Valdosta prepares for hurricane’s impact

Sept. 12--VALDOSTA -- As a monster Category 4 hurricane bears down on the coasts of North and South Carolina, the biggest impact on Valdosta so far seems to be an upsurge in hotel bookings.

Even though a state of emergency was declared Wednesday for all of Georgia.

Hurricane Florence, packing 130 mile-per-hour winds, was expected to hit the coast of the Carolinas late Thursday or early Friday, bringing as much as 40 inches of rain and causing "catastrophic flash flooding," according to a statement from the National Hurricane Center.

The entire state of Georgia was placed under a state of emergency Wednesday after fresh forecasts showed Florence taking a southward turn toward the Peach State after landfall.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Florence was expected to have little impact on the Valdosta area, said Wright Dobbs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Tallahassee, Fla., office.

"At Valdosta, there's only a 15 percent probability of tropical storm force winds (39-73 mph) this weekend," he said. "If we get tropical storm force winds -- and that's a big 'if' -- it would be Saturday night."

With mandatory evacuations in the Carolinas and Virginia, some of the displaced have worked their way south. Several Lowndes County motels confirmed Wednesday they are filling up with storm refugees.

"Most motels are booked up, probably within a 100-mile radius," said Maurty Castle, front desk supervisor for Sleep Inn and Suites on James Road.

Nikki Ballard, front desk manager of the Holiday Inn on West Hill Avenue, said the motel has seen an uptick in Carolinians making reservations, though she did not have any firm numbers.

At the Days Inn on St. Augustine Road, rooms are almost sold out, said Nicole Langstass, a front desk worker.

"We've been seeing an uptick in reservations since probably Monday night," she said.

Castle said the Sleep Inn only had a few rooms left and that most of the people fleeing the storm were booking for at least three days.

"We've been seeing them coming in for a couple of days now," she said.

Reed Bingham State Park in Cook County is preparing to host storm evacuees. Four families from the Carolinas had already arrived and booked campground sites, said Justin van Wicklen, assistant park manager.

Storm refugees can rent full-hookup campsites as usual, he said. The park is also preparing ball fields and parking lots for "dry camping" -- sleeping in RVs without power or water connections -- for free, van Wicklen said.

"If someone shows up without an RV needing a place to stay, we'll put them in one of our group shelters for free," he said.

He said evacuees should call the park at (229) 896-3551 or use the website www.gastateparks.org to check on availability.

On the utilities front, both Georgia Power and the Colquitt Electric Membership Corporation said they are holding off at the moment on sending crews to help in North and South Carolina with post-storm recovery.

Georgia Power is waiting until after landfall to make sure Georgia doesn't need emergency services, said Meredith Stone, a spokesperson. Colquitt EMC will send crews once it has received a request for help, said Sonya Aldridge, a spokesperson.

Valdosta's Salvation Army unit sent a mobile canteen to help provide food and drinks in North Carolina once it is safe to move in, according to a Salvation Army statement.

Lowndes County government is communicating with state officials and is "waiting for word" on whether the county needs to open shelters for evacuees, said Paige Dukes, county clerk and public information officer.

The candidates vying to replace Gov. Deal in upcoming elections urged Georgians to stay vigilant.

"Unlike the last storm, most of the state is -- if there is a good side to a hurricane -- on the good side of it," Republican Brian Kemp told reporters. "We need people to stay alert, and if there's advice that comes or action that needs to be taken, folks should heed that advice and don't wait. Be prepared."

Democrat Stacey Abrams tweeted: "As Hurricane #Florence makes landfall, please keep an eye on the weather forecast. Take all necessary precautions, stay safe, and evacuate if need be."

President Donald Trump tweeted: "Hurricane Florence may now be dipping a bit south and hitting a portion of the Great State of Georgia. Be ready, be prepared!"

CNHI state reporter Jill Nolin contributed to this report.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.

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