HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20150727_HurricaneQ+A.docxPRESS RELEASE: Contact: Community Rating System Coordinator, Jimmy Brown
For immediate release (912) 786-5330
2015 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON PUBLIC Q&A ON TYBEE ISLAND
Tybee Island, GA. – (July 15, 2015) The City of Tybee Island is hosting a public question and answer session with Mayor Jason Buelterman, the City Manager Diane Schleicher, and all Department
Heads on Monday, July 27th, from 6:30 until 7:30 PM. This meeting will be at the Public Safety Building’s Courtroom at 78 Van Horn on Tybee Island; it will be televised live on Comcast
cable access Channel 7 for Tybee residents, and it will also be posted the following day on the city’s video-on-demand service at http://cityoftybee.pegcentral.com. Residents will be
able to pose questions about hurricane preparedness, what to do when an evacuation notice is given, how to find information for emergency planning and warnings, and receive their answers
directly from responsible city staff. This Q&A format is being used to provide residents the opportunity to get their issues addressed, rather than the typical presentation format.
June 1 is the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season each year. This year is expected to be slower than an average season, with one to six named storms and only three to six
of those becoming hurricanes. However, that’s no guarantee that a storm won’t make a catastrophic landfall to our area. This season started early when Tropical Storm Ana brought heavy
rain to the North Carolina coast in early May.
This year, most forecasts predict we are entering into an El Nino cycle, and this weather pattern plays an important role in the number of developing hurricanes. The winds associated
with an El Nino make it difficult for tropical systems to develop into hurricane strength.
However, as we have seen in other parts of the country, it only takes one storm to significantly disrupt life and cause damage to our community. Residents are encouraged to review family
emergency plans and make sure disaster kits are up to date. For those who prefer getting their information by reading, rather than in a Q&A session, very detailed planning assistance
and emergency guidelines can be reviewed on the City’s Emergency Management page, http://www.cityoftybee.org/EmergencyMgmt.aspx.
To receive the latest information if a storm should threaten our community including evacuation and reentry information sign up for:
CEMA Emergency Alerts by clicking on the CEMA Alert logo at the top set of icons at www.cityoftybee.org.
Tybee Island’s emergency alert logo is also located there as “Citizen Alert”. Click the icon to sign up for a completely customizable set of alerts on the communication channel of your
choice – email, text, or telephone.
/
/
During any emergency, city staff will always try to keep as much information as possible posted: on the Comcast local access channel 7; the city home page, www.cityoftybee.org; Facebook
page, City of Tybee Island; and via Twitter, @cityoftybee.
Still have questions? Please stop by the new Public Safety Building at 78 Van Horn on July 27th between 6:30 and 7:30 PM!
About Tybee Island, GA.: The City of Tybee Island, Georgia is on the outermost barrier island off the Savannah area coast. With a wild bird sanctuary, over three miles of ocean beaches,
and salt marshes on the back river, outdoor recreation activities abound for visitors to the island. As a key defense point to the important Savannah port, Tybee’s Fort Screven, Tybee
Post Theater, Fort Pulaski, and the Tybee Island and Cockspur Lighthouses combine with the unique architectures of the island’s raised cottages to form a rich backdrop for history buffs.
Attracting a strong artistic community, there are several local supporting art galleries. Keeping the island interesting year round are several arts festivals, the Annual Pirate Fest,
the Beach Bum Parade, St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Hot Rod Run, the Beach Bash, and the Christmas Parade, as well as fireworks displays on Independence and New Year’s Days off
the Walter W. Parker Pier and Pavilion. The Marine Science Center cooperates with Georgia’s DNR to protect threatened sea turtle species by searching for nests, protecting their eggs,
and making sure hatchlings make it to sea. For visitor information, stop by http://www.tybeevisit.com/, and to find more about the City of Tybee Island, visit our web site at http://www.cityoftybee.
org/.
# # #