As winter storm Izzy began to bear down on parts of the country, many states including both Georgia and South Carolina, came under a state of emergency.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued the orders Friday. McMaster is slated to provide additional information in a 3:30 p.m. news conference Saturday, Jan. 15.
The National Weather Service out of Columbia has issued a winter weather advisory in effect from midnight to 4 p.m. Sunday. It covers the cities of Thomson, Martinez, Evans, Augusta, Hephzibah, Aiken and North Augusta.
The service said Augusta area residents should expect freezing rain with total ice accumulations of up to one-tenth of an inch and wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour. It expects slippery road conditions and the possibility of downed limbs and trees as the gusts put additional strain on limbs weighed down with ice.
Ninety-one Georgia counties are affected by the state of emergency order. Parts of Georgia are expected to receive between two and five inches of snow. Up to 1,000 members of the Georgia National Guard are on alert to assist after the storm. Additional troops may be called up as necessary, the governor’s office said.
In South Carolina, much of the wintry mix is expected to affect the upstate and midlands regions.
“South Carolina will be impacted by a major winter storm this weekend, likely beginning Sunday morning,” said McMaster in a news release. “There is a potential for very dangerous conditions caused by accumulations of ice and snow, which will likely result in power outages across the state. I urge South Carolinians to monitor their local weather forecasts and begin taking safety precautions.
Transportation crews in both states have been preparing for the possibility of icy roads, but motorists are urged to use caution when driving during the storm. Dangers include the possibility of black ice, which is when a thin, but practically invisible line of ice forms on the roads. Drivers don’t know it’s there until they’re on it.
Georgia Power Co. is prepared to respond in the event of power outages.
The last major winter storm to hit the Augusta area was Pax in February 2014, which caused downed trees and power lines, leaving many without power for several days.
Feb. 13, 2014 data at the National Weather service website said parts of the Augusta area had received an inch of ice.
According to the website, “Two separate storm systems impacted the region from Tuesday, Feb. 11 through Thursday, Feb. 13.” The first system came through the region early Feb. 11 and brought snow and sleet to much of South Carolina. The second storm was more severe and impacted the entire Southeast.
The Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen sent troops from Savannah’s 165th Air Support Operations Squadron and Army National Guardsmen of the 878th Engineering Battalion to assist Augusta residents affected by that storm, according to an article on the Department of the Army website.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
