Public Education Activities & Community Efforts 2016 – 2017 NPDES Stormwater Report

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WATER QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH The following education programs are funded by Unincorporated Chatham County and the Cities of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Pooler, and Tybee Island. The Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission Natural Resources Program, Chatham County, the City of Savannah Environmental Affairs Office, and the City of Savannah Stormwater Department help to administer these programs.

Newsletters The MPC Natural Resources Program produces newsletters educating the public on water resource issues and publicizing educational opportunities offered by the program. Local events that address water issues are also listed in the newsletters. The “WaterSpout” is now available online through the www.mpcnaturalresources.org website and is distributed electronically through a list-serve agency to over 400 email addresses. The Cities of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Pooler, Tybee Island, and Chatham County are now able to link this publication to their own websites, allowing for a larger outreach. Printed copies of the newsletter are still available upon request. Newspaper Supplements As part of the extensive education program funded by Chatham County and the Cities of Bloomingdale, Pooler, Savannah, and Tybee Island, the MPC Natural Resources staff targets various groups and residents each year for BMP education. In 2016 the MPC and City of Savannah worked to create an insert detailing drainage, flood, water quality and conservation information to residents which was included as a supplement in the Savannah Morning News (October 9, 2016 with over 79,000 inserts) and Savannah Tribune (October 12, 2016 with 8,500 inserts).

In addition to the “WaterSpout”, the quarterly “Chatham County Connection” was produced and distributed throughout the County. These documents included various articles on flood mitigation plans, GIS mapping, water quality, and flood-proofing your home. Water Sourcebooks The Water Sourcebooks contain a large number of classroom activities geared towards specific levels of teaching and cover all aspects of water issues including stormwater quality issues. The books have been broken down into four age groups: grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each contains lesson plans and activities that provide hands-on learning for water-related issues such as pollution, clean water, water conservation and more. The MPC Natural Resources Program purchased these sourcebooks from the Georgia Water Wise Council and offers the sourcebooks at no charge to all schools within Chatham County.

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MPC continues to deliver the books and CDs upon request to area school teachers within Chatham County. Delivery includes a face to face introduction to the guide and opportunities for any questions to be directly answered. Stormwater Videos The MPC created two educational videos entitled Before the Rain Comes – Managing Chatham’s Storm Water, and Land Use and Water Quality: Understanding the Relationship. These videos were created to inform the residents of Chatham County about stormwater issues including flooding, runoff, pollution prevention, and land use decisions with regards to impervious surfaces, etc. These videos and other videos about stormwater issues are routinely played on the Chatham County and the City of Savannah’s Public Access channels which are regularly viewed by residents of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Pooler, Tybee Island and Chatham County. These videos are also available to all citizens, groups, and schools within Chatham County and were previously distributed free of charge by the MPC to all of the area high schools within Chatham County. Earth Day 2016

The Earth Day Savannah event was held on April 16, 2016 in Forsyth Park in Savannah with many exhibitors and numerous facets of the environmental field participating. Attendees were able to learn about water quality protection, wildlife and habitat conservation, waste recycling, and many other environmental efforts that are taking place in Chatham County and nearby areas. Many fun and educational activities were provided by Earth Day exhibitors, including the distribution of native trees and shrubs, touch tanks, solid waste exhibits, solar power education

stations, and the construction of bird feeders. Some activities were targeted at just plain fun such as face painting, sea turtle toss games, and fun interaction with costume characters. Lastly, visitors were also able to buy local organic produce from the Forsyth Farmers Market. River’s Alive 2016

The City of Savannah had to postpone the annual October Rivers Alive event due to Hurricane Matthew clean-up efforts. The event was rescheduled to take place on April 29, 2017. A filming during a previous River’s Alive Clean-Up event allowed for a

short 13-minute video to become a regularly aired program on the City of Savannah and the Chatham County television broadcast channels. The video contains footage of the clean-up, as well as interviews with staff and volunteers on the importance of understanding how our trash can seriously pollute the environment.

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Recycling and E-cycling Events The County had two events during the permit period to publicize the proper methods of waste disposal. The County is constantly striving towards trying to remove hazardous materials from the landfills in this region. In May 7th and November 12th of 2016 the County had a document recycling and electronics recycling day at the County Resource Education and Drop- off Facility. On these two days, there was a set location that residents could bring any electronic equipment that they may have had sitting at their home or office as well as bring in any documents or paper for bulk shredding.

