ATLANTA — Forecasters say gusty winds and locally heavy rain will be the main threats to the Georgia coast as Sandy surges toward the north.

The National Weather Service office in Jacksonville, Fla. said the hurricane's center is expected to stay well off the Georgia coast, though the storm has an unusually broad wind field.

Thousands of University of Georgia students and football fans will be heading to the Jacksonville area this weekend, as UGA plays Florida in Jacksonville on Saturday. The Athens Banner-Herald reports that wind could be a factor for those travelers. Forecasters are predicting gusts of up to 34 mph in the Brunswick area on Friday.

A tropical storm warning was in effect Friday for coastal waters off southeast Georgia.