City to close Monday — police will only respond to life-threatening calls during storm

The Columbus Consolidated Government will close all offices Monday in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, Mayor Teresa Tomlinson announced in a press release Saturday.

The closures include all Muscogee County court systems, as well as garbage pick-up. Jail visitation programs are also being suspended on Monday, according to the Sheriff’s office.

“Given the change in the track of Hurricane Irma, Columbus, Georgia now expects to experience 40 - 60 mph (tropical storm level winds) and 4-5 inches of rain Monday, September 11. As a result, the Columbus Consolidated Government (CCG) will be closed on Monday, with only essential service personnel being required to report,” said Mayor Tomlinson. “CCG encourages private businesses and organizations to likewise cancel all non-essential services.”

The Columbus Police Department will cancel all off-days, vacation days and holidays for its officers, who will begin working 10-hour shifts Sunday. Officers from other units, such as the property crimes unit, will be redirected to assist with emergency calls.

“We ask that everyone have patience with us during the next few days. We will be working hard to protect the citizens and communities of Columbus during the next few days. We hope to resume normal office operations by the end of the week,” said the CPD property crimes unit on Facebook.

During peak storm hours, police will only be responding to life-threatening calls. Fire and EMS will be staffed and will respond to life-threatening calls as well, but may not be able to operate during the peak of severe weather, the release said.

The storm is expected to hit Columbus in the early morning Monday and continue throughout the day. We may begin seeing tropical-storm force winds as early as 3 or 4 a.m., according to predictions from the National Hurricane Center. The National Weather service predicted wind speeds of between 40-60 mph and 4-6 inches of rain.

“Effective Sunday at 11:00 pm through Monday, we are urging all citizens to stay off the roadways. Do not drive through standing water and treat all down power lines as live wires,” said the mayor.

The mayor stressed that the 211 information service will be operating around the clock, and that citizens can call 706-405-4775 or 211 for non-emergency needs. The number can also be texted.

Tomlinson urged people to heed the following safety tips, and to call the Red Cross at (706)-323-5614 if interested in volunteering.

· Stay off roads during heavy rains.

· Do not drive through standing water.

· Secure or move inside any outdoor furniture, planters, trash cans or other outdoor items that may become projectiles in high winds.

· Monitor storm drains and remove debris that clusters around the drain as the rains begin.

· If your basement is prone to flooding, monitor it regularly and take steps now to borrow, rent or acquire a pump.

· Prepare for prolonged power outages by having flashlights, candles (use with CAUTION!), and food that needs no heat preparation.

· Maintain batteries for a radio and charge your cell phone ahead of time.

· Purchase enough bottled water to last one day.

· Property insurance does not typically cover flood damage – Talk to your insurance provider about your policy and consider if you need additional coverage.

· Place valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container on the highest level of your home.

This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 10:54 AM with the headline "City to close Monday — police will only respond to life-threatening calls during storm."