Augusta prepares for possible Hanna evacuees

As residents along the Atlantic coast brace for what might come with Hanna, Augusta is preparing for evacuees.

The area is prepared to take in up to 1800 evacuees from the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

The civic center downtown, also known as the James Brown Arena, will open as a shelter at noon on Thursday.

"We'll be bringing in cots and setting up beds in that area," says Jo Maypole, director of the American Red Cross in Augusta. "We're also putting plans together to bring in meals and also counseling, emotional support."

Warren Baptist Church and Wesley United Methodist Church, in Columbia County, will serve as backup shelters.

It appears that, for now, Augusta will be spared severe weather from Hanna, say local officials.

For more information about shelters in the Augusta area, call the American Red Cross at (706) 724-8481.