(The Center Square) — Officials in Georgia and South Carolina are taking action as Tropical Storm Debby is expected to dump rain on the states after making landfall on Monday morning along the Florida coast.
Forecasts predict the storm will move across southern Georgia and through the Waycross area as it moves out to the Atlantic Ocean south of Savannah. It could turn north and follow the coast, hitting Charleston and dumping massive amounts of rain in the process, especially if the storm stalls over land.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency for the Peach and Palmetto states. In South Carolina, the move prompted Attorney General Alan Wilson to announce the state’s law barring price gouging had taken effect.
“With the possibility that Tropical Storm Debby could affect South Carolina after making landfall in Florida, we all need to be prepared,” Wilson said in a statement. “We can expect normal price increases, and those are not considered price gouging under our law.
“But we may see businesses and individuals looking to unfairly take advantage of the situation through price gouging of food, gasoline, lodging, and other commodities as defined by the statute,” Wilson added. “By our law, that’s a criminal violation and an unfair trade practice.”
In Charleston, Mayor William Cogswell similarly issued a state of emergency, and the city activated its Municipal Emergency Operations Center as it expects severe flooding. The city council passed three emergency ordinances, giving the mayor the power to implement and enforce a curfew, close roads due to flooding and close the peninsula depending on the storm’s severity.
“City staff has been working around the clock for days to make certain we are properly equipped for the days ahead,” Cogswell said in a statement. “…The major point we want to emphasize is that residents will see flooding in areas that typically do not flood, so extra care should be taken to help keep our first responders out of [harm’s] way.”
The Georgia Department of Transportation and the South Carolina Department of Transportation said they are prepared to act as the storm could cause flash flooding. GDOT said it has roughly 300 employees ready to respond in Southwest Georgia, and workers in other areas of the state are poised to help as needed.
In Savannah, officials said the city had closed all government offices for Tuesday, Aug. 6. However, essential emergency functions would remain open.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline was $3.28 per gallon, down from $3.329 a week ago and $3.325 a month ago. The price in South Carolina was $3.128 per gallon, down from $3.167 a week ago and $3.247 a month ago.
However, the storm and this year’s hurricane season could impact prices.
“Georgia drivers continue to see relief at the pumps despite a possible storm approaching,” Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman, said in a Monday morning announcement. “Gas prices may ebb and flow until we get beyond hurricane season and its threats to Gulf Coast oil and gas production and refining.”