Atlanta (September 11, 2018) At the present moment, Hurricane Florence has been updated to a Category 4 storm, and its 140 mile-an-hour winds are expected to make landfall on the border of North and South Carolina sometime late Thursday night, or early Friday morning.
 
Given the unpredictability of the exact path of the storm, it is strongly encouraged that those of you living in these areas of our Metropolis pay careful attention to government announcements and the news in the coming days, concerning closures, cancelations, and evacuations. For matters pertaining to our parishes, your clergy and Parish Councils have been directed to use their judgement as far as church closures are concerned for those communities that will be impacted.
 
All these things being said, it is never too early to be prepared. Please see below for a list of storm preparedness tips (please note this is not an all-inclusive checklist):
 

• Purchase and stock one gallon of water per person per day.
• Purchase and stock non-perishable foods that you can prepare with whatever resources you have if power is lost.
• Get cash since during/after a storm ATMs and credit card machines may not be functional.
• Pick up any medications you may need and make sure you have enough to last up to a week after the storm hits.
• Gather important papers, documents and photos and place them in plastic containers to protect from water damage. If you are evacuating, consider taking this with you.
• If necessary, determine an evacuation route and destination, inform someone of where you are headed.
• Fill up on gasoline for your car, especially if you plan to evacuate.
• If you have a gas grill, pick up extra propane tanks so you can use it to prepare food.
• Find your flashlights and make sure you have enough batteries for them.
• Check on the elderly.
• If you choose to evacuate, turn off gas to prevent gas leaks.
• If you have pets, be sure to find accommodations for them should you choose to evacuate.

 
As always, we ask that all the members of our Metropolis family continue to send their prayers, as well as their love and support to those areas that will be in the path of Hurricane Florence near the end of this week.