Adopt-A-Stream The MPC coordinates the Countywide Adopt – A- Stream program that enlists volunteer groups to both monitor the health as well as clean up local waterways for a year. Volunteer groups receive free training and equipment through the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension Regional Training Program. The MPC sends public and private schools information about this program and allows opportunities for participation each year. Promotional information is also distributed during outreach events, mailed to area schools, included in the Water Spout Newsletter and is available to the public online at www.MPCNaturalResources.org. Coastal Georgia Adopt-A-Wetland This volunteer monitoring program was developed by University of Georgia Marine Extension Service and the MPC Natural Resources Program to cater to groups that want to adopt coastal estuarine waterways. Adopt-A-Stream monitoring protocol was developed for freshwater monitoring and was therefore impractical for much of the Chatham County area. Volunteer groups receive free training and equipment through the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service. Public and private schools within Chatham County received information about this program. Information is also distributed during outreach events and on the www.MPCNaturalResources.org website. Currently, the Chatham County Adopt-a-Stream program also benefits from trainings and supplies offered through this program. Countywide Storm Drain Marking Program This program was developed and is administered by MPC Natural Resources staff to educate the public about stormwater pollution, its causes and how to prevent it. All public and private schools

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within Chatham County previously received information about this program. Information is also distributed during outreach events. Community Partners for Clean Water

Community Partners for Clean Water is a cooperative effort between the MPC and local commercial and institutional landowners. The goal of this program is to promote BMPs that help protect local streams, canals, rivers, and estuaries from stormwater pollution. These businesses/industries receive a BMP Manual with educational information specific to their on-site activities, and information on how to develop a Water Quality Protection Plan (WQPP). Once the participant creates their WQPP, they submit it to the MPC for review. If it is accepted, the

participant is then considered a “Community Partner for Clean Water” and is advertised as such. If the WQPP is not acceptable, an MPC staff member will work with the participant to improve it. The program provides incentives, such as free advertising and t-shirts to local businesses/industries for their voluntary participation. Promotional flyers were developed by the MPC and mailed to the individual municipalities’ industries/businesses listed in the jurisdictions’ databases. The promotional fliers are also distributed during outreach events. Presentations by the MPC Natural Resources Staff and Environmental Affairs Office The MPC Natural Resources Program, Chatham County, the City of Savannah’s Stormwater and Environmental Affairs Office, and Chatham County is available to speak about water resource protection to groups of all ages in the community such as area Rotary Clubs, high schools, elementary schools, gardening clubs as well as at seminars. School Outreach and Education Chatham County staff participated in GIS Day in November 2016 to educate over 450 local children on stormwater and floodplain issues with a GIS approach to learning. In addition, in April of 2017 the MPC brought Jack Golden to work with approximately 75 Savannah College of Art and Design students. The program covered topics on water conservation, quality, and composition, and recycling, pollution, and litter. Septic System Education Program The MPC has a display and brochures that focus on septic system education and is exhibited by staff at outreach events such as Earth Day. These events are often attended by the residents of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Savannah, Tybee Island, and Chatham County. Brochures are made available at all outreach events and are permanently available at each jurisdiction’s City/County/Town Hall. The Chatham County Health Department has also been provided with these brochures to distribute as appropriate as they inspect new and failing septic systems throughout the County.

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Education efforts are underway to continually identify and target neighborhoods suspected to host failing systems. To provide a larger buffer area for septic systems, Chatham County now requires at least 1 acre lots before receiving approval for placement of a new system. Other municipalities plan to join this effort by working with the Chatham County Health Department to further identify target areas within the County. To focus on fecal coliform levels, an educational campaign specific to septic systems is in place to educate the public on the maintenance aspect of the systems. A grant was received by the City of Savannah to specifically target the Vernonburg area of Chatham County as well as increase the public outreach and education portion of the stormwater program in regards to non-point source pollution. Again focusing on fecal coliform issues in Chatham County’s waterways, the MPC’s Water Resources Program has teamed with the County in the hopes of educating residents on this source of nonpoint source pollution that has the potential to enter the area’s waterways and impact water quality. A targeted source of pollution for education efforts over the past year for both the MPC and the UGA Marine Extension Agency (MAREX) has been pet waste and its effects on the coastal waterways. Area Code Enforcement officers continue to enforce pet ordinances in the County’s parks where pet owners are cited when in violation of the County’s pet waste removal ordinance. The message was also covered in a television special that is aired routinely on the City of Savannah’s government channel and available for viewing by all of the County’s residents. The Water Spout newsletter distributed to area residents and available on the MPC’s website often contains articles about non-point source pollution and ways to eliminate this. In addition, UGA MAREX created and distributed copies of the Promoting Animal Waste Stewardship (P.A.W.S.) brochures to assist in this education effort. Additionally, MPC staff works to educate area school age children on the issue of picking up pet waste buy creating several “pet poop” games to make the education process fun with the hopes that any material learned will be taken home for implementation. Outreach Events Natural Resources staff design displays explaining water resource protection for the average citizen. These displays are brought to various outreach events around Chatham County. Many of these events are open to the general public, which includes citizens from throughout Chatham County. BMP Educational Seminars BMP educational seminars were MS4 permit related in the 2016-2017 permit year. On October 12, 2016, MS4 Staff were invited to an MS4 “user group” to discuss current local stormwater issues and share operational information. The intent is for the “user group” to meet quarterly. Permit directors were invited to a roundtable discussion with EPD and staff

