Georgia Special Session On Hurricane Michael Relief Explained

A historic hurricane ripped through Florida's Panhandle and into southwest Georgia late Wednesday, killing two people in its path.

Gov. Nathan Deal held a news conference online at 10:30 a.m.

HELP AVAILABLE: Hurricane Michael Federal Resources Available In Southwest Georgia

President Donald J. Trump declared a state of emergency in Georgia and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts. FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.

Tucked away in a corner of the Pine Knoll Pecan Grove near the town of Pretoria is one of those things that Mitch Bulger says made the decades he spent living and working  here worth it.  

"I promise you,” he told me. “Stick your finger in that. It’s the coldest water.”

Georgia's agriculture industry suffered devastation at the hands of Hurricane Michael. Pecan trees were toppled, chicken houses destroyed, and seemingly all farmers in southwest Georgia are working to recover. Cotton was no exception. More than a million acres were planted this year before Michael hit. 

A fire alarm going off a few minutes into the live debate for Georgia’s governor was probably the most unpredictable part of the night. It’s the first time the three candidates shared the stage ahead of the Nov. 6 election, and the candidates largely stuck to campaign talking points.