and equipment as needed.

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is actively monitoring conditions and preparing for Hurricane Helene as the storm approaches. Impacts will be felt statewide beginning today and overnight by this storm, and as a result all Georgia DOT district offices and personnel have equipment ready for deployment when the need arises.

As projected by the National Weather Service, Helene will bring extremely damaging winds, heavy rainfall and potentially life-threatening flash flooding statewide. Severe impacts are likely for citizens throughout the state including downed trees, power outages and possible tornado activity – all of which will likely impact travel on Georgia roads. A current state of emergency remains in place in Georgia until October 2, 2024.

With the projected high rainfall amounts associated with Hurricane Helene, motorists are reminded to use extreme caution on roadways while traveling, and to avoid travel if at all possible as the storm moves through Georgia. Motorists are reminded to remain cognizant of standing or rushing water and to respond appropriately to road conditions that could change quickly. Please remember that when heavy rainfall occurs in a very short amount of time, water on roadways – even with storm drains that function well under normal rainfall – can rise temporarily similarly to creeks and rivers. Motorists should take caution and be prepared to turn around when encountering water in the roadway. Vehicles can get swept away by as little as twelve inches of moving water.

Georgia DOT crews will continue their work and monitor the weather conditions while doing so. However, for the safety of employees, once the winds reach 40 MPH crews will begin to shelter in place and will stop cleanup and debris removal from interstates and state routes. Once the storm has passed and winds have subsided, crews will return to cleanup efforts. Priority will be placed on interstates, then state routes with highest priority given to routes to hospitals and other essential public services.

Crews have already addressed flood-prone areas due to earlier rainfall and are ensuring storm drains are cleared to minimize standing water on interstates and state routes. In the event that motorists have to drive, be sure to follow 511GA for up-to-date road closures. Motorists are also reminded that in the event that a signalized intersection has no power, treat that intersection as a four-way stop. Motorists can also expect detours and road closures due to debris, downed trees and power lines and potential roadway flooding as the department responds to the weather event.

Georgia DOT Express Lanes information:

— The I-75 South Express Lanes south of metro Atlanta will continue to remain open for northbound traffic only through Friday to accommodate expected higher northbound traffic counts from those who may be fleeing storm impacts to the south.

— Express Lanes can be accessed by motorists using a Georgia Peach Pass, Florida Sun Pass or E-Z Pass.

Georgia DOT is preparing on a statewide level in partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the National Weather Service and state and local officials. The traveling public’s safety is a top priority as the department readies for this major weather event and advises motorists to avoid non-essential travel, particularly following the storm when roads may still be impacted by debris and could be impassable. If you must travel and encounter a Georgia DOT vehicle, emergency response crew or law enforcement out on the roadways, move over a lane and give them the space to accomplish their critically important tasks safely.

Hurricane Safety Tips

As preparation for Hurricane Helene continues, motorists are reminded to be cautious of strong winds, flooding, downed power lines and the potential for falling trees. Avoid non-essential travel as much as possible and monitor real-time road conditions using the 511GA app.

— Call 511 to report flash flooding, downed trees or other obstructions that impede travel on roadways or bridges

— Do not drive around barricades that are in place for motorist safety or through standing water

— Residents should never clear tree limbs, downed trees or debris from roadways, live power lines could be tangled in debris and can cause injury or death; instead, wait for Georgia DOT and Georgia Power crews

— Motorists who must drive should always treat flashing red and non-operational signals as a four-way stop

For more hurricane safety tips, please visit Georgia DOT’s hurricane webpage.

For real-time road conditions, call 511 or click on (www.511ga.org). For weather information, visit the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia (https://www.weather.gov/ffc/) .

Emory Healthcare has announced some outpatient facility closures on Friday, Sept. 27. Here’s more information from Emory:

Emory Healthcare continues to closely monitor weather conditions related to Hurricane Helene. With the safety of our patients, families and team members top of mind, we will close the following outpatient facilities tomorrow – Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, (** with some exceptions):

— All Emory Clinics

— All Emory Specialty Associate clinics

— All Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Patients will be notified of these closures via text and/or phone messages.

** There are some exceptions within the above clinics and centers that will proceed with limited and clinically time sensitive services tomorrow including:

– Oncology infusion (for selected patients who will be confirmed through the oncology infusion team)

– Radiation oncology (for selected patients who will be confirmed by the oncology team)

– In vitro fertilization (patients will be confirmed by that team)

– Dialysis centers (patients will be confirmed by that team)

— Patients who receive cancellation notifications for tomorrow will be rescheduled for make-up appointments as soon as possible.

— All Emory hospitals and businesses offices will operate as usual.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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