Valdosta braces for Dorian

Aug. 31--VALDOSTA -- All Hilton, Marriott and Holiday Inns around Valdosta and Lowndes County are being booked by people fleeing Hurricane Dorian.

Angela Pipkin, general manager for the Hampton Inn & Suites, said it has some rooms available, but people are calling around the clock setting up reservations.

Some people are canceling their reservations, so rooms may become available as the storm progresses, she said.

The Hampton is pretty much booked until Thursday and that is the general consensus of most hotels and motels in the area, Pipkin said.

Jeremy Pillman, general manager for Country Inn & Suites, said its 71 rooms switch from being completely booked to having a few open rooms depending on the forecast.

"Everyone coming up from Florida is rethinking that decision as it looks more like it's going to make landfall in Georgia," Pillman said. "Then people from the East Coast are coming, filling up their positions."

He said this is fairly typical for hurricanes. The Country Inn is mostly booked until Monday, he said.

Paige Dukes, Lowndes County clerk and public information officer, said Emergency Management has been in contact with hotel representatives and availability will continue to be in flux as people make their decisions.

She said emergency officials are monitoring conditions to decide whether to open shelters, but the state standards for opening shelters has not been met yet.

"If that criteria is met, the Emergency Management is prepared to move forward," Dukes said.

For anyone looking to stock up on supplies, Miller Hardware has goods available and is expecting a supply truck Monday with more.

Hope Joseph, assistant store manager, said the store has only sold six generators and has stocked up on water, gas cans and generators just in case.

Miller Hardware has three locations in the city: 3137 N. Oak St. Ext., 211 E. Hill Ave. and 104 S. Lee St. All stores are closed Sundays.

There have been multiple reports of stores throughout Valdosta selling out of water and generators, so if anyone wishes to prepare, they are encouraged to act as soon as possible.

Powerhouse Outdoor Equipment received more generators Saturday and has dozens of generators available at its 2122 Bemiss Road location, said Ray Hedgecock, store owner.

A salesperson at the Walmart on Inner Perimeter Road said people were buying flashlights and water all day Thursday and Friday.

Valdosta State University announced it didn't expect any closures due to the storm.

Jessica Pope, VSU media relations, said after continuing to closely monitor Hurricane Dorian with experts, the university expects to remain open throughout the storm, including all scheduled events, operations and classes.

"The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff are always our highest priority," Pope said in a statement.

Students and employees traveling back to campus following the Labor Day weekend are encouraged to plan their return trip early to avoid heavy rains as the storm is projected to move into the region mid-week, the release states.

If the storm is expected to impact students return to campus for class or work, VSU asks they contact their instructors or supervisors directly.

As of Saturday afternoon, there was no announcements from city or county schools on how Dorian might affect their schedules.

Moody Air Force Base said 16 A-10C Thunderbolt IIs from the 23d Fighter Group were relocated Friday to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.

The aircraft relocation was in anticipation of Dorian, which is threatening the installation with destructive winds, according to Moody officials.

All other aircraft and assets will be locally sheltered or secured for the time being while the base monitors the development of Dorian.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256

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