Emergency kits should be stocked, ready to go

Much of Georgia is withering in drought, but people like Pam Tucker and Sharon Bennett still worry about hurricanes.

They have to; it's part of their job.

"During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, we had evacuees from five states," said Mrs. Tucker, Columbia County's emergency services director. "It could easily happen again."

In 1989, when Hurricane Hugo slid past Savannah, Ga., to devastate Charleston and much of coastal South Carolina, Augusta was deluged not only with wind-driven, heavy rains but also thousands of refugees.

"If a Category 3 or 4 comes in, like Hugo, it goes all the way through the state, and we have a lot of devastation," she said. "Columbia County is not a primary evacuation center, but Augusta is -- and we would take the overflow."

Ms. Bennett, the administrative manager for Augusta's Emergency Management Agency, said the city remains available to provide services during a storm.

"We coordinate with the Red Cross and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency," she said. "Our public works people are always on standby. Mainly what gets us is flash flooding and a need for shelter."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted 18 named storms -- 10 of which will become hurricanes -- between June 1 and Nov. 30.

Georgia hasn't taken a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century, and only four minor storms made landfall here during the 1900s.

Georgia's three worst hurricanes -- all occurring in August -- made landfall near Savannah in 1881, 1893 and 1898. The Augusta area's most catastrophic flooding and damage occurred in 1881.

If or when a major event affects Augusta, plans are in place to mitigate the damage.

Columbia County, for example, was certified in April as having devised the first federally approved debris management plan among the state's 159 counties.

"It basically outlines how we manage construction and cleanup of debris," Mrs. Tucker said. "It provides for bins in rural areas and tells how to separate, recycle, incinerate and grind -- and we even know, based on census blocks, where the worst debris would be."

Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.