A curfew has been declared for Albany and Dougherty County, and the emergency response includes the opening of a shelter for the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which could come this afternoon. The Dougherty County Emergency Management Agency was expecting the worst of the storm’s impacts to come with a 12-hour window starting at between 5 p.

"The curfew is intended to support public safety efforts amidst widespread power outages, disruptions to cell service and damage to traffic signals."

Cash, cans and charging — as in topping off electronic devices — are among the items that people should tick off on their storm preparation checklists as the region braces for the impact of a major storm system.