National Hurricane Center  Updates

NOAA NCHD County Weather Alerts

• Baldwin
• Crawford
• Hancock
• Houston
• Jasper
• Jones
• Macon-Bibb
• Monroe
• Peach
• Putnam
• Twiggs
• Washington
• Wilkinson

Local Red Cross Shelters

• No local shelters open at this time.

To see all Red Cross Shelter locations, visit redcross.org/shelter.

Additional Shelter Locations

• No shelter information at this time.

This information will be updated as shelters open.

• No shelter information at this time.

This information will be updated as shelters open.

Anyone visiting Georgia to avoid Hurricane Ian can visit www.exploregeorgia.org or expedia.com/georiga to check the availability of hotels/motels in their area.

Many people are interested in donating things like food, clothing and other items to help evacuees. While the thought is appreciated, it’s important to note, shelters can NOT accept home-cooked goods or other pre-cooked food delivered by third parties (this does not include deliveries placed at restaurants and delivered by restaurant staff). While this may sound harsh, this rule is in place to keep visiting evacuees safe from foodborne illnesses like norovirus, Salmonella, E. Coli and more.

Evacuees are already away from home and in a stressful situation, and illness can make an evacuation even worse. The best way to provide donations to evacuees is with gift cards to grocery stores and other general retailers. This will allow local Emergency Management Agencies to purchase exactly what is needed to support individual needs.

You can drop off your donations at:

• No donation locations at this time.

The Central Georgia Medical Reserve Corps is recruiting practicing, retired, or otherwise employed medical, nursing, allied health, dental, public health, mental health and veterinary medicine volunteers, as well as non-health care volunteers wishing to serve in specific support roles. To apply online, visit SERVGA, the online website for volunteer registration for the state of Georgia. Volunteers should follow the instructions on the site, making sure to choose the Central Georgia Medical Reserve Corps under the list of volunteer organizations.

Many residents across the district may wish to provide cooked meals to evacuees on the road or at independent shelters. While we want evacuees to be fed, we also want them to be safe. The safest way to provide food for evacuees is by donating gift cards at the designated drop-off locations. North Central Health District urges any individuals and organizations providing cooked meals to follow proper handwashing, food preparation and food storage procedures to avoid the spread of foodborne illnesses like Salmonella, E. coli and norovirus. Following these guidelines can help create a safe environment for evacuees during their stay.

• Wash hands frequently. Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before, during and after preparing food.
• Always wash your hands after coughing or sneezing, using the restroom, or disposing trash.
• Avoid barehanded contact with ready-to-eat foods: fresh fruits, vegetables or precooked/prepackaged foods.
• Separate raw meats, seafood, poultry and eggs from all other foods.
• If you are sick, avoid helping with food preparation.
• Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw meat, seafood and poultry.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure foods reach internal temperatures high enough to kill germs that can lead to sickness:
• 145°F for cuts of beef, pork, lamb or veal.
• 160°F for ground beef or pork.
• 165°F for poultry, including ground turkey or chicken.
• 165°F for casseroles or leftovers.
• When serving foods, always use gloves to avoid barehanded contact.
• Keep pets and other animals out of the kitchen and away from other food preparation areas.
• While serving, hot food items should be kept at 135°F or higher and cold foods items should be kept at 41°F or less.
• Food products not being served immediately should be kept refrigerated. All food left out at room temperature should be disposed of after 2 hours.
• Limit food donations from outside sources – it is best to only accept prepackaged items.
• Use bottled water if the shelter is connected to well water.
• Makes sure there is enough space to collect and store trash. Trash may not be collected on the regular schedule if storms impact routes.
• Keep medication and chemicals out of children’s reach at all times.

Download or print this information.

Additional Information:

• USDA – Basics for Handling Food Safety
• USDA – Safe Food Handling Fact Sheets
• CDC – Four Steps to Food Safety

Food and water may not be safe to eat or drink during and after an emergency, depending on how the storm impacts the surrounding area. Use the following information to help prevent foodborne and waterborne illnesses.

Food

• Foodborne illnesses are a risk from food that is not stored in proper temperature during power outages or from food contaminated by flood water.
• If the power goes out, keep refridgerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
  • A closed refridgerator will keep food cold for around 4 hours.
  • A full, closed freezer will keep cold for 48 hours; a half-full one for 24 hours.
• When power is resorted, make sure food is safe before consuming.
  • You cannot rely on the look or smell of items to determine if they are safe.
  • If a freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, food is safe and may be refrozen.
  • Dispose of perishable foods (espcially meats, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that have been above 40° F for two hours or more.
  • Do not eat any food that comes in contact with flood water.
  • When it comes to food safety: if in doubt, throw it out.

FDA – Food Safety During Power Outages

Water

• Storms can knock out reliable sources of water, so it’s important to keep saftey in mind to prevent waterborne illnes.
• When possible, use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood water.
• If you do not have bottled water, boil water to make it safe.
• Listen to local alerts for boil water advisories in your area.
  • Learn what to do during a boil water advisory.

Additional Information

• USDA – Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency
• Ready.gov – Power Outages

Call 511 or visit 511ga.org to receive the latest travel information about Georgia roads including notifications of road conditions, closures and contraflow. You can receive direct alerts by signing up for My511GA alerts.