<p>The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for parts of Georgia prompting Gov. Nathan Deal to declare a state of emergency for 45 counties is the state. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The governor's worries include the threat of ice, according to The News Tribune. Two inches of snow created grid lock in the Atlanta metro area two weeks ago causing some motorists to abandon their vehicles, spend the night in cars or find refuge in local businesses with some students also staying overnight in schools. Thousands of vehicles were abandoned along highways.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Deal is encouraging motorists in the storm’s path to “be off the road by early evening” Monday as transportation crews move in to prepare the roads. He also asked tractor-trailers, which caused mayhem during the previous storm, to steer clear of I-285.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Grower/shippers have told AndNowUKnow that the recent storms are taking their toll on produce working its way in and around the Midwest and East Coast. The challenges have been in terms of unloading vessels in a timely matter with distribution up and down the Eastern seaboard seeing the brunt of the complications. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Traffic delays from ice, snow and road closures have impeded travel for trucks moving through states like North and South Carolina and Georgia.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">On Sunday, Georgia’s Office of the Governor issued a release where Deal noted, “I have directed the State Patrol, Department of Transportation and Department of Natural Resources to begin moving assets toward areas where the snow and ice are expected, and I have issued a ‘warning order’ for the National Guard -- an advance notice to personnel of the possibility of a ‘call up’ for a state mission… At the moment, local meteorologists are advising us to expect a ‘major storm’ that could bring significant levels of snow and ice. We have passed along this latest weather information to school superintendents and local emergency management agencies.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>According to the Office of the Governor, Deal declared the state of emergency today for Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Chattooga, Gordon, Floyd, Bartow, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Haralson, Carroll, Douglas, DeKalb, Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Wilkes, Walton, Rabun, Habersham, Stephens, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Elbert and Lincoln counties. The first of the counties to be issued the state of emergency were Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks and Jackson counties.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Deal convened his emergency response team at 11 a.m. Monday, including executives from hospitals and utility companies and was particularly worried about the “devastating” impact of ice dragging down power lines.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we follow the weather watch in the Southeast. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2014" target="_new">Georgia Office of the Governor</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/winters-storm-warnings-advisories-and-watches-fore/ndJgM" target="_new"> Atlanta Journal-Constitution </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/02/10/3038580/ga-gov-declares-state-of-emergency.html" target="_new"> The News Tribune </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
