Hurricane Season is once again about to be upon us. This is the first in our three part series on Hurricane Season in Savannah, Georgia. Part 1 will cover Hurricane Preparedness. Part 2 will cover Hurricane Evacuation/Emergency Actions, and Part 3 will cover Post-Hurricane Recovery.
Hurricanes aren’t something that anyone likes to think about, unless they come in a tall frosty glass with an umbrella. Living in Savannah, hurricanes can be a little more threatening than to someone living in, say, Nashville. And while hurricanes are powerful forces of nature, you can be proactive and prepare, and give yourself peace of mind.
The first step is to gather information. Where is your home located? Is it in an evacuation area? Will it be affected if there is a storm surge? What is a storm surge? These are all questions for which you should have answers. Bone up on your weather knowledge and make sure that you know the difference between a “warning” and a “watch” in terms of severe weather. Being able to differentiate between these terms will help you understand severe weather reports and help you respond accordingly. Also, check with the local emergency management agency–they can also assist you with how you should respond to hurricanes and the conditions that accompany them, such as heavy rain, high winds, and flooding.
Take a look at your yard — how many trees do you have? Will high winds wreak havoc on your landscape? Make sure to know how many windows you have, in the event that you will need to board them up. You can also use online tools to check your hazards, including flooding, risks. Make sure you have a list of contact numbers for not only your local law enforcement/public safety agencies, but also for your utility company, local TV/radio stations, and your insurance agent(s).
Even though nobody really wants to entertain the idea of being separated from family or friends, especially in a hurricane, it’s important that you do exactly that, and make an emergency plan with your family. Be sure to plan for locations to meet/stay away from home and make sure that your schools, daycares, and business owners have emergency plans in place. And don’t forget about the four-legged family members of your family — if you have a pet, make sure to include their care in your emergency plan.
Most people think that they are prepared for hurricanes in terms of supplies and necessities, or that they will have time to stock up on supplies. Don’t wait until the last minute to fight the crowds buying emergency candles and bottled water. Instead, go ahead and put together a basic disaster supplies kit, and consider storage locations for the kit for different locations.
Putting this much time and effort into planning for hurricanes that might not even make landfall on the Coastal Empire’s shoreline might seem a bit much, but remember — nobody has ever survived a natural disaster and then complained that they were too prepared. If you take the time now to make sure you are ready for hurricane season, you will be avoiding even more stress if one comes our way this hurricane season, and rest a little easier for it.