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on October 24, 2016. MS4 Staff were invited to a permit training on GI LID Education/Permit Discussion between MS4 Permittees, GAWP and ARC on January 17, 2017. Clean Coast Clean Coast is a volunteer, non-profit group that performs monthly cleanups on the barrier islands of Georgia. Beaches in Chatham County that are regularly cleaned by this group include Tybee, Little Tybee, Wassaw and Ossabaw. MPC staff and City of Savannah staff offer assistance and encourage partnerships with this group whenever possible. Clean Coast volunteers also participate in the Coastal Georgia Adopt-A-Wetland program, Rivers Alive, Earth Day, and various clean-up events sponsored by the MPC Natural Resources program. Rain Barrel Workshops

The MPC continues the program that targets water conservation and stormwater education through the making of rain encatchment systems also known as rain barrels. These workshops address the natural hydrological changes via construction on our built environment, pollution runoff that occurs with stormwater, as well as the need for water conservation.

A Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop, which provided participants with all the supplies needed to build their own rain barrel, was held on May 26th, 2016 at the Chatham County Resource Conservation Education Center. The event was presented by GA DNR-Coastal Management Program & Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve- Coastal Training Program. Social Media Outlets MPC Natural Resources has a Facebook page and Twitter account for fans all over the world to follow! With this social media outlet, all of Chatham County can now follow and learn about the fun events taking place as well as be reminded about some of the critical natural resource issues in our community.

COMMUNITY EFFORTS

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The following education programs are funded by a variety of partnerships and agencies throughout the community. The MPC Natural Resources Program staff is a partner in the hopes of expanding the reach of possibilities for water quality in and around Chatham County. New Zoning Ordinance

The MPC Natural Resources Program remains involved in the process of updating the existing zoning ordinances for Unincorporated Chatham County and the City of Savannah. During this process increased standards on wetland and marsh buffers and the development of new standards for requiring open space that promotes green infrastructure design have been drafted. Staff remains committed to this process and will partner with the MPC New Zoning Ordinance (NewZO) staff in building educational awareness campaigns on the importance of these standards during the adoption phase. More information on this process may be found at www.newzo.org. Savannah Urban Garden Alliance (SUGA) and City of Savannah Community Garden Initiative The MPC Natural Resources Program partners with entities centered on transforming vacant properties into community gardens. All gardens developed through the SUGA and City of Savannah initiatives remain organic in nature and utilize neighboring structures for rainwater harvesting. The benefits of stormwater retention, filtration, and growing of local produce will continue to help raise awareness for the general public on water related issues. To date, the project has installed numerous gardens and has submitted funding requests to the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) for additional gardens which will include job training components and the potential for further education and outreach. More information may be found at www.sugacentral.org and http://www.savannahga.gov/index.aspx?NID=1209. Coastal Commuters The MPC Natural Resources Program continues to help the Coastal Commuters program of the Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (CORE MPO) in getting the message out about alternative options to driving cars to work. The program provides ride-sharing opportunities, as well as resources to help commuters make the most informed choice. Recognizing the impact automobiles have on our waterways, the reduction of commuter travel can provide various water quality benefits.

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The first Friday of each month offers “2Wheels2Work” a bike convoy for commuters not sure about switching from automobiles to bicycles through a partnership with the Savannah Bicycle Campaign (www.bicyclecampaign.org). Information on the Coastal Commuters program can be found online at www.coastalcommuters.org. CORE MPO Framework Mobility Plan

The Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (CORE MPO) has adopted the framework to their Long Range

Transportation Plan. The MPC Natural Resources Program has coordinated with the CORE MPO to ensure the inclusion of stormwater pollution mitigation efforts into their goals. Listed as an objective underneath the Environment and Quality of Life Goal is the implementation of green infrastructure to reduce the region’s impact on stormwater pollution and address potential impacts from a changing climate. This will be measured in their outcomes through a tool evaluating each projects level of green infrastructure. Greenest County in Georgia Planning MPC’s Natural Resources Program staff participated in committees with other community leaders in the Chatham Environmental Forum’s (CEF) efforts to promote the plan to make Chatham County the Greenest County in Georgia. This plan includes a section on Water Management outlining a number of recommendations to municipal and Chatham County staff for improving the quality and retaining the quantity of water resources. Staff members worked with the CEF in prior reporting years to develop the plan and continue to work on implementation. The final goals for Water Management within Chatham County include the following: 1: Efficiency in Government Specify all government facilities set the standard for effective and efficient use of water in the County. 2: Conservation Ethic Facilitate and ensure public education is strengthened to foster a water conservation ethic in the community. 3: Stormwater Runoff Reduction Reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff. 4: Water Resource Integrity Protect the function and form of water resources, keeping them intact and contiguous so they may serve Chatham County to the fullest extent possible. 5: Water Resource Longevity

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Facilitate a comprehensive approach to water management that includes understanding and evaluation of the built and natural water cycle to sustain the viability of the County’s drinking water sources. A link to the plan can be found on the Natural Resources Program website at: http://chathamcounty.org/Home/Greenest-County Chatham County - Savannah’s Comprehensive Plan and Chatham Community Blueprint 2035

