Ga. governor: Savannah, Chatham County under ‘mandatory evacuation’ starting Saturday

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has issued a mandatory evacuation order for Savannah and Chatham County, and areas along Interstate 95, ahead of Hurricane Irma.

“Beginning Saturday, a mandatory evacuation order will take effect for Chatham County, all areas east of I-95 and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by this catastrophic hurricane and storm surge,” Deal said Thursday, according to a statement on his office’s website.

Deal also expanded his emergency declaration to include 24 additional counties. Now, 30 counties in Georgia are included in a state of emergency.

He also authorized up to 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on state active duty to support Hurricane Irma response and recovery.

“The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Irma,” Deal said. “I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible. ... Finally, I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in Hurricane Irma’s path.”

A list of all Georgia counties in a state of emergency can be found in Deal’s executive order, on his office’s website.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Ga. governor: Savannah, Chatham County under ‘mandatory evacuation’ starting Saturday."