ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and a group of state officials gave the first update of the day on winter storm conditions in the state.
Channel 2′s Mark Winne was at the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency headquarters in Atlanta, where Kemp and leaders from GEMA and the Departments of Transportation and Public Safety gave updates on road conditions, weather preparations and recommendations for the day ahead.
Kemp said the state had issued its emergency orders early to ensure proper preparation before the winter storm arrived in Georgia.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Those preparations included reaching out to local leaders such as Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and getting GDOT teams ready to clear debris and brine roads to ensure safer driving conditions.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources also worked ahead of the winter storm, preparing state parks for warming stations and sheltering needs, according to Kemp.
However, with some shelter areas already at or near capacity, the governor said some Georgians “may want to go south instead of north” if they need a place to stay.
RELATED STORIES:
- LIVE UPDATES: Snow blankets metro Atlanta, ‘causing havoc’ on roads
- Winter storm: Delta passengers evacuate via slide at Atlanta airport due to engine issue
- Georgia winter storm: What to know about the timing, snow and ice amounts
GEMA Director Chris Stallings said the biggest efforts the state had taken included brining the roads and assembling crews to meet emergency service needs across Georgia.
“The one thing you can’t do is get behind it,” Stallings said about the severe weather and cold. “You have to work constantly to stay in front of it, so we worked to make sure that was happening.”
Compared to the “snowmageddon” of 2014, Stallings said Georgia was much better prepared and had “learned a lot of lessons” since the winter event more than 10 years ago.
GEMA and GDOT are also working together to keep roads clear of snow, sleet build-up and debris throughout the day, but are still asking Georgians to stay off the roads as much as they can to ensure their safety.
GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said work crews had been brining Georgia roadways since Wednesday. The salty brine is used to keep snow and ice from bonding to road surfaces so that it doesn’t stick and make driving more dangerous.
He said so far, GDOT had brined and treated 20,000 miles of Georgia roads, including interstate and highway.
“A couple of lanes are passable and teams are ploughing slush and snow so road can be re-treated later on as frozen precipitation comes in later today,” McMurry said. The brine makes it so the state can “keep a barrier from the freezing precipitation in whatever form that is from s ticking to the road.”
Like his GEMA counterpart, McMurry urged drivers to stay home and off the roads.
If you do have to go somewhere, McMurry said to drive slowly and conservatively, and to avoid hard breaking and sudden turns or lane changes.
Members of the Georgia State Patrol are also out in force, escorting brining crews and helping clear the roads where there are stranded cars or debris.
McMurry said as far as the treatment process, GDOT was working to keep the interstates and connectors open as the main priority, keeping it to two lanes, but adding additional lanes as tey go through different routes and clear roads and brine them to keep ice from sticking. The department will prioritize the interstate, then on and off-ramps, then highways and state routes to help keep things moving.
As far as preparations ahead of the storm, Kemp said it was an evolving situation.
“It never happens like you predict it would, so we’re grateful we were able to prepare in advance,” Kemp said. “It’s difficult to keep up with mother nature, but we’re doing our best.”
State officials said they’re still keeping a watch on conditions throughout the day and will keep the public informed, though did not confirm what time they may hold another formal briefing.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