In 2002 the Savannah Mayor and Aldermen and Chatham County Commissioners launched an ambitious project known as the Tricentennial Plan. This plan includes an updated and unified comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance for the city of Savannah and unincorporated Chatham County. This Plan provides a long-range community vision through 2033 and identifies our community’s goals for the following elements: Land Use; Economic Development; Housing; Historic and Cultural Resources; Natural Resources; Transportation; and, Community Facilities. Objectives

have been identified for each goal and include strategies as to how each objective can be achieved. This short-term work program identifies the responsible agencies and/or departments, a time line for completion, anticipated cost and known sources of funding. A reevaluation of the Comprehensive Plan finalized in 2013 addressed new focus areas and issues that were not as important to the community 10 years earlier such as climate change, sea level rise, brownfields, a healthy community and smart growth among others. In October of 2016, all of the jurisdictions within Chatham County updated their Comprehensive Plans to address open space preservation, natural resource protection and proper land use decisions that all relate directly to stormwater. As a formal policy document, the Comprehensive Plan serves as a master blueprint for guiding the community. This process will help to ensure that where there is a relationship, local government plans (including land use plans), ordinances and programs (e.g., Capital Improvement Programs) should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan to ensure that the adopted vision will be attained. The Coastal Georgia Community Indicators Coalition developed a comprehensive strategic plan in December of 2015 for the County-- the Chatham Community Blueprint. Comprehensive Planning staff has played, and will continue to play, a vital role in the development of the strategic plan by providing assistance with research/data collection, community involvement, and professional expertise on specific subject matter. The plan can be found here: http://www.coastalgaindicators.org/content/sites/uwce/pla

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nning_documents/Presented_to_BOC_120415_CGIC_Blueprint.pdf Coastal Georgia Community Indicators Coalition The Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition is comprised of community members and advocates working together through a comprehensive, coordinated approach for planning and accountability. The purpose of the Coalition is to improve community well-being by engaging and leading the community to work collectively in its development of strategic priorities that guide policy, programs and resource allocation. The Coalition has developed a user-friendly website with more than 100 indicators with live, up-to-date, concise data across multiple areas. Comprehensive Planning staff has been a key resource and has played an integral part in data collection for the Coalition: http://www.coastalgaindicators.org.

Comprehensive Plan Update

You might be asking yourself “What is a comprehensive plan?” and “Why is it important to me?” Simply put, a comprehensive plan is a document designed to help guide a community by providing a vision of the future. It is an all-inclusive, or “comprehensive”, approach to addressing the issue of a community’s growth in the future. The final, official document serves as a policy guide for staff, appointed officials, and elected officials in their decision making process as growth and development issues come before them. Our local comprehensive plan should be important to each and every one of us because it will shape how our community will grow and evolve. It’s once again time to review and update our existing Comprehensive Plan originally completed in 2006, with revisions made in 2009 and 2012. Now is the time to reflect on what has been completed, identify what still needs to be done, and determine if priorities have changed requiring any adjustments in the course we are headed. Please follow us on Facebook or check our website (www.thempc.org/Dept/Comp) for updates and opportunities to be involved in providing input for this important document. This document will help shape our community by identifying issues, opportunities, and priorities and allocating resources accordingly.

See page 3 for Comprehensive Plan public input opportunities

CHATHAM COUNTY – SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION

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The WaterSpout

SUMMER 2016

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Only Rain Down the Drain

Summer time in the Southeast means afternoon thunderstorms. Those rains can sometimes be a welcome reprieve from the summer heat, as they cool us down a bit and give our trees and lawns a much needed drink of water. But where does all the water go that does not make its way onto our lawns or other impervious surfaces? It goes into our storm drains, directly to our streams and rivers without any treatment to filter out the trash and other pollutants. Check out this short video that reminds us all why we should never litter and why we should always pick up litter that we see, even if it is not ours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhlBSOlTYdQ&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=May+2016&utm_campaign=May+2016&utm_medium=email

Water Restrictions are Still in Effect It is important to remember that there are permanent outdoor watering restrictions for unincorporated Chatham County, the Cities of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Tybee Island and the Town of Thunderbolt. These restrictions will continue to remain in effect during both a declared drought and non-drought period.

The following outdoor watering schedules apply for all of Chatham County:

• Odd-numbered addresses may use outdoor water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays;

• Even-numbered and un-numbered addresses may use outdoor water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays;

• The use of outdoor water is not permissible between the hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; and

• No watering is allowed on Fridays.

