What is a
Hurricane?
A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone–an
organized rotating weather system that
develops in the tropics. Hurricanes rotate
counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tropical cyclones are classified as follows:
Tropical Depression—An organized
system of persistent clouds and thunderstorms
with a closed low-level circulation and
maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33
knots) or less.
Tropical Storm—An organized system of
strong thunderstorms with a well defined
circulation and maximum sustained winds of
39 to 73 mph (34-63 knots).
Hurricane—An intense tropical weather
system with a well defined circulation and
sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or
higher. In the western North Pacific,
hurricanes are
called typhoons, and similar in the Indian
Ocean are called cyclones.
Dr. Gray's
ATLANTIC BASIN SEASONAL
HURRICANE FORECAST FOR 2013
Average
Predicted
1981-2010
2013
Named Storms
12
13-20
Hurricanes
6
7-11
Major
Hurricanes
3
3-6
3 major hurricanes struck
GA coast in the 1890’s
Oct 1898 – Georgia Hurricane
Landfall near Brunswick as
a Cat. 4 with max winds of
135 mph
180 dead; $56.5 million in
damage (2004 dollars)
Max storm surge was 13-18
ft. in Darien
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/research/hurricanes/history/1898/
Risks to Coastal Georgia
3 major landfalls in the 1890’s (but none since 1900)
Potential for big storm surge owing to shallow shelf
Barrier islands at extra risk associated with sea level rise
Impacts of floods
Immediate impacts: property damage, injuries, death
Health issues: infectious diseases, exposure to toxins
Key water quality issues:
• Floodwater tainted with raw
sewage, pesticides, agricultural
waste, petroleum products,
dead animals
• Flooding of animal waste
retention pools from hog,
cattle, dairy, poultry farms
Hurricane Frances (2004)
caused $41M damage
to Atlanta from flooding
Case Study: Hurricane Ivan (2004)
Category 3 hurricane that made
landfall just west of Gulf Shores, AL
Produced 25 tornadoes in GA
resulting in 2 deaths and 10 injuries.
Rainfall in excess of 5 to 10 in.
and high winds destroyed 50%
pecan and 15% cotton crop in GA.
Property damage in GA $68.8 M.
From National Climatic Data Center Satellite Archives
Hurricane Risks to Georgia
While no major hurricane strikes since 1900, increases in #
of Atlantic storms increases the probability of a GA landfall
Landfall on GA coast has potential for big storm surge
owing to shallow shelf
Barrier islands at extra risk associated with sea level rise
Heavy rainfall associated with storms that make landfall
in the Gulf; rainfall in hurricanes is expected to increase
Tornadoes likely to be spawned in
GA by increasingly intense storms
that make landfall in the Gulf
2011 Storm Tracks
2012 Storm Tracks
Check often for official bulletins on radio, TV, or NOAA Weather
Radio.
Fuel car.
Check mobile home tie-downs.
Moor small craft or move to safe shelter.
Stock up on canned provisions.
Check batteries for radio and flashlights.
Secure lawn furniture and other loose material outdoors.
Board or shutter windows to prevent shattering.
Wedge sliding glass doors to prevent their lifting from their tracks.
 Stayed turned to radio, TV, or NOAA Weather
Radio for official bulletins
 Stay home if sturdy and on high ground Board
up garage and porch doors
 Move valuables to upper floors
 Bring in pets
 Fill containers (bathtub) with several days
supply of drinking water
 Turn up refrigerator to maximum cold and don't
open unless necessary
 Use phone only for emergencies
(Continued)
(Continued)
 Stay indoors on the downwind side of house away from









windows
Beware of the eye of the hurricane
Leave mobile homes
Leave areas which might be affected by storm tide or
stream flooding
Leave early in daylight if possible
Shut off water and electricity at main stations
Take small valuables and papers but travel light
Have food and water for pets (shelters will not take
them)
Lock up house
Drive carefully to nearest designated shelter using
recommended evacuation routes
In the event an evacuation order is necessary
for any area of Bryan County local radio as
well as television station will be utilized to
make this announcement.
ALBANY
91.7
ATHENS
91.7 / 97.9
AUGUSTA
90.7
BRUNSWICK
89.1
CARROLLTON
90.7
COLUMBUS
88.1
DAHLONEGA
89.5
DEMOREST
88.3
FORT GAINS
90.9
MACON
89.7
SAVANNAH
91.1
TIFTON
91.1
VALDOSTA
91.7
WAYCROSS
90.1
Georgia Broadcast
Radio will
broadcast
evacuation and
other emergency
Information over
Georgia Broadcast
Radio stations.
Since these stations
are all over the
state, you can
receive emergency
information just
about anywhere.
Anyone with a
computer, who
has on-line
capabilities,
may receive up
to the minute
information
from a number
of Internet
Weather
Services. These
listed here are
the most
popular.
www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/index.shtml
– www.weather.com
– http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
EVACUATION
• Tropical Cyclones pose a significant threat
to the State of Georgia.
• The Decision to evacuate rest with the
Chairman of the Bryan County
Commissioners
Evacuation Clearance Time
• The maximum clearance time for Southern
Bryan County during high occupancy time
is 18 hours.
• Evacuations should be completed PRIOR
to the onset of Tropical Storm Force
Winds.
