'Stay in place': Governor Deal, Georgia prepare for Irma

ATLANTA — The outer rain bands of Irma began to reach Georgia early Monday morning and Georgia's governor is warning residents to be on alert.

"Stay in place, make sure it's a secure place as much as you can do so and stay off the roads,"said Gov. Nathan Deal during a news conference on Sunday.

Deal expanded a state of emergency for all Georgia counties.

"We're taking precautions in every area but there are certainly things that we cannot control," the governor said. "To the public in their homes who are trying to ride out this storm, we urge you to not get on the roads until you have been given clearance by everyone who is required to give clearance."

Severe Weather Team 2's Karen Minton & Brian Monahan are tracking Tropical Irma as it tears through Florida and makes its way toward Georgia. They'll have the latest on the storm's track on Channel 2 Action News This Morning.

Damage has already been reported in metro Atlanta from the storm including fallen debris that led to downtown streets shutting down.

For a full list of school closings, visit our closings page.

and government offices across the state will be closed Monday.

On Sunday, Mayor Kasim Reed briefed the media on the city's preparations for the storm. He says Atlanta could have wind gusts to 63 miles per hour Monday evening and 5 inches or more of rain.

"Wind speeds that high can literally lift furniture from the ground and turn them into projectiles so that's why we are concerned for your safety," he said.

He advises that people stay indoors.

"Our latest information has Hurricane Irma having peak impact in the city of Atlanta from midday on Monday through the evening," he said.

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Reed says Atlanta government offices will be closed Monday and he's advising local businesses to close as well.

The mayor said it was their plan to keep Hartsfield-Jackson Airport open but adds the airport is in discussions with the FAA and its partners. Reed said before you go to the airport, make sure that the flights are planning to depart and the airline is open.

More than 800 flights have since been cancelled out of the Atlanta airport.

Southwest Airlines announced it would cancel all of its inbound and outbound flights Monday night.

The Atlanta streetcar system and the state road and tollway authority's Xpress commuter service will be closed on Monday.

MARTA will suspend its Monday bus and rail service including MARTA mobility. Customers are encouraged to visit the MARTA website or call customer service at 404-848-5000.

Metro Atlanta is preparing for powerful winds and potentially 5 inches of rainfall over the next two days.

"It's a ghost town now, everything's all blocked off. It's affecting my business," said Chris Mitchell, a restaurant manager in the area.

Channel 2 Action News has a team of reporters and photographers all over the southeast covering Irma.

Channel 2's Tony Thomas is in Orlando and reports on the powerful winds hitting central Florida.

Channel 2's Nicole Carr is in Panama City Beach, Florida where residents and evacuees are making last-minute preparations. Officials in the area expect it to be hit by 1 a.m. Monday morning.

Channel 2's Chris Jose is in Albany, Georgia, where residents are seeking shelter as Irma makes its way to the state. Over a thousand sandbags have been handed out and some shelters in the area already are full.

We have teams of reporters and photographers fanned out throughout Florida and Georgia for continuing coverage of Irma. 

Severe Weather Team 2 is working to bring you the latest forecasts and LIVE coverage from some of the most heavily impacted areas as the massive storm approaches Georgia.

Stay with WSBTV.com and Channel 2 Action News over the next several days for the most updated information around the clock.

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