By By MICHELE GERLACH Publisher
Area emergency management officials are preparing for the worst this week as Hurricane Ivan churns through the Gulf of Mexico toward the U.S. mainland.
While the Brewton area should see 10 to 12 inches of rain over the next few days, forecasters were not predicting the flooding that frequently accompanies storms in Brewton.
Both Jennings and Sheriff Grover Smith said the primary problem law enforcement personnel and emergency workers faced as the storm approached was traffic control as evacuees from the Florida Panhandle streamed through Brewton and Atmore, headed toward Interstate 65.
As of Tuesday, Gov. Bob Riley was refusing to send help from the Alabama National Guard, despite loud pleas from Smith and Jennings.
Flomaton radio station WPFL, 105.1, planned to broadcast throughout the storm from the EMA office in the county courthouse.
A number of schools, agencies and businesses closed as a precaution in preparation for Hurricane Ivan.