10/07/2016 – 4:42pm
The following information was released by Chatham Emergency Management Agency at 4:30 p.m. today (October 7)
News Release
For Immediate Release
Chatham County Update of Hurricane Matthew
Savannah, GA – (October 7, 2016) The forecasted track for Matthew Hurricane was similar to the projected trajectory. The National Hurricane Center continues to have extreme confidence in the expected hazards and impacts to the region.
Hurricane Matthew is traveling north-northwest at 12 MPH. The eye of the hurricane is 30 nautical miles wide. Life-threatening storm surge is occurring as expected with more than 9 feet surge at Fort Pulaski. Tropical storm force winds are still to come. Until 8 pm, there is a Tornado Watch for Chatham County. The county is still under a Hurricane Warning.
Along the coast, storm surge could be as high as eleven feet in some areas in addition to the water expected at high tide Saturday morning at 2. Significant coastal flooding is beginning. Worst conditions are expected tonight and into tomorrow morning. At least two reported funnel cloud sightings have been spotted in the Berwick and Pooler areas.
President Obama signed an Emergency Declaration for Georgia. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of Georgia to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew beginning on October 4, 2016, and continuing. Likewise, Governor’s Deal mandatory evacuation order remains in effect.
Residents who have not evacuated, seek shelter now. County Commission Chairman Al Scott signed a declaration of emergency at 11 am. Based upon that authority, a dusk to dawn curfew countywide is in effect until further notice. Residents will be notified when the curfew is lifted. Depending upon the speed and track of the storm and subsequent damage, the curfew could be lifted in stages. It is important to note that the curfew will only be lifted when it is deemed safe to do so. As of dusk tonight, all law enforcement agencies operating in Chatham County have been notified to enforce this curfew.
Residents who evacuated will be notified to return when conditions are safe. For information on returning to Chatham County, go to www.chathamemergency.org, www.chathamcounty.org,www.savannahga.gov.
The cities of Tybee Island and Garden City have suspended all emergency response until safer condition prevail. Southside Fire Department has suspended all service east of the Truman Parkway. All other municipalities are providing emergency response on an as-available basis but response times are slower than normal and subject to deterioration based upon speed and track of the storm. Flooding and wind damage may prevent future responses by first responsible.
The effects of the hurricane are being felt in Chatham County throughout the night and into tomorrow. The first effects of the hurricane have been felt inland with tropical storm sustained winds at 19 mph with gusts to 24 mph. The coastal areas have seen higher gusts of over 40 mph at Fort Pulaski. Tybee is isolated at this time as waters are on Highway 80 and the island is experiencing flooding. 1 to 3 inches of rain have fallen across Chatham County as of 3 p.m.
Residents must seek safe shelter now and remain there until the end of the storm. Implementation of your emergency action plan is required. As winds will have begun to reach speeds above 39 MPH, first responders will discontinue service calls for safety reasons in addition to listed suspension earlier today. In the remainder of the county, while first responders did not evacuate, safety will not allow response to calls for help. Emergency and utility recovery could take several days to restart. Residents are warned that isolation for days without electric and water service. Those remaining should be prepared to ride out the storm in a secure area with a minimum of three days of non- perishable provisions and adequate drinking water. The potential for the loss of power for at least 72 hours and possibly more.
Evacuation services at the Savannah Civic Center have ceased. Early reports state that 75 percent of the population of Chatham County heeded the warnings and did leave the county for safer areas. Around 2,200 residents were evacuated from the Savannah Civic Center on Chatham Area Transit buses and taken to shelters in Augusta. Even more residents independently travelled to shelters in the Augusta area.
