As a coastal state, and more significantly a coastal county, storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico have the potential to bring strong wind, tornadoes, storm surge, and inland flooding across Georgia. In an effort to educate residents on these potential hazards, the ready.gov campaign supports Hurricane Preparedness.

By planning ahead, you'll ensure that you and your loved ones are safe and secure. You'll also save yourself time, money, and worry. We hope you gain valuable knowledge by reading the Hurricane Guide provided by the Camden County Board of County Commissioners and your Camden County Emergency Management Agency.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) hurricane season forecast for 2023 anticipates a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season. The forecast includes 12-17 named storms (39 mph+ winds). Out of those, 5-9 storms may become hurricanes (74 mph+ winds) and 1-4 may reach major hurricane intensity (111 mph+ winds of Category 3 strength and higher). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.

The emergency preparedness measures that you take in preparing for any severe weather event will greatly increase your family's chances for survival. Personal preparedness is everyone's responsibility. The more prepared we are as individuals the better enabled we will be to not only survive but also to assist others less fortunate.

NOAA’s outlook is for overall seasonal activity and is not a landfall forecast. Hurricane preparedness is critically important for the 2023 hurricane season, just as it is every year. It only takes one storm to have a major impact on Camden County.

Camden County is at risk for hurricanes due to our location on the Atlantic Ocean. It's important for residents to plan ahead and gather needed supplies for at least three (3) days. Keep in mind each member of your household's specific needs, including medication. Include cash in your emergency kit. If there are power outages, you will not be able to use credit cards or ATMs.

It's also a good idea to keep important documents in a safe place or create password-protected digital copies. Review insurance policies.

For more information on preparing for hurricanes and other severe weather, contact your Camden County EMA or visit www.ready.gov or www.gema.georgia.gov.

The National Hurricane Center issues official forecasts for tropical activity. These official forecast's include a cone that indicates the probable track of the center of the storm. It is important to note that the forecast cone does not show the size of the storm and hazardous conditions can occur outside of the cone.

It is easy to find outdated or incorrect forecast information. In addition to the National Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Jacksonville, Florida will always be a trusted source for tropical storm and hurricane-related forecasts, watches, and warnings for Camden County.

It is important to get your storm information from reputable sources and have multiple ways of getting these updates, like through CodeRED.

Camden County residents can register their address and telephone numbers to receive a message from the CodeRED messaging system warning them of emergencies or impending severe weather within seconds of being issued by local officials or the NWS.

You can register landlines or cell phones. A TDD/TTY option is available for the hearing impaired. There is also a text messaging function available for cell phone users.

Weather Warning is a feature of CodeRED that requires no action from local officials. As the warnings are issued by the NWS, Code Red will automatically send warning to the phone numbers that are registered to receive this service.

To register your address and phone number(s) for emergency notifications you must enter your information with CodeRED. If you are unsure if you are registered, we encourage you to register again.

Call your insurance company or agent and ask for an insurance checkup to make sure you have enough homeowners insurance to repair or even replace your home. As a reminder, standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding.

Flood Insurance is an important component of preparing for potential tropical weather. A flood insurance policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase, and homeowners and renters insurance do not typically cover flood damage.

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, and it can occur almost anywhere — not just in high-risk areas. On average, 25 to 30 percent of all flood claims paid by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are for properties outside high-risk flood areas.

Know where your insurance documents are located and take them with you if you are evacuating.

The Camden County Health Department maintains a Hurricane Registry for those with functional, access, or medical needs who need transportation and have no resources such as family, neighbors, or friends to help them evacuate if a hurricane is threatening our community. Residents must apply to the Registry in advance to receive transportation services. The time to apply for the Registry is when there are no storms threatening. It is important to note that Registry applications will stop being accepted 72 hours prior to the arrival of tropical storm force winds.

To apply, residents can call toll-free, 1-833-CHD-REGISTER (1-833-243-7344). You will provide some basic information and then a representative of the Camden County Health Department will follow up with you to complete the application. Applications are available online.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency & Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) believes one of the fastest ways for a community to recover after a major disaster is by helping local businesses return to normal operations as quickly as possible.

They recognize the need for essential response personnel, including essential private sector companies that provide crucial supplies like groceries, pharmaceuticals, and fuel, to gain access into a disaster area to begin the process of getting the community running again.

On July 1, 2017, House Bill 405 went into effect, which established a new statewide re-entry system and a new re-entry certification process for private entities needing access to a disaster zone, both before and after an emergency.

GEMA/HS is responsible for issuing the Re-Entry Permits needed in Phases 2 and 3.

Camden County residents should go online to submit a damage assessment. Users will be asked for the address and if the property is residential or business. There are options to provide your contact information for Emergency Management staff and for you to upload pictures. Participants can review sample images to assist with selecting their damage level.

Once the citizen-reported damage is submitted, it is automatically mapped and assigned using the Orion Damage Assessment System. Self-reporting can quickly show where damage has occurred throughout the county, supports follow-up damage assessments by trained damage assessment teams, and ensures that appropriate types of resources are deployed into damaged areas to begin the recovery process.