Long County is included in the latest state of emergency declaration by Gov. Nathan Deal, according to County Administrator Frank Etheridge. 

The declaration now includes 30 counties in Geogrgia. Earlier, Deal declared six coastal counties, including Bryan, Chatham, Camden, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh.

Long County Commissioners earlier asked Gov. Nathan Deal to extend his state of emergency declaration to include Long County.

In a letter to Deal, Chairman Mike Riddle said that Long County is “only 32 miles from the coast and we are a community with much wetland.”
Riddle also pointed out that a number of Florida evacuees are evacuating on Highway 57.

“This is putting an additional burden on our local law enforcement and public safety responders as they are preparing for Hurricane Irma to strike us,” the letter said. “Our one city only has three convenience stores where gasoline can be purchased and only one small grocery store where emergency supplies and food can be purchased. Our small community assets are already being challenged, even now with the hurricane a few days away from our area.”

The letter said the city’s “fuel, water, supplies and other needs are already being depleted. Though, at this point, we haven’t been impacted by Hurricane Irma directly, the storm is already affecting our resources. It is for these reasons that I am requesting that we, along with our surrounding counties, be included in the Georgia State of Emergency.”