| Augusta prepares for Hurricane Jeanne Georgia assumes emergency status for severe weather Jeanne's on her way. By Monday afternoon, Hurricane Jeanne is expected to spin up through Georgia, bringing rain and likely severe thunderstorms. On Saturday, Gov. Sonny Perdue declared Georgia in a state of emergency, as a precautionary measure for the hurricane's impact. "From late Sunday night into Monday, your area should see increasing showers and clouds with winds from 20 to 30 mph," said Chuck Little, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C. Hurricane Jeanne was predicted to hit Florida's Atlantic coast today, becoming the fourth hurricane to blow into the Sunshine State since Aug. 13 when Charley wreaked havoc, followed by Frances and Ivan. Florida officials urged about 2 million residents from coastal and low-lying sections to evacuate, saying they were risking their lives if they stayed. Pam Tucker, Columbia County emergency management director, said her agency is not expecting to have open emergency shelters for fleeing Floridians. "We're not getting the calls because there's not a lot of people leaving Florida this time." And if the hurricane maintains its speed, Mrs. Tucker said, Jeanne could pose less of a threat to the area. "This one is moving fast. It's not stalling and causing lots of rain. We don't expect any flooding problems, but they can be erratic." David Ruth, the emergency service preparedness coordinator for Aiken County, said his county is fully prepared. "We are basically in a state of readiness, looking to see what Jeanne's going to do,'' he said. "We probably won't know until late Monday, early Tuesday." Aiken County can handle up to 5,000 evacuees, and would immediately open two shelters if South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency and ordered a coastal evacuation. "They're thinking it might not be as bad as they thought earlier,'' Mr. Ruth said. Area hotels are beginning to get calls from residents attempting to escape the hurricane, but not as many as with Charley, Frances and Ivan. Donna Christian, an employee at Wingate Inn on South Belair Road, said she has received some calls from Florida residents. "One woman said her subdivision looks like a war zone, and she has grown tired of the hurricanes," Ms. Christian said. She said the Wingate's location near Interstate 20 seems to appeal to the evacuees who are hitting the roads again. Patricia Webb, a clerk at Hampton Inn in Martinez, said she has gotten calls from Allendale, S.C., and Atlanta, but none from Florida. "A couple of weeks ago, we got much more," she said. One group planning to head here is FEMA, said Marla Jones, a spokeswoman at Fort Gordon. The post will serve as a staging area for Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel as they prepare to act after Hurricane Jeanne passes. Reach Timothy Cox at (706) 823-3217 or tim.cox@augustachronicle.com. What to expect Today: Partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and afternoon thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. Tonight: Chance of rain increases to 50 percent with northeast winds 15 to 25 mph.Monday: Mostly cloudy with a 70 percent chance of rain. Expect windy conditions and thunderstorms.Source: National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C.
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