ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon ahead of Tropical Storm Helene, which is forecast to become a hurricane before barreling onto the Florida Panhandle and into South Georgia.

Kemp’s executive order calls up 500 national guard troops to prepare for and respond to the storm. It lasts until Oct. 2 and orders state agencies to coordinate preparations for the storm’s immediate impact and aftermath.

The latest system to threaten the Gulf Coast has already prompted tropical storm and hurricane watches from the National Hurricane Center. It is expected to strengthen Wednesday and arrive in Florida by Thursday morning, potentially as a Category 3 hurricane.

Helene, the eighth named storm of this year’s busy Atlantic hurricane season, is also forecast to dump loads of rain in Georgia over the next few days. It comes just a little over a month after most of the state dodged Hurricane Debby.

While Helene’s heaviest impact will be felt along the Florida coast and in South Georgia, meteorologist Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, said the latest forecasts are concerning and that most of Georgia should be busy preparing.

Based on Tuesday morning’s forecast, the impacts in Atlanta could be comparable to or worse than Hurricane Irma, Shepherd said, which downed trees and caused widespread power outages in the metro area.

The rain will be welcomed in North Georgia, as much of the region is under moderate to severe drought conditions, especially after another day with highs topping 90 degrees Tuesday.

“Less than 2 inches of rain has fallen in metro Atlanta just in the last couple of months,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “We don’t need it all to come back at once, but in a lot of ways, it’s kind of looking (like it will be) that way.”

So much rain in a short period of time, however, could spell trouble for those living in flood-prone areas. A wet ground coupled with damaging winds could down trees and cause power outages in metro Atlanta on Thursday.

An initial line of heavy rain, known as a “predecessor rain event,” is expected to blanket northwest Georgia on Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. It could bring between 2 and 4 inches to some areas.

By Wednesday night, more bands of rain are expected. In fact, from Thursday to Friday morning, there will be a Level 3 of 4 risk for excessive rainfall along and east of a line from Columbus to Marietta to Gainesville, the NWS warns. That will bump rainfall totals to 7 inches or more in some locations, creating a chance for flash and river flooding.

As the storm approaches landfall Thursday morning, there will be the potential for life-threatening surges and damaging hurricane-force winds along the Florida Panhandle.

In South Georgia, lashing winds and rain could devastate crops like cotton and pecans, which are in the middle of their harvest. While the storm will weaken as it moves inland, it has the potential to inflict severe damage in the northern half of the state, too, including around metro Atlanta, Shepherd said.

Tropical storm-force winds are expected in North Georgia by Thursday evening.

The severe weather could impact flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Delta Air Lines issued a travel advisory for flights traveling to, from or through several destinations in the forecast path of the storm between Wednesday and Friday. Affected cities include Valdosta, Key West, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville and Hilton Head Island, among several others.

Several schools across South Georgia, including Valdosta City Schools, Colquitt County High School and Thomasville High School, alerted families that they are monitoring the storm. As of Tuesday afternoon, however, classes were set to continue as scheduled, but a handful of high school football programs opted to reschedule their games.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon told his board Tuesday that starting Wednesday morning, the agency will be deploying staff to the State Operations Center in Atlanta to help respond to Helene.

Rabon said the agency will activate 70 game wardens with access to all-terrain vehicles, boats and other equipment to assist with disaster response across the state. Another 48 staffers will be available to help clear debris as needed.

”We’re preparing and we’ll be ready for whatever the storm brings to our state,” Rabon said.

By Friday, the storm will start to dissipate, but clouds and rain will remain in the forecast through early next week. That will keep high temperatures in the mid-70s to mid-80s, with even lower temps in the mountains.

How you can prepare

While forecasters work to nail down more information about the storm’s eventual path and intensity, several South Georgia counties are already urging residents to prepare for potential hurricane-force winds to hit areas struck by Hurricane Debby last month.

Even if you are spared from the storm’s impact, it’s good to be prepared. Due to record-warm ocean temperatures, there is an 85% chance that we will end up with an above-average hurricane season before it ends Nov. 30, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts.

According to the forecast, there is a 90% chance that we’ll see between 17 and 24 named storms — those with sustained winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, eight to 13 are expected to become hurricanes, including between four and seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

“The hurricane season got off to an early and violent start with Hurricane Beryl, the earliest category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement.

Beryl caused catastrophic damage and claimed approximately 20 lives in several Caribbean islands, with an additional death toll of about 25 people in Texas, Louisiana and Vermont.

The latest named system was Gordon, a tropical storm that stayed in the North Atlantic Ocean last week. Before that, it was Hurricane Francine, which struck Louisiana’s coast as a Category 2 storm Sept. 11.

The NWS has tips to ensure you, your family and your property are prepared to weather the storm — even if that means evacuating. Residents should make sure their devices are fully charged; store or secure outdoor objects; gather supplies including nonperishable food, water and medicine; and determine an emergency evacuation route. The NHC has more tips at https://www.weather.gov/safety/hurricane.

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