Savannah Hurricane Guide: Everything you need to know and prepare for before a storm hits (2023)

River screened underwater. The port of Savannah's containers stacked Tybee Island protected from flooding hurricane season is almost here. Storm surge can flood River street in *** matter of minutes. The time to prepare is now. Hi, I'm Jeff Ross. Coming up on Rossin reports, severe weather everywhere from flooding to tornadoes to hurricanes. We have the inexpensive gadgets you need for your car and for your home to save you and your family's life coming up. Find out how the port of Savannah is preparing for the 2023 hurricane season. And we'll be taking *** look how storm surge impacts the beach of coastal Georgia and the low country. W JCL 22 is showing you how to survive the storm powered by K E MC and your Touchstone Energy Cooperative storm Tracker. 22 chief meteorologist Jeremy Nelson. Last hurricane season, hurricanes Ian and Nicole Slay parts of the US coastline Savannah and the low country were spared. Ian made landfall as *** major category four hurricane in southwest Florida, sending record storm surge and devastating winds across the coast developed near the end of hurricane season and was only the 4th November hurricane to make landfall along the US coast. And the first since 1985 this year WJC 22 is forecasting *** near to slightly above average hurricane season. Our certified most accurate team of meteorologists will help you get ready before during and after *** storm through the years. These sand dunes have protected Tybee Island from storm surge flooding but over time, they have taken *** beating sand dunes are the first line of defense from flooding from *** hurricane. I spoke to Dr Alexander of the Skiway Institute of Oceanography has really been *** focal point of good planning, good application of the kinds of coastal engineering that you can do to make an island safer. The re nourishment of the beach is important to continue to protect Tybee Island from storm surge. Flooding Island has received beach renourishment every decade since the 1970 s. Their most recent renourishment was in early 2020 during that renourishment where they built *** nice wide beach to protect the island. They also built sand dunes which form *** barrier all along the front side of Tybee Island which will protect the island from *** storm overwash. Should we experience another large storm like hurricane Irma or Matthew? The shape of our coast? And timing of *** land falling hurricane plays *** big role on storm surge, flooding in coastal Georgia and the low country. We are very much more sensitive to whether *** storm is coming in at high tide or whether it's coming in at low tide at low tide, we may not even notice the storm surge whereas at high tide, it can be much more significant and damaging to us. Over the last three years, the skid away Institute of Oceanography has monitored tivis beaches using aerial drones. The drones take *** large number of photographs over time. These photos help determine how sand is moving around on the beach. It allows us to map where the high water line is and we can track that and project it into the future. The drone footage gives the city of Tybee Island time to prepare for additional beach renourishment in the future storm surge and flooding accounts for 90% of all deaths during hurricanes six years ago. Tropical storm Irma's storm surge flooded this entire area on River street. In fact, I'm standing right where our cameras captured *** blue dodge charger just *** few feet from the sea wall. That car was nearly submerged under water and it stood at five ft. Irma's winds gusted over 60 miles an hour. It's an ocean like waves rolling over the Savannah River. But what made Irma's storm surge so high were downtown was not the wind but the timing Irma arrived right on cue with the historical high tide at 12 25 PM. At the Fort Pulaski measuring station, the combination of storm and tide created *** tide level of 12.24 ft the second highest tide on record. Just under hurricane Matthew. The flooding surged over the barriers on the riverfront and over the cobblestone into local restaurants. Tropical storm Irma was not the first time our area has experienced devastating storm surge just one year before hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc on the low country with the eye of Matthew, just 20 miles offshore. Matthew became one of the most powerful storms to impact the low country. Storm surge pushed boats inland. Boats were also washed ashore at the Palmetto Bay, Marina on Hilton Head Island. Hurricane Matthew had the highest tide ever recorded at Fort Pulaski at 12.56 ft. Preparing for hurricane season is essential especially for the port of Savannah which operates over 2000 acres of critical seaport. The Garden City terminal is massive. It's the single largest container terminal in the western hemisphere with around the clock operations at the port. Hurricane season planning is vital for the port's success. Kevin Doyle is the senior Director of Protective Services with the Georgia Ports Authority. He says planning is *** top priority preparedness and readiness is critical for us and something we take very seriously. It's something we're thinking about year round impacts from past weather. Events are helping their current preparations. We've gotten some experience in the last 5 to 7 years because of some storms in May of 2017. *** tornado spun strong winds across parts of the Garden city terminal, pushing around shipping containers. Recent hurricane seasons have also delivered fierce winds and knowledge for future planning with hurricane Matthew. We experienced pretty high winds. We had *** fair amount of boxes move when we had Irma. We didn't have as many. We've gotten better at that. So the answer is we don't have *** specific scale that tells us what MPH, what we need to do. We prepare for the worst case. *** storm is coming. The hurricane plan for the port of Savannah is all about safety as the storm approaches, securing equipment is critical. The containers here are stacked closely to increase stability during high winds and the ship to shore cranes are built withstand *** major