It has been dry and dusty out for the past couple of weeks, and right when Polk County needs the rain a hurricane is a-comin’ to drench the Northwest Georgia area with wet weather.

Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall Thursday in Louisiana after forming in the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas coastline, and though it won’t directly impact Polk County and the rest of the region, the remnants of the storm is expected to bring rainfall of upwards of two inches in some areas.

Wind gusts are also expected, but not dangerous winds compared to those when the storm makes landfall this afternoon as at least a Category 1 storm.

Polk County and the rest of the region should begin feeling the impacts of Hurricane Francine’s leftover rain and wind starting during the overnight hours into Thursday, and through the rest of the week and into the weekend.

Polk County Emergency Management officials are keeping an eye on the situation, but do not expect any major impacts from the storm system after it breaks up moving inland. Louisiana and Mississippi’s coastlines are under the threat of life threatening storm surge and wind as Hurricane Francine arrives today, and moves up the Mississippi River valley to lose strength as a Tropical Storm, then a Tropical Depression by Friday.

The rain forecast per the National Weather Service stretches into Sunday, with meteorologists expecting the potential for thunderstorms to end the weekend. Temperatures are expected to dip into the mid to upper 70s starting on Thursday as well.

Check back for additional updates as they become available.