Georgia opening shelters to help storm victims

ATLANTA — The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA) in coordination with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Georgia National Guard, Georgia Department of Human Services, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations and local governments, are opening shelters to aid those displaced or stranded by the storm.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is reporting freezing temperatures across most of north Georgia to include the Atlanta metro area. It is expected to dip below freezing as far south as La Grange to Thomaston to Macon to Dublin and Swainsboro by late this morning.

There are dozens of shelters now open or on standby at area Red Cross facilities, DNR state parks and National Guard facilities. The primary purpose is to provide residents with a warm safe place to stay and as many necessities as possible to help them ride out the dangerous wintery conditions.