American Red Cross shelters remain open and continue to accept evacuees. More information about shelter occupancy is available at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery/find-an-open-shelter
As always, for the most up-to-date information, check www.chathamemergency.org, www.chathamcounty.org, www.savannahga.gov
Fri, 10/07/2016 – 12:08pm
Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) has just issued the following update:
Chatham County Issues Dusk to Dawn Curfew
Savannah, GA – (October 7, 2016) The forecast track remains a threat to Chatham County and given the proximity of the storm to the area, this will not change. The National Hurricane Center has extreme confidence in the expected hazards and impacts to the region. Hurricane Matthew is traveling north at 13 MPH. Tropical storm force winds are approximately 19 miles from Chatham County. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles. Life-threatening storm surge is expected to be 7 – 9 feet. Along the coast, storm surge could be as high as eleven feet in some areas. Significant coastal flooding is probable. Worst conditions are expected tonight and into tomorrow morning.
President Obama signed an Emergency Declaration for Georgia. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of Georgia to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew beginning on October 4, 2016, and continuing. Likewise, Governor’s Deal mandatory evacuation order remains in effect.
Residents who have not evacuated seek shelter now. County Commission Chairman Al Scott has signed a declaration calling for a dusk to dawn curfew countywide until further notice. The curfew is effective immediately. Residents will be notified when the curfew is lifted. Depending upon the speed and track of the storm and subsequent damage, the curfew could be lifted in stages. It is important to note that the curfew will only be lifted when it is deemed safe to do so.
Effective 8 a.m., all emergency response to Tybee has been suspended. EMS, fire, and police have evacuated Tybee Island. No one is available to respond to calls for help. Garden City will cease all fire operations at 1 p.m. EMS will respond until the onset of gale force winds. Port Wentworth will cease fire operations at the onset of gale force winds. Southside Fire has evacuated all staff of islands east of the Truman Parkway. CEMA moved to OPCON 1 at 7 a.m. This is the highest level of operational preparedness. This move was made in anticipation of the direct impact from Hurricane Matthew.
Residents who evacuated will be notified to return when conditions are safe. For information on returning to Chatham County, go to www.chathamemergency.org, www.chathamcounty.org, www.savannahga.gov.
The speed of Matthew’s movement up the coast has increased. The effects of the hurricane will be felt in Chatham County much earlier than originally anticipated. Seek shelter now. The first effects of the hurricane will be felt soon. Residents are reminded that Chatham County, east of I-95, is still under a mandatory evacuation order and will remain so until the storm ends.
Residents must seek safe shelter now and remain there until the end of the storm. Implementation of your emergency action plan is required. As winds will soon begin to reach 39 MPH, first responders will discontinue service calls for safety reasons in addition to City of Tybee Island’s suspension earlier today. In the remainder of the county, while first responders did not evacuate, safety will not allow response to calls for help. Emergency and utility recovery could take several days to restart. Residents are warned that isolation for days without electric and water service. Those remaining should be prepared to ride out the storm in a secure area with a minimum of three days of non- perishable provisions and adequate drinking water. The potential for the loss of power for at least 72 hours and possibly more.
Evacuation services at the Savannah Civic Center will cease operations at noon.
American Red Cross shelters remain open and continue to accept evacuees. More information about shelter occupancy is available at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery/find-an-open-shelter
As always, for the most up-to-date information, check www.chathamemergency.org, www.chathamcounty.org, www.savannahga.gov
Southside Fire Department (SSFD) Evacuating Skidaway Island at 10 a.m. today (October 7)
Fri, 10/07/2016 – 8:11am
Southside Fire Department will evacuate Skidaway Island at 10 a.m. this morning. However, they will have an ambulance assigned to our area, but it will not be on island. Residents should call 911 in case of a medical emergency and expect delays. Medical services will be suspended if winds reach 40 MPH.
Shortly after 10 a.m., Landings Security also will evacuate. According to the latest report from Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), Skidaway Island is expected to have hurricane force winds today (October 7) exceeding 74 MPH.
At 11 a.m. today (October 7), Oakridge gates inbound and outbound will be closed. Traffic will be rerouted to the Main Gate. Deer Creek’s North Gate off McWhorter Road also will be closed at 11 a.m. Use the Deer Creek Village Gate to enter and exit.
