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HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20080212_StormReady.pdfMAYOR Jason Buelterman CITY COUNCIL Wanda Doyle Charlie R. Brewer Barry Brown Eddie Crone Dick Smith Paul Wolff CITY OF TYBEE ISLAND CITY MANAGER Diane Schleicher CITY CLERK Vivian Woods CITY ATTORNEY Edward M. Hughes PRESS RELEASE: Contacts: TEMA Director, Jimmy Brown For release February 14, 2007 (912) 786-4573, x112 TYBEE ISLAND RECEIVES STORMREADY SUPPORTER RECOGNITION Tybee Island, Ga. – (February 14, 2008) The Georgia StormReady Board has recognized Tybee Island as a StormReady Supporter Community through a new program within the National Weather Service and the County Emergency Management Agency awarding communities that strengthen local communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property before and during a severe weather event. Tybee Island is the first community in the State to receive this recognition as being a community better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through better planning, education and awareness. No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives. In Georgia, only counties are recognized as StormReady, so this program recognizes those communities within a StormReady County that are better prepared to mitigate effects of severe weather events. A few of the Communications – Warning Reception and Safety Preparedness Guidelines in place are:  NOAA Weather Radios are placed in City Department buildings along with other reliable means of receiving critical emergency weather information.  A written Severe Weather Safety Plan is in place and a person designated to monitor weather during watches/warnings and specifies evacuation guidelines.  Information is available for visitors concerning Rip Currents and Tsunami at the Tybee Visitors Center. In addition, information on Rip Currents, Tornados and Lighting Safety are broadcast continuously on Tybee Government Channel 7. Americans live in the most severe weather-prone country on earth. Each year, Americans cope with an average of 10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,000 tornados and an average of 6 hurricanes. And this is on top of winter storms, intense summer heat, high winds and other deadly weather impacts. Some 90 % of all presidentially declared disasters are weather related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $14 billion in damage. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs. Information about the City of Tybee Island is online at http://www.cityoftybee.org. The StormReady program details can be found at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/. # # # Attachment: StormReady logo with “Tybee Island” P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749 (866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737 www.cityoftybee.org