All Counties along the Georgia Coast employ a
phased approach to evacuations and include:
•
•
•
•
Voluntary-Partial: Tropical Storm
Voluntary-Full: Category 1 & 2 Storms
Mandatory Partial: Category 3-5 Storms
Mandatory Full: Category 3-5 Storms
• Radio, TV and loud speakers from law
enforcement vehicles will all be utilized in
announcing an evacuation order
Evacuation Routes
• Persons leaving Bryan County Should follow the
following pre-designated routes:
From North Bryan
US 280 to US 341 to I-75
From South Bryan
SR 144 to Glennville to Reidsville
turn left on US 280 to US 341 to I-75
Go West
Leave Early
Leaving North Bryan
and City of Pembroke
Hwy 280 west to US
341 to I-75
Leaving South Bryan
County and the
City of Richmond Hill
Hwy 144 West through
Ft. Stewart to
Glennville and then
take Hwy 23 to
Reidsville. Continue
West on Hwy 280 to
US 341 to I-75
EVACUATE
EARLY
Leave when asked to do so
THIS IS WHY WE PREPARE.
(Hurricane Wilma in comparison to GA)
Re-Entry Plan
A phased approach to re-entry is designed to allow only
those personnel involved in a response access to impacted
areas and is a necessity due to safety concerns.
Phase 1 consists of entering affected areas to conduct
damage assessments and to allow critical work force entry
to conduct facilities assessments.
When impacted areas are deemed safe for public entry,
citizens who present evidence of business ownership or
residency in affected areas will be allowed entry.
Officials and residents should be reminded that the time
between Phase 1 and Phase 2 could be several days.
Phase I
Phase 1 - State & Local Authorized Re-entry
Response Level 1 (Emergency Crew Entry)
• Aerial reconnaissance will be used to delineate affected areas. This will be coordinated
by GEMA using a Mobile Communications Vehicle (MCV) through the Evacuation and
Re-Entry Branch (ERB) located in Jesup.
• While affected areas are being determined, emergency response crews will depart
staging areas along pre-designated re-entry routes to clear a path into the affected
areas.
• Construction personnel and bridge crews will conduct damage assessments of roads
and bridges. Information on areas deemed safe for travel will be relayed to the ERB to
coordinate the multiagency response.
• Once damaged roads are repaired and re-entry routes and bridges are deemed safe
for travel, Response Level 2 will be initiated.
Phase I
Response Level 2
Continued
• No citizens or property owners will be readmitted until the following
objectives have been met:
• Utility items have been surveyed and deemed to be safe, passable, or operational.
• Natural gas, water, sewer and electric lines must be surveyed for damage and checked
for possible breaks.
• Water lines must have adequate pressure and present no health risks from raw sewage
contamination.
• Downed power lines that pose safety or health problems to residents must be removed.
• The structural integrity of bridges and overpasses to provide routes for county public
works and transportation crews must be determined to be safe and structurally sound.
• Critical portions of the transportation network must be cleared of as much debris as
possible or deemed to be safe for vehicular traffic in damaged areas.
Phase II
Phase 2 - Limited Public Re-entry
• After the impacted areas have been secured by local
officials and deemed safe for access, citizens who
present evidence of business ownership or residency in
the impacted areas will be allowed entry.
• Re-entry access may be terminated at any time.
• During the early portions of phase 2, a curfew is likely to
be imposed to citizens entering impacted areas.
Re-entry Routes
•
Once tropical storm force winds have subsided, re-entry operations begin. GDOT has preidentified re-entry routes for operations. Tropical cyclones threaten the state from landfalls along
either the Atlantic or Gulf Coasts. Therefore, sets of reentry routes have been pre-identified for
both threats. Table 3 below presents reentry routes for an Atlantic Coast threat.
Re-entry routes for an Atlantic Coast threat.
•
1-16 to 1-95
•
to Pembroke to Savannah
SR 129 to US 280 to US 301 to SR 144
• SR 129 to US 280 to SR 30/SR 204
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SR 121 to SR 21
SR 121 to US 80
SR 129 to US 280 to US 301 to SR 57 to 1-95
Metter to Savannah
Metter to Claxton
Metter to Richmond Hill
Millen to Savannah
Metter to Statesboro to Savannah
Metter to Claxton to Glennville to
Ludowici
SR 129 to US 280 to US 301 to SR 196 to US 84 to 195 Metter to Claxton to
Glennville to Hinesville
SR 520
Waycross to Brunswick
US 1 to US 40
Waycross to Folkston to St. Mary’s
US 84 to SR 32 to SR 99 to US 341 US 84 to US 341
Waycross to Patterson to Sterling to
Brunswick
What to Expect
Depending on the track and intensity of the Storm you
should prepare for wide spread damage.
There may not be any place to buy food, gas, etc.
Commodities (ice, water and MRE’s) will be distributed at
pre-determined Points of Distribution or POD’s
The parking lot at Kroger is designated as a POD but could
change depending on extent of damage.
POD Location will be announced as you enter through the
re-entry points
Safety First
Please remember that your safety is
foremost the most important thought
during this time. Depending on the extent
of damage it could be days to weeks
before you are allowed back into the area.
It is our desire to return our community to
normal as quickly as possible so we ask
that you be patient should we be faced
with this type of disaster.
HURRICANE
PREPAREDNESS
EFFORTS FOR
2013
Category 1 Storm Surge
Category 2 Storm Surge
Category 3 Storm Surge
Category 4 Storm Surge
Category 5 Storm Surge
Any Questions?