Energy Vampires

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average American household owns 25 consumer electronic devices. You may wonder what the relevance is of knowing that information. On its face, that really probably isn’t that much of a surprise when you think of all the cell phones, tablets, and other such devices that we all are tuned into 24 hours a day. But what about all the energy those items are using, even when you’re not activley using them? Don’t think those little things use up “that” much energy? You might be surprised to find out how much energy they are sucking up! For example, cellphone chargers…it doesn’t seem like it would be a big source of wasted energy, but consider how many you have and how many times you’ve left them plugged in with nothing connected. These devices are constantly drawing power, even when nothing is connected. On average, they consume .26 watts of energy when not in use and 2.24 watts when a fully charged device is connected to it. Multipy that by the number of cellphones in your house, plus other similar devices and they are often responsible for adding 10% or more to your monthly utility bill. Another example, cable boxes that we have hooked up to each of our TVs…even when they are powered off, they consume an average of 17.83 watts. A cable box with DVR capabilities more than doubles that. That means that even if you simply left your cable box plugged in it is costing you money. Thankfully the U.S. Department of Energy has come up with some simple suggestions that can help you “drive a stake through these energy vampires”:

• Unplug devices that you don’t use often. This probably won’t work for items you regularly use but for those that you only use from time to time, you should unplug them completely until the next time you need to use them.

• Use power strips. Power strips allow you to toggle the power flow on and off. This will allow you to control the power usage of clusters of devices so that they’re not consuming electricity needlessly.

• Curb idle time on devices such as computers and video game consoles. Setting your computer to sleep mode or saving a game and powering down instead of leaving it paused for a prolonged period can actually save more than $100 a year in many cases.

• Make smart upgrades. When it comes time to replace your old items, consider ENERGY STAR devices. They have a lower standby consumption than your average device and generally use less energy in all their functions- a savings you should take into account when comparing similar products.

Want to know how much energy other devices typically use? Check out this table created by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html

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Comprehensive Plan Survey

WE NEED YOU!!!!

We need your input on how you think we (the City, County, and collective community) are doing and where we should be headed. Please take five minutes to answer a few questions to assist us with this process: TAKE THE SURVEY . Tell your family and friends to take the survey too!

You are also invited to attend our two Public Open House meetings on this topic:

• When: Thursday, July 14, 10:00 am – noon & 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

• Where: Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC)

Arthur A. Mendonsa Hearing Room, 110 East State Street, Savannah, GA 31401

CHATHAM COUNTY – SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION

110 EAST STATE STREET SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31401 PHONE: 912-651-1440 FAX: 912-335-5922

Thomas L. Thomson, P.E., AICP Executive Director

Jackie Jackson, LEED AP BD+C Director of Comprehensive Planning

Debbie Burke Natural Resources Planner

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Forsyth Farmers’ Market Every Saturday at the south end of Forsyth Park 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Support local farmers, and improve your health by shopping at the Forsyth Park Farmers Market. Select from a variety of fresh, regional produce sold by farmers, and take advantage of nutritional information and demonstrations offered at the health pavilion. EBT cards are accepted. Please visit www.forsythfarmersmarket.org for more information.

Comprehensive Plan Update

We would first like to thank everybody that took the time to come out to the public meetings and fill out

our surveys, as well as all the individuals and organizations that helped us get the word out about the

update to the Comprehensive Plan. Your input was invaluable and has assisted in the creation of a

document that will help shape our community by identifying issues, opportunities, and priorities and

allocating resources accordingly.

On August 30th the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission acted to adopt the

Comprehensive Plan. The document is scheduled to go before City Council on September 15th and County

Commission on September 23rd. The Coastal Regional Commission will review the Comprehensive Plan

prior to the document submittal to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs in October.

You can view the full document on the MPC website on the Comprehensive Planning page

(http://www.thempc.org/Dept/Comp).

C CHATHAM COUNTY – SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION

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The WaterSpout

Fall 2016

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COMING SOON!!!

Chatham County Red Zone Water

Management Plan The MPC has received a Coastal Incentive Grant to support revisions and updates to the Chatham County Comprehensive Water Management Plan (2006) to address water sustainability issues within the “Red Zone” (users in Chatham and South Effingham Counties) of the coastal Region of Georgia. As this region continues to see unprecedented growth, it is necessary to make efforts to conserve and protect our natural resources. The following jurisdictions are partnering in the update:

City of Bloomingdale

City of Garden City

City of Pooler

City of Port Wentworth

Town of Thunderbolt

City of Tybee Island

City of Rincon

City of Savannah

Unincorporated Chatham County

Unincorporated Effingham County

Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved!

Water Restrictions are Still in Effect It is important to remember that there are permanent outdoor watering

restrictions for unincorporated Chatham County, the Cities of Savannah,

Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Tybee Island and

the Town of Thunderbolt. These restrictions will continue to remain in

effect during both a declared drought and non-drought period.

The following outdoor watering schedules apply for all of Chatham

County:

Odd-numbered addresses may use outdoor water

on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays;

Even-numbered and un-numbered addresses may use outdoor

water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays;

The use of outdoor water is not permissible between the hours

of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; and

No watering is allowed on Fridays.

