ATHENS, Ga. — With Georgia in a
record-setting drought, it’s ironic that we need to be preparing
for floods.
It’s hurricane season, and the entire state is vulnerable to
flooding from tropical weather systems. From the mountains to
the
coast, all Georgians need to prepare for hurricane season.
This tropical storm season, which began June 1, is
expected to be an active one. Noted hurricane forecaster William
Gray is predicting 12 named tropical systems.
Gray is a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado
State University. He forecasts
that eight storms will become hurricanes and that four will be
major, with wind speeds above 111 miles per hour.
Tropical weather is no stranger to Georgia. Since 1990,
Georgia has had three Presidential disaster declarations as the
result of tropical weather.
- In 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto brought torrential rain,
high winds, tornadoes and major
flooding to 55 counties, from southwest Georgia to the
southern counties of metro Atlanta. - In 1998, Tropical Depression No. 10 brought high winds,
heavy rain, tornadoes and
flooding to 13 coastal and southeast Georgia counties. - Hurricane Opal brought high winds, heavy rain and
tornadoes
to 50 counties, from the
west central area to the north Georgia mountains, in
1995.
All of Georgia
Vulnerable
While the destruction from tropical storms along the coast is
well-known, all of
Georgia is vulnerable to the power of these storms. This
includes
metro Atlanta and the
mountain counties.
Along the coast, the storm surge is the major concern. The
shape of the Georgia coast
makes it vulnerable to very high storm surges — much greater
than North Carolina would
have for the same strength storm.
High winds, tornadoes and flooding due to heavy rainfall are
other threats to the
coastal region.
All Georgians living along the coast should know their
county’s emergency plan,
including evacuation routes and the locations of approved
shelters. Contact your county
emergency management agency now. Don’t wait until a tropical
storm threatens.
Inland Flooding Big
Concern
Away from the coast into the piedmont and mountains, flooding
is the major concern.
Interior flooding can cause more damage statewide than the
damage
on the coast. Inland
flooding is the major cause of tropical-weather deaths.
Hurricane Camille, in 1969, hit the Mississippi Gulf coast
but
caused massive property
damage and many deaths in the mountains of Virginia.
Tropical-storm-strength winds can reach hundreds of miles
from
where the storm makes
landfall. Hurricane Hugo caused extensive wind damage in
Charlotte, N.C., and beyond.
Since most homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage,
it’s important to get
supplemental coverage. You can get flood insurance from the
federal government.
Get Flood Insurance
Now
But don’t wait. It normally takes 30 days for a flood policy
to become active. Contact
your insurance agent or the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(
) site for details.
As a tropical storm moves inland, tornadoes are common. They
can and do strike before a
storm makes landfall. As the storm moves inland, tornadoes can
hit anywhere in the state.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio
is a good addition to a
weather-preparedness kit.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has information on
preparing for tropical storm
season on the Web (/www2.state.ga.us
/
GEMA/broadcast).
You can get information through your county EMA, too. It’s
listed
in the phone book.
FEMA has many Web pages on weather disaster mitigation and
preparedness. You can find
valuable information at the FEMA hurricane Web site (
m
it.htm). Other pages
(www.fema.gov) tell how to
prepare and mitigate the
impacts of other natural disasters.
FEMA has a free publication, “Repairing Your Flooded
Home” (FEMA-234), on
flood mitigation and repair. Another, “Taking Shelter From
the Storm” (FEMA-320)
suggests how to reinforce your home for high winds.
Get these and other publications at 1-800-480-2520.
