ATHENS, Ga. – From Lookout Mountain to the
Golden Isles, all Georgians
need to prepare for hurricane season.

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.

Later that year, 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.

14 Storms in Forecast

Highly respected hurricane expert William Gray of Colorado
State University expects an
active hurricane season. Gray’s forecast is for 14 tropical
storms, with nine reaching
hurricane status. Four are forecast to become intense
hurricanes with sustained winds
above 111 miles per hour.

The peak months for tropical storms are August and
September. As we enter these peak
months, all Georgians should have finished their
prestorm-watch
preparations.

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.

Storm Surge Deadly at
Coast

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 for this important
information.
Don’t wait until a
tropical storm threatens.

Flooding Imperils
Inland

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 immediate coast.

Hurricane Camille, which hit the Mississippi Gulf coast in
1969, caused massive
property damage and the loss of many lives 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.
But
don’t wait, since it
normally takes 30 days for a flood insurance policy to become
active. Contact your
insurance agent or the Federal Emergency
Management Agency Web site for details.

Tornadoes Widespread
Threat

As a tropical storm moves inland, tornadoes are common. An
outbreak of tornadoes can
and does occur before a storm makes landfall. As the storm
moves inland, the entire state
can become subject to tornadoes. A NOAA weather radio is a
good
addition to a weather
preparedness kit.

Ample information is available on preparing for the
tropical
storm season.

Web Information
Sites

The
Georgia
Emergency Management Agency has a brochure,
“Increasing Hurricane
Awareness.” You can get it through your county emergency
management agency. Contact
information for county emergency management agencies is on the
Web at
www2.state.ga.us/GEMA/broadcast/emafram.htm. Yours is listed
in
your phone book, too.

The Federal
Emergency
Management Agency
has several Web pages devoted to weather disaster mitigation
and preparedness.

You can find valuable information at the FEMA tropical
storm
site. FEMA
also has many tips for hurricane
preparedness. Other sites tell how to protect
your property from flooding
and how
to protect your business.

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 from
FEMA Publications at 1-800-480-2520.