Although Georgia Power and gas companies have stated they are not turning off their services, widespread power outages possibly in excess of 72 hours could be expected. Hurricane Matthew is a large, powerful hurricane that should not be taken lightly.
If you have not yet evacuated, please do so immediately. Landings Association communications personnel has begun evacuating to our staging area in Atlanta, Georgia. We will be offline for the next few hours and unable to send updates. We will be providing storm updates later today.
Please stay safe!
Fri, 10/07/2016 – 6:19am
The Landings Association just received the following update from Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA):
News Release
For Immediate Release
Hurricane Matthew Evacuation Update
Savannah, GA – (October 7, 2016) The forecast track remains a threat to Chatham County and given the proximity of the storm to the area, this will not change. The National Hurricane Center has strong confidence in the expected hazards and impacts to the region. Hurricane Matthew is traveling north at 13 MPH. Tropical storm force winds are approximately 108 miles from Chatham County. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles. Life-threatening storm surge is expected to be 7 – 9 feet. Along the coast, storm surge could be as high as eleven feet in some areas. Significant coastal flooding is possible. The entire county is under a Flash Flood Watch and a Hurricane Warning.
The speed of Matthew’s movement up the coast has increased. The effects of the hurricane will be felt in Chatham County much earlier than originally anticipated. For those evacuating, now is the time to leave. The first effects of the hurricane will be evident by mid-morning. Residents should depart by then. Chatham County, east of I-95, is still under a mandatory evacuation order and will remain so until the storm ends.
While not recommended, by the time tropical storm force winds reach Chatham County, residents should be in safe shelter and remain there until the end of the storm. Now is the time to implement your emergency action plan. Once winds reach 39 MPH, first responders will discontinue service calls for safety reasons. First responders and utility recovery could take several days to restart. Residents should be prepared to be isolated for days without electric and water service. Those electing not to evacuate should be prepared to ride out the storm in a secure area with a minimum of three days of non- perishable provisions and adequate drinking water. The potential for the loss of power for at least 72 hours and possibly more.
Evacuation services at the Savannah Civic Center will cease operations at noon but could end earlier depending on the speed and track of the storm. If you need evacuation services, you are strongly advised to go now.
American Red Cross shelters remain open and continue to accept evacuees. More information about shelter occupancy is available at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery/find-an-open-shelter
For the most up-to-date information, check www.chathamemergency.org, www.chathamcounty.org, www.savannahga.gov and Comcast Channel 16.
Fri, 10/07/2016 – 5:56am
Landings Association Security Department personnel are down to critical staffing levels and will remain on Skidaway Island until sustained winds exceed 40 MPH, SSFD departs, and life safety issues become a concern for our officers’ safety.
Security will be among the first to return and help assess conditions. When that occurs, we will notify residents through our social media channels, as we have been doing the last few days.
It appears that approximately 70% of The Landings’ residents have now evacuated. If you have remained, we strongly urge you to reconsider and evacuate immediately.
At 11 a.m today (October 7), Oakridge gates inbound and outbound will be closed. Traffic will be rerouted to the Main Gate.
The Deer Creek North Gate off McWhorter also will be closed at 11 a.m. Use the Deer Creek Village Gate to enter and exit.
Although Georgia Power and gas companies have stated they are not turning off their services, widespread power outages possibly in excess of 72 hours could be expected.
Hurricane Matthew is a large, powerful hurricane that should not be taken lightly.
Thu, 10/06/2016 – 6:22pm
The Landings Association just received the following update from Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA):
Hurricane Matthew Evacuation Update
Savannah, GA – (October 6, 2016) The forecast track remains a threat to Chatham County. Hurricane Matthew is traveling north at 14 MPH. Tropical storm winds are approximately 267 miles from Chatham County. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles. Significant coastal flooding is possible mid to late-week. High surf, large breaking waves are also possible.
Chatham County Emergency Operations Center has been getting questions regarding the hurricane evacuation. Responses to frequently asked questions are included below:
Q: Are all lanes on I-16 open to westbound traffic?
A: Yes, all lanes going west on I-16 are open.
