Officials prepare for hurricane season
May 28—The official start of hurricane season is more than a week away, but the first tropical storm of the season, Ana, formed this week in the Atlantic Ocean because of warm water temperatures.
In fact, water temperatures in the Caribbean are already as warm as they typically are in August, said Al Saunders, a warning coordinator meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville.
"The ocean has changed. You all need to be paying attention to that," he said at Thursday's Glynn County Emergency Management Agency annual drill to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.
Saunders showed charts with thermal images of the Caribbean taken in the month of May since 2005 showing a warming trend that has been growing in strength the past five or six years.
"We're at a Category 4 or 5 cycle in May," Saunders said. "I do know this is going on now."
The scenario in Thursday's drill had the Golden Isles taking a direct hit from a Category 1 storm named Hurricane Jay. Every department or organization that would play a role in the emergency preparation and disaster response of a hurricane participated.
Representatives from the Georgia Ports Authority to the Army Corps of Engineers and the American Red Cross to local governments were asked how they would respond when the hurricane was 500 miles away with the projection for landfall in North Florida or Southeast Georgia.
They were asked the same questions as the storm got closer and after it struck.
As the hurricane moved through the Bahamas, the forecast became dire, with a four to six-foot storm surge in Brunswick. The Village and East Beach would see a storm surge five to seven feet and Belle Point off U.S. 17 would seen a surge of three to five feet.
The scenario also called for a high risk of tornadoes and destructive breakers 15 to 20 feet high.
Alec Eaton, interim deputy director of the Glynn County EMA, said his agency would be issuing updates twice a day as the storm approached.
"When we put out this information, people listen," he said.
Prior to the storm arriving, officials will go down the check list of preparations, including topping off gas tanks, ensuring the water towers are full and water treatment plants are secure, evacuating the animal shelter and checking generators.
The hospital will have two teams of employees, postpone elective surgeries and create a staging area in the COVID vaccination room. Officials with the Golden Ray response team will evacuate all non-essential personnel and have a field assessment team ready to evaluate the scene after the storm.
As the storm got closer, a state of emergency would be declared and evacuation orders would be issued, starting with voluntary evacuations for those living in vulnerable areas and possibly mandatory ones later.
One concern is the belief among some that they have experienced a hurricane because they didn't evacuate during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Saunders said the Golden Isles never saw sustained hurricane-force winds.
Saunders said the storm surge from a Category 2 storm with a large wind field striking the Golden Isles would be worse than a Category 4 storm in most other locations because the region has some of the strongest tides on the East Coast.
The scenario has the hurricane arriving at low tide with 90 mph wind gusts. Homes are damaged on St. Simons Island near the lighthouse and East Beach, with lots of debris and fallen trees.
In the aftermath, the response will include establishing re-entry checkpoints for evacuees, restoring power to traffic signals and homes, finding a place for debris and aerial mosquito control about five days after the storm.
It's likely the National Guard will be called to help with law enforcement.
City and county websites will post updates and photos and provide information about when it's safe to return to Glynn County.
