President Barack Obama. Source: Elizabeth Cromwell, Wikimedia commons

President Barack Obama today signed an emergency declaration for the state of Georgia and ordered federal aid to the state to assist in its response to severe winter storm conditions.

Here is the full announcement from the White House.

President Obama Signs Georgia Emergency Declaration

Today, the President declared an emergency in the State of Georgia and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe winter storm beginning on February 10, 2014, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield, and Wilkes.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named W. Michael Moore as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson sent along this email that included this bulletin from the National Weather Service showing what we can expect over the next couple of days.

National Weather Service Updates

Significant power outages throughout the area may be seen.

Today

Mainly Snow and Sleet across North Ga. Rain in metro as long as temps stay in the mid 30’s.

Later Tonight

Heavy snow far north Ga. Crippling ice across West Central Ga including metro Atlanta. All of North and Central Georgia is under Winter Storm WARNING

This evening Rain/Snow Taper Off.

Temps Today (late afternoon/Evening)

Mid 30s. 1-3 inches of snow have been reported so far today in N. Ga. Sleet is also being reported in N Metro.

Use Caution on Bridges and Overpasses.

This evening

Rain/Snow/Sleet mix along I-20 corridor. Not a lot of accumulations in the Metro Area.

Temps by 3am tonight

Freezing Temps start to work farther south. Wet surfaces from rainfall Tuesday will freeze overnight as well. Precipitation will start to move in.

7am Wed.

Temps are at or below freezing across area will support widespread freezing rain. (Low 30s).

12pm Wed. Much of area stays at or below freezing (Still in low 30s) This will allow Ice to accumulate

5pm

Metro will see temps in low 30s.

Thursday Morning

All areas have freezing temps. (high 20s – low 30s)

AMOUNTS

Wed. morning 3-4am

Sleet/ Freezing Rain/Rain mix across area

Wednesday 7am

Freezing Rain along I-20 corridor including Metro Atlanta, Snow mix in north Georgia (Rome, Cherokee to Gainesville).

Afternoon

Freezing rain in Metro Area.

Wed Night – Thursday morning

Snow for most of area.

Between 6-10am

Precipitation will begin to end. Ice will continue to be an issue.

Total

Snow/Sleet 1-3 inches including metro. Ice – close to 1/2 inch in Metro Atlanta and up to an inch east of the Metro Area on I-20 corridor.

Thursday

By late Morning temps are expected to rise above freezing for all areas.

Winds

Sustained- Wed. 8am 15-20mph winds across much of the area with gusts of 25-30mph