Hurricane Irma has been wreaking havoc across the Caribbean over the past week, with mass devastation in Florida, landfall in Cuba and threats to the Southeastern United States — Georgia included.
For Annie Brenton, a Newfoundland born-and-raised woman who moved to the U.S. after marrying an American, the storm, as frightening as it is, is something they see almost every year. Not to this extent, she added, but the warnings still come annually. Brenton says she and her husband have seen plenty of hurricanes while living outside of Atlanta, but never something quite like this.
The city of Calhoun, where she and her husband currently live, issued a public notice stating that no crews or services will be dispatched to the neighbouring state of Florida, as officials can’t predict the extent of the damage that could occur near the capital city. Preparations are in place, according to the notice, and rescue, fire and police personnel are on standby as needed.
“It’s not too bad here yet,” Brenton told The Telegram Saturday. “We got lots of rain and thunder a couple days ago, but nothing too serious. I don’t think we’ll have to worry as much.”
“We aren’t very far from Florida, but I really don’t think we’ll be asked to evacuate. Places along the border already have been, but we see this every year around this time.”
Being only a one-hour drive from the capital city, Brenton says she and her husband are closer to Florida now than what they were a few years ago living in Acworth. She added that she’s optimistic they’ll be spared any extensive destruction from hurricane Irma, seeing as the end of summer always brings storm warnings to the area.
“I’m sure it’ll be like every year, lots of rain, thunder and some wind … but we won’t have to leave our home. I can sleep at night believing that.”
Reports say forecasters expected a weakened Irma could push into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and beyond in the next 24 hours. A tropical storm warning was issued Sunday for the first time ever in Atlanta, some 200 miles from the sea.
