Fayette County government offices will close at noon on Wednesday because of weather, according to County Manager Steven Rapson.
Fayette officials are following the lead of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, who ordered state government offices in 50 counties, including Fayette and Coweta, that are under a storm warning to close by noon on Wednesday.
Deal also declared a state of emergency starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
“With forecasts showing we could see accumulation by 4 p.m., I want to make sure we get as many commuters home before then as possible,” Deal said Tuesday night. “While current models show that temperatures will remain above freezing, we don’t want to run the risk of having normal rush hour traffic volume if there’s snow or ice on the highways. In an effort to keep as many cars off the road as possible, I encourage people in both the public and private sector who can telecommute to please do so tomorrow (Wednesday).”
The Georgia Department of Transportation moved 80 additional staffers into affected areas from other parts of the state and was expected to mobilize 13 tanker trucks to apply brine to major highways in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The State Patrol will deploy 174 troopers for rapid response to accidents, and it will mandate that all tractor trailers pull in to weigh stations to assure that trucks have the proper equipment for travel in snow/ice conditions. The Department of Natural Resources will place 15 strike teams across the 50 counties to aid in storm response and debris removal.
Deal plans a news conference at noon on Wednesday to discuss preparations and updated forecasts.
The 50 counties in the winter storm warning are Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Rockdale, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield counties.
