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Hurricane Irma Resources

Many of our fellow Georgians and neighbors from Florida will be seeking refuge from Hurricane Irma in the coming days and weeks. Below are resources available to assist in this time of need.

Governor Deal expands State of Emergency to all 159 Georgia Counties
Acting on a recommendation from the state's Emergency Operations Command and ahead of heavy rains, strong wind and potential flooding from Hurricane Irma, Gov. Nathan Deal today expanded the emergency declaration to include an additional 65 counties. The state of emergency now includes all 159 counties in Georgia. State government will be closed Monday and Tuesday for all employees except essential personnel. Read the full release here.

Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency
Information for Hotel Guests:
  • Obtaining financial assistance for lodging: Are you a Hurricane Irma evacuee in need of financial assistance for lodging? We suggest contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA ) online or by phone at 800-621-3362.*
  • Finding a hotel that accepts FEMA assistance: If you already have FEMA lodging assistance and are looking for available lodging under FEMA's Transitional Shelter Assistance Program, a list of participating hotels is available on the femaevachotels.com website. Call the hotel directly to determine current availability, and be sure to inform the hotel when you call that you are participating in FEMA's emergency lodging program.
  • Finding a hotel generally: If you are looking for lodging in general, consider using our hotel brand reservation contact list to find statewide availability. You can also visit irma.georgia.org for addtional resources on lodging availability.
  • If lodging accommodations are simply not an available option for you, the Office of the Governor for your state will have information on the current status of emergency shelters (click here for info on Georgia shelters). Additionally, consider working with a non-governmental organization such as the American Red Cross. Georgia hotels have donated hundreds of hotel room-nights to charitable groups, and these groups may be able to assist you.
*NOTE: This FEMA phone number is only for use by individuals affected by the disaster. Hotel employees with questions regarding the emergency lodging assistance program should visit this GHLA webpage for more information.

Information for Hotel Employees, Managers, and Owners:
  • Emergency lodging assistance: Hotels are encouraged to participate in the emergency lodging assistance program. Information regarding accepting FEMA lodging assistance payments for guests in need of emergency lodging is available on this GHLA webpage.
  • Hotel taxes: While Georgia code does not exempt evacuees from the Local Hotel/Motel Excise Tax ahead of the storm's arrival, the state does provide an exemption for evacuees "who certify that they are staying as a result of the destruction of their home or residence" in a natural disaster. Click here to download a Fact Sheet on Local Hotel/Motel Tax Special Protections for Victims of Natural Disasters.
  • Room pricing: Information on hotel room pricing during disasters is available here.

The GHLA team is ready to respond to any issues that arise during this time of emergency. Please contact us for any questions, issues, and know that we are here for you.

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