National Prescription Take-Back Day Saturday, October 22, 2016

10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Medicines play an important role in treating many conditions and diseases, but when they are no longer needed it’s important to dispose of them properly to avoid harm to others. Nearly 50% of Americans take at least one prescription medication, and many more regularly use over the counter medicines. Often times unused and expired medications sit in medicine cabinets for years. At one time, it was believed that the best method for disposing of them was to flush them down the drain or toilet. We are now seeing those chemicals show up in our waterways, negatively impacting the animals that live there and ultimately ending up in our drinking water supplies. How does improperly disposed of medicine end up in our drinking water? In homes that use septic tanks, medicine flushed down the drain or toilet can leach into the ground and seep into ground water. In cities and towns where residences are connected to wastewater treatment plants, medicine flushed down the drain or toilet can pass through the treatment system and enter our waterbodies. Water treatment plants are generally not equipped to routinely remove medicines so it’s important to properly dispose of medicines to ensure they do not harm the environment. With this in mind, we are encouraging folks to dispose of medicine either through a local medicine take-back program or through the following household disposal steps: 1. Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers. 2. Mix drugs (do NOT crush tablets or capsules) with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds. 3. Put the mixture into a leak-proof disposable container with a lid or into a sealable plastic bag. Consider using multiple layers in order to ensure that the container does not leak.

4. Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with permanent marker or duct tape, or by scratching it off.

5. The sealed container with the drug mixture, and the empty drug container, can now be placed in the trash. Medicine take-back programs for disposal are the BEST way to get rid of expired, unwanted, or unused medicines from your home and reduce the risk that someone may accidentally take the medicine or that it might negatively impact the environment. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled a National Take-Back Initiative for October22, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. To find a collection site near you, check the DEA website at:

www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

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Grease Disposal

As you prepare to cook your holiday meals, remember don’t pour grease of any kind down drains or into stormwater inlets. While grease or cooking oil may be liquid at first, it quickly hardens in pipes. Pour enough and it will completely block the sewer pipe. Backups can fill your home with raw sewage, pollute nearby waterways or cause a mess on your neighbor’s property, and may require costly repairs. Place kitchen grease in a container and put it in the trash. Or better yet, recycle it with the City of Savannah. The City works with a local company to convert grease into environmentally friendly bio-fuel. Yellow (kitchen) grease is accepted free of charge at the City of Savannah’s President Street Water Reclamation facility, 1400 East President Street, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00-8:00 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Tybee Island Creates Georgia’s 1st Sea Level

Rise Plan Sea level rise is quickly becoming one of the most talked about issues for coastal communities around the globe due to more frequent and widespread flooding. Communities are working to figure out how to protect existing structures and infrastructure and ensure that future development is done in a manner so as not to be vulnerable to flooding and storm surge.

Through an award provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program, the City of Tybee Island partnered with researchers and outreach professionals from Georgia Sea Grant, UGA, and Stetson University to develop a plan that addresses the risks that Tybee faces from sea level rise over the next 50 years. On April 17, 2016, Tybee Island City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Tybee Island Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan.

The Tybee Island Plan received NOAA Sea Grant’s highest national outreach award in 2014. The project has become a regional and national model with methodologies and approaches for sea level rise planning developed in the process now being utilized in several other U.S. southeast communities. Some of those communities include St. Marys, GA; Hyde County, NC; and Monroe County, FL.

To read the full Tybee Island Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan, visit https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289999590_Tybee_Island_Sea-Level_Rise_Adaptation_Plan.

CHATHAM COUNTY –

SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN

PLANNING COMMISSION

110 EAST STATE STREET SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31401 PHONE: 912-651-1440 FAX: 912-335-5922

Thomas L. Thomson, P.E., AICP Executive Director

Nick Helmholdt, AICP Acting Director of Comprehensive Planning

Stephen Fox Senior Natural Resources Planner

Debbie Burke Natural Resources Planner

Find us on the Web: www.mpcnaturalresources.org www.thempc.org Find us on Facebook: MPC Natural Resources Find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MPCNatResources

4

Forsyth Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday at the south end of Forsyth Park 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Support local farmers, and improve your health by shopping at the Forsyth Park Farmers Market. Select from a variety of fresh, regional produce sold by farmers, and take advantage of nutritional information and demonstrations offered at the health pavilion. EBT cards are accepted. Please visit www.forsythfarmersmarket.org for more information.

