As Hurricane Irma enters Florida late Saturday, Pickens County is preparing for the possible impact on the community and surrounding areas.

According to The Pickens Sheriff’s Office, the earliest estimated time we can expect to see increased wind speed would be Monday morning. Sustained wind speeds are currently estimated to be 30-35 mph with gusts of 55 mph.

 

Officer Kris Stancil stated,

We have our command staff preparing a full plan based on the latest weather forecast. We have the Sheriff’s Auxiliary on standby to consider opening a shelter at the Pickens County Community Center if we start to experience outages or flooding and it is needed. Additional staff will be present with chainsaws as well to begin clearing roads.

Citizens throughout the community are stocking up on basic necessities, such as food and water. Many gas stations throughout Pickens are also going dry due to the hurricane.

Pickens County Emergency Preparedness is encouraging people to have an emergency kit ready in the event we experience power outages, down trees, and flooding.

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