As local schools dismissed early and families settled in their homes during Hurricane Idalia, the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency staff was well prepared for any kind of crisis situation.
Monitoring emergency road floodings as well as fire and police response teams, Shawn Granato, director of the CC EMA, said the county completed almost 100 city work orders to clear out storm drains and culverts along with other preparations for Idalia.
“We’re really lucky in Columbia County because we have a lot of people that work really together, and we maintain a perpetual state of readiness … we’re so far ahead of the game for this,” said Granato. “What we’re doing right now is just being patient.”
By topping off city generators and double checking internet backups, Granato said staff ensured that the county was well prepared and had no reason to panic.
“As far as flooding goes, we’re lucky that we only have a few areas that are low lying. We get dam breaches and that’s of course not going to be great for anybody, but Augusta is in a big bowl,” he said. “So there was nothing passed the Kroger’s on Columbia Road to be concerned about.”
Having a variety of technology at his team’s disposal, Granato’s department also has the ability to track where workers are already situated to avoid sending personnel to the same locations, thus allowing them to act quicker and with purpose.”
“We have people on stand by,” he said. “Everybody is always working together and is communicating so we can act efficiently and with a mission.”
Relying heavily on the National Weather Service and other scans, Granato said a large portion of his job is warning county residents to prepare themselves with extra food, water, batteries, blankets, medicine and other supplies. Not to overly alarm people, but to have them take the emergency seriously and to avoid running out of necessary supplies.
“I’m not all about the freak out,” he said. “It’s about being prepared and reacting appropriately. It’s the same things I want to teach citizens.”
Unlike other surrounding counties in the Greater Augusta area, Columbia County schools all choose to not only stay open, but also send students home at their regularly scheduled dismissal times.
“I don’t recommend [letting school out early], unless the winds are sustained over 35 mph because it makes it dangerous for buses to operate on the roads,” he said. “To me, the safest place for a kid to be is in school.”
Granato said the county even has supplies to run two shelters for a combination of over 200 people, should the need arise. With trailers filled to the brim with bed cots, food, soap and other items for up to 500 citizens, Granato said the biggest time consuming worry the CC EMA might have is the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, because of debris cleanup and paperwork that needs to be filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“We won’t know what that’s like though until everything is over and has calmed down,” he said.
In an attempt to interest locals in readying themselves for natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, Granato said citizens should spend the same amount of time preparing and prepping as they do for making arrangements for football tailgating and Super Bowl watch parties.
“When you spend hours and hours getting ready for tailgating and shopping, just get one extra can and one extra pack of water,” he said. “People think ‘oh this is so expensive to prepare and takes so much time,’ but it doesn’t.”
Just by spending an extra 50 cents a week for a few months in the grocery store, Granato said families can easily create an emergency meal supply, and be ready for whenever situations become dire.
Prioritizing educating families on emergency preparedness, Granato said his department is planning on teaching a variety of classes in the future, which will focus on different responses and skills, such as how to pack an emergency bag or kit.
“We’re hoping to have our first class maybe around February,” he said.
For more information about the CC EMA and the services they offer, please visit: https://www.columbiacountyga.gov/192/Emergency-Management-Agency.