Upcoming Events

CoastFest 2016, Saturday, October 1st, 10 am- 4 pm at the regional headquarters campus of the GA DNR in Brunswick, GA For more information, go to: http://www.goldenisles.com/event/coastfest-2016 Savannah Bicycle Campaign’s 8th Annual Midnight Garden Ride, Saturday, October 8th, 6-11 pm at Historic Grayson Stadium For more information, go to: http://bicyclecampaign.org/event/8th-annual-midnight-garden-ride/ Savannah Riverkeeper’s 7th Annual Savannah Roast on the River, Saturday, October 15th, 6pm at Hogan’s Marina For more information, go to: http://www.savannahriverkeeper.org/savannah-roast-on-the-river.html Sustainativity’s 3rd Annual Mattress Dash, Sunday, October 16th, south end of Forsyth Park For more information, go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Savannah/mattressdash National Prescription Take-Back Day, Saturday, October 22nd, 10 am-2 pm For more information, go to: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/ Skidaway Marine Sciences Day, Saturday, October 24th, 12-4 pm at University of Georgia’s Skidaway Island Campus For more information, go to: http://marex.uga.edu/calendar/skidaway-marine-sciences-day/ Savannah Food Day Festival, Saturday, October 29th 11 am-5 pm at Daffin Park

For more information, go to: http://wellfedsavannah.com/

‘Tis the Season

It’s that time of year again where we all hit the malls or, more likely, our computers to look for the perfect gift

for the special people in our lives. This year in lieu of buying your friends or family something that will

eventually take up space in a landfill, you should consider giving them a gift that will bring you both happiness

while being kind to the environment. Some ideas to consider are:

Annual Passes are the gifts that keep on giving throughout the year. We are fortunate and have some amazing places to visit and spend time within close proximity to our area. Consider an annual pass to places such as Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Fort Pulaski, the Coastal Heritage Society, or Skidaway Island State Park (Georgia State Park annual pass). There are plenty of options to please everyone on your list! Donate to an organization or cause that your recipient feels passionate about. Do you have an animal lover in your life? Consider donating pet food or supplies to the animal shelter in their name or Adopt a Wild Friend at Oatland Island. Tree lover? Check out the Savannah Tree Foundation. Somebody that feels strongly about preserving Savannah’s historic treasures? Historic Savannah Foundation would love to have their support! No matter their passion- the environment, animals, education, preservation, etc.- there are organizations out there that are in need of support. Gift cards for a fun activity. There are so many different options in this area to consider. Treat your friend to something they’ve never done before like a dolphin cruise, kayaking, or a deep sea fishing trip or something you know they love like bowling, trampoline park, the movies, theater tickets, their favorite restaurant. The possibilities for a unique, thoughtful, green(er) gift are endless if you just think outside the (gift)box!!!

C CHATHAM COUNTY – SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION

Re

The WaterSpout

Winter 2016

Find us on the Web, Facebook & Twitter!!! Find us on the Web: www.mpcnaturalresources.org www.thempc.org Find us on Facebook: MPC Natural Resources Find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MPCNatResources

2

Water Restrictions are Still in Effect It is important to remember that there are permanent outdoor watering

restrictions for unincorporated Chatham County, the Cities of Savannah,

Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Tybee Island and

the Town of Thunderbolt. These restrictions will continue to remain in

effect during both a declared drought and non-drought period.

The following outdoor watering schedules apply for all of Chatham

County:

Odd-numbered addresses may use outdoor water

on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays;

Even-numbered and un-numbered addresses may use outdoor

water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays;

The use of outdoor water is not permissible between the hours

of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; and

No watering is allowed on Fridays.

Green Resolutions

Another year is coming to an end, and for many of us it’s a time

of reflection. We think about the last 12 months and how much

things have changed or stayed the same. We think about how

much our kids have grown, how our careers are going, how our

resolutions from last January have fared.

As we think about our resolutions for the upcoming year, think of the difference that it would make if everybody added just one resolution to their list that resulted in them being a little friendlier to the environment. It doesn’t take a major lifestyle overhaul to make a big difference. Little changes add up--especially if every person is making a change. On New Year’s Eve when you’re thinking about your resolutions for 2017, consider adding one of these small changes:

Turn Off the Lights, Televisions, Computers, Etc. Turn off lights, televisions, computers, etc. when you are done using them or when you leave a room. Not only is this better for the environment, but it’s better for your wallet.

Use Reusable Bags When you go shopping, take your reusable bags with you and skip the plastic bags. These days they have a reusable bag for everybody, from football fans to fashionistas to supporters of every cause, so grab the bag that suits you best.

Recycle If you’re not recycling yet, now is the perfect time to start. Many of Chatham County’s local jurisdictions have made it easier than ever to recycle with their curbside or drop-off recycling programs.

Shop Locally Nobody is suggesting that you have to buy only locally grown or made items, but consider buying your fruits and vegetables at the Farmers’ Market (see page 4 for Forsyth Farmers’ Market details) instead of the grocery store. When buying a present for a friend or family member, consider buying something from a local artist or some local sweets they can’t get anywhere else.

Meatless Mondays Join the growing numbers of people that are going meatless one day a week. Not only is it better for the environment and your wallet, but this one is better for your waistline as well. From simple spaghetti to the more elaborate ravioli with pumpkin seed pesto, there is a recipe for all taste buds.

Ride the Bus or Your Bike, or Walk Once A Week For some this may not be an option, but for those of you that are

fortunate enough to live in an area that you can ride the bus or

your bike, or walk for some of your trips, just replacing one trip a

week can make a big difference. In addition, if you ride your bike

or walk you will be helping yourself accomplish the goal we all

make each year- to exercise more in the New Year.

