Hurricane academy to help coastal Georgia residents prepare

(NOAA)

Coastal Georgia's largest county wants to help residents prepare for an emergency during hurricane season.

The Chatham County Emergency Management Agency in Savannah plans to hold a free "Citizen Hurricane Academy" the weekend of July 20.

The program includes presentations by meteorologists, local emergency planners and other experts on how evacuation decisions are made, how to prepare financially for a disaster and some basic first aid tips for use in emergencies.

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and runs until Dec. 1.

Coastal Georgia evacuated for Hurricane Matthew in 2017 and Hurricane Irma in 2018. Both storms brought damaging wind and flooding to Georgia's 100-mile (160-kilometer) coast. Hurricane Michael caused extensive damage further inland in southwest Georgia last year.