Trees tumble and power fails as Irma pushes into Columbus

Tropical Storm Irma continues to bear down on Columbus and the Valley, with sustained wind speeds of between 25 and 40 mph and steady, driving rain expected to continue and likely worsen as the day continues.

“The storm related to Irma has been moving slower than expected, but is entering the Columbus area now. We are currently experiencing 35 mph sustained winds and 45 mph wind gusts. We now expect 3-5 inches of rain,” said Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson in a statement.

Data from the National Weather Service suggests that sustained wind speeds will increase to about 45 mph, with gusts of up to 62-14 mph. Speeds are expected to drop steadily starting at about 10 p.m. By Tuesday, speeds should be down to an average of 13-15 mph of sustained speeds.

The storm’s core is moving northwest from south Georgia and its path should take it ever-so-slightly north of a direct hit on Columbus before moving into Alabama and eventually into Tennessee late Tuesday.

The area has already started seeing major effects from the storm, with multiple reports of downed trees and branches, including several falling on houses. More than 30,000 customers are without power in the Columbus area, and Georgia Power has advised local emergency personnel that they will not be sending out crews to repair damaged lines while the weather is poor.

Fire Marshall Ricky Shores and the mayor’s office anticipate the most severe parts of the storm hitting Columbus tonight between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., with wind gusts as high as 62 mph.

The threat of tornadoes and flooding in southeast Georgia is decreasing, the National Weather Service says, but strong winds of tropical storm force are expected to continue.

The National Weather Service advised Columbus residents to prepare for damage to porches, sheds, unanchored carports and other freestanding constructs. Roadway signs and fences could be blown over, and some roads could become impassable due to debris from snapped tree trees and branches.

“We will continue to ask people to deter travel or proceed with caution. Also, due to winds and rain, we ask people to not put out trash/debris today and ask them not to put out trash/debris early for tomorrow,” the mayor said. Tomlinson said she wanted to stress that there was no formal curfew.

“We want to be very realistic and give you the most honest take on the information without making people overly comfortable about where we are. Because we want people to take us seriously when we say things are bad. It looks like a little better than we expected on Saturday, but we still don’t very much know,” the mayor said.

Tomlinson signed a local state of emergency about 9 a.m. Monday and forwarded it to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s office.

“It is in the pipeline should we need assistance during the storm or in the aftermath of the storm,” she said.

The storm is expected to further weaken as it moves through Columbus and then northwest through Alabama and into Tennessee. It could remain a dangerous storm throughout that time.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Trees tumble and power fails as Irma pushes into Columbus."