Q: How long will busses be available at the Savannah Civic Center to evacuate residents requiring transportation assistance?
A: CAT will pick-up citizens from bus stops county-wide and transport them to the Savannah Civic Center until midnight on Oct. 6. The Civic Center will be open until roughly noon on Friday, Oct. 7 for individuals arriving on their own accord seeking evacuation transportation. Also, by noon on Friday, Oct. 7, all evacuation transports will cease.
Remember, evacuation buses are for people with no other means of transportation. Evacuees will be seated by bus assignment on Board of Education buses for transport to inland shelters for the duration of the evacuation.
Seven-hundred citizens were bused from the Savannah Civic Center as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6.
Q: What should I take with me if I’m evacuating from the Civic Center?
A: No more than two hand-carry bags per person. Make sure you bring the following items:
• prescription medications
• extra clothing
• pillow and blankets
• hygiene supplies
• important documents and other comfort items
• special items for children such as diapers, formula and toys, and items needed by family members with unique needs
Q: Can I bring my pet if I’m being evacuating on a bus from the Civic Center?
A: Dogs and cats can be transported on public buses if the animals are in owner-provided travel carriers or on a leash. Pets should have:
• dogs should have proof of current vaccinations for rabies, DHLP, Bordetella and corona
• cats should have proof of current vaccinations for rabies, feline leukemia, and FVRCP
• feeding bowls & four days of food; water
• tagged collar
• litter
• medications
Service animals will be accepted in all shelters in accordance with ADA guidelines. Local representatives will work with pet owners to identify appropriate accommodations for your pets.
The more hazards in your location, the more important it is that you leave even if it is only precautionary. If you live in a mobile home, even if it is well away from the coast and tied down, the wind can pose a threat to your safety. If you live in a hurricane evacuation zone you should leave as early as possible.
What to take when you evacuate:
• important documents to include wills, insurance policies, contracts, birth certificates and citizenship information
• critical computer files, stocks & bonds
• passports, Social Security cards, military records
• bank account records
• credit card names and numbers
• inventory and household goods
• photos/video
• medical and dental records, and prescriptions
• adoption papers and court orders
For those evacuating on their own, the American Red Cross has opened a number of shelters across Georgia including the following:
• Bibb County: Hephzibah Children’s Home, 6601 Zebulon Road, Macon, GA 31220
• Bibb County: North Macon Community Center, 815 North Macon Park Drive, Macon, GA 31220
• Bibb County: East Macon Recreation Center, 31217 Ocmulgee E. Blvd., Macon, GA 31201
• Bibb County: Macon City Auditorium, 415 First Street, Macon, GA 31201
• Colquitt County: First Baptist Church, 400 Main Street, Moultrie, GA 31768
• Emanuel County: Swainsboro Rec. Dept., 632 McLeod Bridge Road, Swainsboro, GA 30401
• Laurens County: Dublin High School, 1127 Hillcrest Parkway, Dublin, GA 31021
• Laurens County: East Laurens High School, 920 Highway 80 E., East Dublin, GA 31027
• Laurens County: West Laurens High School, 3692 Highway 257, Dexter, GA 31019
• Lowndes County: Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 100 E. Park Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31602
• Peach County: Peach County Fire Station 6, 1770 US Hwy 341, Fort Valley, GA 31030
• Richmond County: Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church, 1330 Monte Sano Avenue, Augusta, GA 30904
• Tift County: Tift County Recreation Dept., 7140 North Victory Drive, Tifton, GA 31794
• Ware County: Waycross Middle School, 700 Central Avenue, Waycross, GA 31501
American Red Cross shelters remain open and continue to accept evacuees. More information about shelter occupancy is available at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery/find-an-open-shelter
Persons electing not to evacuate should be prepared to ride out the storm in a secure area with three days of non- perishable provisions and adequate drinking water, given the potential for loss of power for 72 hours or greater.
For the most up-to-date information, check www.chathamemergency.org, www.chathamcounty.org, www.savannahga.gov and Comcast Channel 16.
