MOULTRIE, Ga. — Hurricane Dorian is five days from Colquitt County, based on published forecasts, but due to the upcoming Labor Day holiday, local officials gathered on Thursday morning to open lines of communication about how they’ll respond.

A forecast published at weather.com showed a “cone of uncertainty” that included landfall on Florida’s east coast, anywhere from Miami to the Georgia state line — but that same article said it could hit eastern Georgia or the Carolinas instead, depending on when it takes a westward turn that’s expected on Saturday.

A landfall in Miami could come by Monday morning; landfall around Jacksonville would be early on Tuesday, based on the graphic.

Where and when the storm makes landfall obviously will determine if, when and how hard Colquitt County will be affected, but Colquitt County Emergency Management Director Russell Moody had two other questions.

“How big is it going to be in size, not intensity? And what’s it going to do when it gets to the Gulf?” Moody asked rhetorically.

Forecasters have noted that the water in the Gulf of Mexico is very warm, which could intensify Dorian if it reaches there and set it up for a second landfall.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Dorian is a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 miles an hour. A National Weather Service update issued then predicted it would be a Category 4 by the time it makes landfall, but it’s expected to diminish rapidly over land.

Moody said a second meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday to finalize plans based on more up-to-date information.

Schools are closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Whether the schools will close on Tuesday in response to the storm may be decided by that meeting on Sunday.

“You don’t want [decide] to close schools on the day it’s going to happen,” School Superintendent Doug Howell said.

Also because of the holiday, officials discussed how they’ll get information out to residents, and the only good solution they could find was social media.

The City of Moultrie Facebook page, which was taken down in July but reinstated Aug. 19, already contains several links to hurricane preparation information. The Colquitt County Board of Commissioners Facebook page has posts related to the Labor Day holiday but doesn’t yet have any related to the storm.

Both Facebook pages will be updated as information becomes available on the storm’s local impact, according to spokesmen for the agencies.

Amy Johnson, the City of Moultrie’s marketing director, encouraged people who have internet access to remember their neighbors and friends who don’t. Now would be the time to make a plan to keep them informed, she said.

“Last year (during Hurricane Michael), that’s how we were updating,” she said, “and many people didn’t have access. … That’s really our only way to get information out quickly.”

The Moultrie Observer will publish updated information in its Sunday edition. The timing of the storm may affect our Wednesday publication schedule; we’re waiting for updated information before we make a decision about that, but if there’s any change we’ll announce it on our website.

Meanwhile, we will provide updates multiple times a day at moultrieobserver.com and through links on our Facebook page.