hurricane. We have *** very specific plan for each crane that involves locking them down, putting pins in place and they're ready up to *** category five. This drone video shows preparations that took place in September of 2017 as hurricane Irma threatened coastal Georgia. The RTG cranes are lined up and secured, ready to face potential hurricane force winds while the port of Savannah is prepared to survive any hurricane. There is one scenario they are hoping to avoid based on what we've learned from meteorologists from the National Weather Service, something that comes in *** little south of us that puts us in that northeastern quadrant of the storm. We get that sort of counter clockwise wind and tidal surge that would be the worst case. Having your hurricane evacuation plan is extremely important. The steps you can take now to prepare and don't forget about your pets. What you should pack before *** disaster strikes. This is surviving the storm powered by Kuchi E MC and your Touchstone Energy Cooperative. Having your hurricane evacuation plan is extremely important. There are steps you can take now to prepare plan places where your family will meet in the event of an emergency fuel up. Gas stations may be closed during power outages. Keep *** full tank of gas in your car. If an evacuation seems likely don't wait, leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather. Stay on course, follow recommended evacuation routes and do not take shortcuts. They may be blocked and most importantly know your zone. Chatham County has three separate evacuation zones. That's to ensure an efficient exit for all communities in the target area. Zone. *** is anything east of the Truman Parkway B is west of the Truman, but east of I 95 zone C is everything west of I 95. As for South Carolina, the two main evacuation routes are highway 2 78 and highway 21. For those on Hilton Head Island, you'll take 2 78 to I 95 Befort, you'll take highway 21. If you don't have transportation outside of Chatham County, the evacuation assembly area process is available for those in need of assistance. You can catch *** Chatham area transit bus free of charge to the Savannah Civic Center. Space is limited on the evacuation buses. So you can only bring one or two hand carry bags when packing considered taking extra clothes and comfort items. It's important to evacuate from impact areas as soon as possible. While generators can be an absolute game changer. When power gets knocked out, they come with many hidden dangers with portable generators. There's *** lot of room for air. So having *** licensed electrician, look at the house, tell you your load, tell you how much you're going to pull or how much you need to pull, then you can get with that contractor and figure out what breakers need to turn off, what breakers need to be on when it comes to generator safety, make sure that you have it in *** level area where it can't roll or, and the next thing you need to do when you go to set it up and this is very important, make sure it's at least 20 ft away from your house and it's the exhaust that it is blowing away from any windows doors, the air conditioning unit because carbon monoxide poisoning can kill you in five minutes. But when you're in those pressure situations, it's very easy to make *** mistake. And what we see *** lot is when they turn that breaker off and they turn their generator power on, they don't realize they have power until they see the neighbors have power or something and they will turn their main back on without turning that generator breaker off. And when they do that, they're back feeding the line and they could potentially cause serious damage. And one more important thing to keep in mind with generator safety is it can't be out in the rain. So make sure you talk to an electrician and find the proper covering for the elements during hurricane season. It's important not to forget about your furry friend. The American Red Cross says you should assemble an emergency kit for your pets and in case of an evacuation, this kit should include *** harness and also *** leash. In case you do eat, evacuate, you don't want to lose your pet. Also don't forget about nourishment. They're going to need food and water for the next few days as you evacuate and don't forget about bowls and also any medication that they might need, especially as you do leave your home. And if you do have *** cat, don't forget about *** litter box and you can also keep *** picture of your pet on you in case you do lose them, make sure your pet is microchipped and up to date on all vaccines. If you have to evacuate your home during *** disaster, take your pet with you. It may be difficult to find shelter for your animals in the midst of *** disaster. So plan ahead do not wait until *** disaster strikes to do your research, contact hotels outside of your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets. Prepare *** list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency and don't be afraid to ask friends or relatives outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal. When the storm approaches, call ahead to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets check to be sure your pet disaster supplies are ready to take at any moment and make sure all dogs and cats are wearing collars with up to date identification. The key to being ready for the next storm means preparing. Now, the low cost gadgets you need in your car and home to save your life. D E MC and your Touchstone Energy Cooperative, severe weather hitting us all this season. So how do you prepare? We just found some inexpensive gadgets that could literally save your life and your family's life in almost any situation. We are tapping into our network of Hearst television stations across the country for this one and you're going to want to pay attention. We are prepping you for floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. First. Let's get your car ready for flash flooding. The first L D road flares, we got three of these for 19 bucks. Not bad, right? And these battery powered, ok. Nice and easy to stick them on the road if it's dark or even on your car. So no one runs into