Gov. Deal ahead of Michael: ‘Protect yourself, protect your family’

(WTVM) – Governor Nathan Deal is preparing and urging citizens to be safe ahead of Hurricane Michael.

Deal has activated 1,500 Georgia Guardsmen to be placed on standby and deployed as needed to areas affected by Hurricane Michael.

“We are obviously concerned, and it is unlike any storm we have had,” explained Deal. “Expect serious damage and don’t be complacent.”

Deal says this is a “dangerous, dangerous” hurricane and he has declared Michael a weather emergency.

“We are not putting in place any kind of mandatory evacuations. We trust the judgement of Georgians to know what’s best for them,” said Deal.

On Tuesday, Gov. Deal issued a State of Emergency for 92 Georgia counties and he recently added 16 additional counties including:

• Butts
• Clarke
• Columbia
• Elbert
• Greene
• Jasper
• Lamar
• Lincoln
• McDuffie
• Monroe
• Morgan
• Oconee
• Oglethorpe
• Putnam
• Taliaferro
• Wilkes

“We’re not accustomed to the magnitude of a hurricane such as this hitting in the direction in which it is traveling and the intensity in which it will hit our state,” he said.

Deal is expecting serious damage from Hurricane Michael and he has already requested a Federal Declaration of Emergency to provide the funding associated with Michael.

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