Glynn County, Ga. Preaching Hurricane Preparedness

(TNS) – Andy Leanza keeps a plastic storage container in the corner of his closet that he gets out once a year to ensure everything he and his family need is there to be ready for a hurricane.

Consider it leadership by example. As the director of Glynn County’s Emergency Management Agency, he preaches the virtues of hurricane preparedness and knows well that it is only a matter of time until a major storm impacts the Golden Isles.

“It truly is a matter of, ‘when is it your turn?'” Leanza said.

The annual Atlantic hurricane season forecast from Colorado State University predicts conditions are right for 13 named storms this summer and fall. Six of those are predicted to become hurricanes, two of which are predicted to be major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph.

The predictions from the CSU Tropical Meteorology Project say that is about 80 percent of the average activity during the annual hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. An El Niño pattern is expected to develop that meteorologists predict will dampen some tropical weather activity.

El Niño refers to a warming of the ocean surface to above-average temperatures in the central and Easter tropical Pacific Ocean that can disrupt the formation of tropical storms in the Atlantic hurricane basin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Below-average activity or not, Leanza said everyone in the Golden Isles should be prepared for a storm this summer and fall.

“I would still consider this year just as dangerous,” he said.

He went recently to a workshop with the team at the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center and said they used bowling pins falling as an example. Eventually, a storm will hit, he said.

The local EMA works year-round with the state and federal counterparts to update evacuation plans, response plans and to update the county’s website with all of the most up-to-date information so the public can be informed.

The site, glynncounty.org/557/Emergency-Management-Agency, includes the most updated flood modeling, storm damage models, evacuation routes and other information so residents and business owners can get an idea of what to expect should a storm make landfall in the Golden Isles. The site is a must-see for anyone preparing locally for a hurricane.

“Look at our website, Ready Georgia and the Red Cross,” Leanza said, noting that all three are great resources when preparing for hurricane season.

He suggested checking on flood and homeowner’s insurance and anything that may be needed in the aftermath of a storm prior to the season beginning so that everything is in place if needed.

On a more basic level, Leanza said the items in the bin he keeps aren’t what you need for an apocalypse. Instead, hurricane prep packages like his need things you might use every day.

“You don’t need all the fancy prep stuff,” he said. “Make it be common sense stuff.”

He and Deputy EMA Director Sharon Courson emptied a backpack they keep packed as a demonstration piece when they present preparedness programs to local groups, businesses and organizations. They pulled out of it everything from hand-cranked radio and solar-powered charger to dog treats, toilet paper and a bag of ketchup and mustard packages.

“It’s the little things that can make a big difference,” Courson said.

Packing birth certificates, marriage licenses and other important documents to avoid damage from wind or surge also is prudent.

Courson also advised anyone who may want to leave when a storm is coming to do it sooner than later. Don’t wait to get the order from the county to evacuate if you are ready to go, Courson said.

“If you have family you can go stay with, go do it,” she said. “You don’t have to wait on us to say ‘evacuate.'”

One of the most important things people can do, Leanza said, is to sign up for the county’s Code Red program, which provides emergency updates. It is an opt-in program and allows users to choose what kind of alerts they want to receive. It is a key piece of the communication puzzle during an emergency, Leanza said.

“We encourage everyone to sign up for Code Red all the time. It is a really useful tool,” he said.

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