you. They're magnetic right to your car. This one is 17 bucks and it's three tools in one. First of all. See this thing right here. See that thing right there. Come over here. This is my producer's car. This is my car. If you're inside and you're stuck, you should keep this in your glove compartment. Boom. This thing will crack your window so you can get out of your car if the water is rising. The other thing, see right there, see right under there. That's *** knife that's like *** little razor blade knife. It's meant when this is taught around you. If you can't get out, if you can't unbuckle your seat belt, you can cut through, they say through your seat belt. And the third thing is, it's also *** flashlight, ok. It's *** flashlight right there and the light comes out right there and it's also *** magnet so you can stick it right here and change your tire and have light at night. Next up, Brooke Butler from W J C L in Savannah packing up for *** hurricane. This is *** waterproof match kit and they can hold upwards of 15 matches, check this out. It actually floats in the water while keeping all of the match sticks inside dry. It also the strike pad on the inside of this match kit ensuring you'll be able to light *** match whenever necessary. Now, let's talk about tornadoes and this is especially important because this comes up on you fast almost without warning at all. Brandon Evans from K HBs in Northwest Arkansas has been looking into that. Brandon, what do we need for our house? For *** tornado? Ok. The worst has happened. *** tornado is bearing down on you. You're inside your safe room, center of the house with no windows. But let's say your cell phone is dead. You don't have any Wi Fi so you can't watch TV. You can't look on your cell phone. Well, we have this pretty cool portable radio that is powered by batteries. The batteries go dead. Well, it's actually got *** crank on it so that it can power it up that way. You can listen to F M and AM channels, get updates on what is going on with these severe weather alerts and the best part if your power does go out. Well, guess what? You are never left in the dark. We want to thank our team of reporters and we have *** full list of everything you should have in your emergency kits for every type of emergency. There are quite *** few more things to tell you about. So visit Rosson reports dot com for that, the Savannah Port is the fourth busiest in the nation. Any disruption here can impact our economy. So it's important in the aftermath of *** hurricane that the port is open right away. Boat check equipment check *** pre hurricane season training exercise for the US Army Corps of Engineers. We tagged along, we're exercising our processes to launch our large survey vessels in the event that we have *** hurricane passing through, that's significant enough to close the port. It using *** sonar torpedo device. Chief of coastal projects says after *** hurricane, the US Army Corps of Engineers conducts *** hydrographic survey at the bottom of the Savannah River. The survey can detect any obstructions such as large trees, boats or even structural damage. Alex mcconnell, chief of Waterways Management with the Coast guard says if the river became impassable, it disrupts the economic flow of the ports. The Coast guard works with our partner agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure that these navigable waterways are safe for these ships to come inbound and outbound and conduct their business. The start of hurricane season is June 1st, *** full breakdown on what you can expect including this season's hot spots. This is surviving the storm powered by Kuchi E MC and your Touchstone Energy Cooperative. Last year three named storms made landfall along the US coast all within our forecast hot spots. And our prediction for an average 2022 season was spot on now. *** look at our 2023 hurricane forecast. Many people ask, how can we predict an entire hurricane season months in advance? First, we use *** forecast method called the L C think of it as our secret ingredient. I have used this forecasting technique to make accurate long range forecasts for the last 15 years. We also consider other important factors when making our forecast like La Nina or El Nino and sea surface temperatures. I recently caught up with the director of the National Weather Service, Ken Graham here in Savannah since 2017. We've been in this La Nina pattern which means, you know, higher than normal active hurricane season in the Atlantic. The last time we had the El Nino was we have to go back to 2014, 2015. It's been *** while so we're stuck in this pattern. So eventually it has to get, we have pinpointed *** few coastal hot spots. These represent areas with *** higher than average chance of seeing *** landfall in tropical system. This season. The first is focused on the Florida Panhandle and the west coast of Florida. The next hot spot covers areas from the grand strand of South Carolina to the outer banks of North Carolina. The final hot spot covers most of the east coast of Florida of all the hot spots. This one has the highest chance of seeing direct impacts this season outside of the area. It's highlighted tropical activity is still possible but the chances are *** bit lower for the entire Atlantic Basin. WJC 22 is forecasting *** near to slightly above average hurricane season with 14 to 18 named storms. An average season produces 14 name storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. Look at October, you look at late this season. People start to let their guard down and I think that's why we have the season. June 1st to November 30th. People have to think during that period of time, you got to be ready no matter the forecast, be prepared before the season starts. Our certified most accurate team of meteorologists will keep you safe this hurricane season. Make sure you have the W JCL 22 app downloaded on your phone or tablet to get all weather alerts and updates including evacuation routes and shelter information. We are always here before during and after the storm. Stick with WJC L 22 all hurricane season surviving the storm powered by Kuchi EMC and your Touchstone Energy Cooperative.