Ga. Climatologist Cautions Residents to Prepare Now for Hurricanes

The seasonal hurricane out-look should have no impact on hurricane plans,” David Stooksbury, the Georgia state climatologist cautioned participants at the Governor’s Emergency Management Conference at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. He said Georgia only has 100 miles of exposed coastline, giving it less of a chance of a direct hit, unlike Florida, which has 10 times more coastline.

“We’re (eventually) going to have a rare event with a tremendous impact so we have to prepare the same every year,” Stooksbury told the Savannah Morning News.

Stooksbury cautioned Peach-state residents not to expect the shape of the Georgia coastline to protect them, saying that’s a myth. He said that, instead, the inward curve of the coast, combined with its wide continental shelf will increase storm surge when a hurricane hits.

“I would not call that protection,” Stooksbury said. “The coastal geography makes the coast just south of Ossabaw the most prone to storm surge of any place on the East Coast.”

Georgians also find false comfort with history, Stooksbury said. No major hurricane-that’s a hurricane of Category 3 or above on the 5-point Saffir-Simpson scale-has hit Georgia in the last century. But the 1800s were a different story.

In terms of the number and severity of storms, last year was not unusual, Stooksbury said. “What makes 2004 special? Ask Florida.”