Art & Soul in downtown Valdosta was boarded up in preparation for Hurricane Irma. 

VALDOSTA — Homes and businesses across South Georgia have been preparing for Hurricane Irma since as early as Monday morning. 

Efforts amped up later in the week and over the weekend, with some stores boarding up windows and others placing sandbags outside of doors. Some residents boarded their homes in preparation as well.  

Many businesses across town were closed Sunday or closed early and plan to remain closed through Monday. 

Hurricane Irma’s tropical storm-speed winds (39-73 miles per hour) are expected to reach Valdosta between 10-11 p.m. Sunday, said Andy Lahr, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Tallahassee, Fla., office.