Georgians brace for heavy rain, tornadoes as storm creeps into state

<p>About 50 homes in Valdosta were evacuated early Monday because of flooding from tropical storm Jeanne, as high winds and heavy rain moved into southeast Georgia.</p><p>The National Weather Service said rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were expected west of Interstate 95 and 3 to 6 inches east of the interstate through Monday. It also issued a tornado watch in 27 counties through 9 a.m.</p><p>By 6 a.m. Jeanne was hovering over Lowndes County, dumping around 6 inches of rain on the area. Rising waters forced about 100 people in Valdosta to evacuate their homes around 2 a.m., said Lisa Ray, spokeswoman for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.</p><p>"We don't know the extent of the damage, and we have not heard of any injuries," Ray said.</p><p>GEMA officials called for voluntary evacuations in 20 counties, especially those living in mobile homes and low-lying areas, because of predicted high winds and flooding.</p><p>Few residents initially took up offers from local shelters Sunday, but more began heeding the warnings by nightfall. About 760 people stayed in the 24 Red Cross shelters set up throughout southeast Georgia on Sunday night, Ray said.</p><p>Georgia Power reported about 20,000 customers without power Monday morning, with the number quickly growing as the storm settled further into the state.</p><p>In Brunwick, state Department of Transportation officials closed Sidney Lanier Bridge around 8:30 p.m. Sunday because of high wind gusts, said DOT spokesman Bert Brantley. The bridge remained shut down early Monday, as officials waited for winds to drop back below 45 miles per hour.</p><p>Jeanne moved across Florida on Sunday, covering much of central Florida with its girth of 400 miles. The storm, which hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane and left at least six people dead, was downgraded to a tropical storm with top sustained winds near 50 mph. It was expected to weaken to a tropical depression later Monday.</p><p>The storm was expected to stay inland, moving into Georgia and then the Carolinas through Tuesday.</p><p>State environmental officials warned that the biggest risk may not be floods or wind or even tornadoes. It's the danger of sewage spills.</p><p>Dozens of spills have already happened across the state this hurricane season, contaminating rivers and streams. The spills are caused by power failures, which can cripple water and sewage pumps, and rainwater that infiltrates sewer pipes.</p><p>Atlanta saw one of the state's largest-ever sewage spills recently when a pipe crossing a stream broke during Tropical Storm Ivan, spewing 10 million gallons of sewage into Nancy Creek.</p><p>Jeffersonville, Macon and Perry all had major spills during Tropical Storm Frances.</p><p>"Cumulatively, this is the biggest problem with water and wastewater that we've had since the flood of 1994," said Johnny Henson, an EPD environmental specialist.</p><p>Gov. Sonny Perdue has declared a state of emergency in Georgia through midnight Thursday to prepare for possible flooding and damage, and to prevent price gouging.</p><p>School has been canceled for Monday in Appling, Beaufort, Brantley, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Emmanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Tattnall and Wayne counties.</p>

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