3

Chatham County ShoeBox Recycling

Program “Focus on REUSE Takes Steps in

a Greener Direction for ALL”

The Resource Conservation Education Center and ShoeBox Recycling are collaborating to recycle shoes in Chatham County. ShoeBox Recycling bins are located at the Recycle Drop-Off Center at the Resource Conservation Education Center, where everyone is encouraged to discard their gently used shoes. Shoes they accept: paired men’s, women’s, and children’s shoes that are still usable with no holes in the soles or wet or mildewed pairs. Shoes they don’t accept: heavy winter boots, skates, blades, flip-flops, slippers, and singles. ShoeBox Recycling is a for-profit recycler of shoes. All shoes collected for reuse are destined for reuse by those in need of affordable footwear. With over 300 million pairs of perfectly usable shoes hitting landfills each year, ShoeBox Recycling is looking to change the way people think about their shoes and the need for reuse around the globe.

Don’t Forget to Winterize Your Home

The winter months can be a drain on your wallet as the temperatures go down and your electricity bills go up. Winterizing your home doesn’t have to cost a lot of money and much you can do yourself. Here are some helpful tips on how to make small, inexpensive improvements that will help keep your home warm and toasty throughout winter:

1. Change your furnace filters monthly during heating season. 2. Run fans on reverse to help circulate warm air…remember

heat rises. 3. Turn down your water heater. 4. Cover any door drafts…leaving a drafty door uncovered is

literally letting money go out the door. 5. Tune-up your heating system to make sure it is operating at

its optimum level. 6. Caulk and weather strip your windows to stop energy from

flying away. 7. Insulate your pipes and water heater. 8. Lower your thermostat when you’re not home and/or are

sleeping.

For a more comprehensive list and additional information and ideas,

check out this article in Popular Mechanics:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-

to/g52/winterize-home-tips-energy-461008/

CHATHAM COUNTY –

SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN

PLANNING COMMISSION

110 EAST STATE STREET SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31401 PHONE: 912-651-1440 FAX: 912-335-5922

Nick Helmholdt, AICP Acting Director of Comprehensive Planning

Stephen Fox Senior Natural Resources Planner

Debbie Burke Natural Resources Planner

Find us on the Web: www.mpcnaturalresources.org www.thempc.org Find us on Facebook: MPC Natural Resources Find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MPCNatResources

4

Forsyth Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday at the south end of Forsyth Park 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Support local farmers, and improve your health by shopping at the Forsyth Park Farmers Market. Select from a variety of fresh, regional produce sold by farmers, and take advantage of nutritional information and demonstrations offered at the health pavilion. EBT cards are accepted. Please visit www.forsythfarmersmarket.org for more information.

Upcoming Events

Earth Day Savannah, Saturday, April 15th 11 am- 5 pm at Forsyth Park, rain or shine For more information, go to: http://www.earthdaysavannah.org/

Spring is blooming and while you are out enjoying our wonderful weather you will notice many improvements to our roadways, bridges, canals, boat ramps and buildings. The Special Purpose Lo-cal Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) that voters have continued to approve for over 30 years has made these improvements possible.

Getting to where we want to go is important to everyone and that is why over $25 million in trans-portation funding was spent over

the last 4 years. Leveraging local SPLOST dollars to work with the Georgia Department of Trans-portation (GDOT) results in local dollars going farther. The return is at least $4 to every $1 spent. This partnership has built projects like the completion of the Tru-man Parkway and widening three GDOT routes: Whitefield Avenue, Bay Street and Dean Forest Road. SPLOST is funding the design on projects such as the Jimmy DeLoach Parkway extension, interchange at US 80, interchange improvements at Dean Forest Road and I-16 and the replacement of the Islands Expressway Bridge. GDOT will be responsible for the construction of all these projects with SPLOST funding only the design.

Locally, SPLOST is funding the design of Quacco Road, Little Neck Road and Benton Boulevard. An-other priority is the resurfacing of roads. In 2016 alone, over 18 miles of roads are scheduled to be resur-faced. This trend will continue as we bring neighborhood roads to the level citizens deserve.

In the current Commission’s tenure, over $8 million was spent to protect the public by design-ing and constructing multiple drainage projects. Some of the projects completed were Pipemak-ers Canal, Phase 2, replacement of gates on the Pipemakers Canal tidegates, and the LaRoche Avenue culvert replacement. County staff also improved drainage in various neighborhoods to eliminate local flooding. All these projects have resulted in improved drainage that is recognized by the Federal Emer-gency Management Agency. New flood maps are scheduled to be approved next year based partly on these improvements and will result in reduced flood insurance rates for many citizens.

SPLOST also funds many of the facilities that have been completed in the last few years. The Carver Heights, Cloverdale, Tatemville and Liberty City Community Cen-ters were constructed or improved with input from citizens of those communities. Improvements at Turner’s Creek Boat Ramp pro-vided two new ramps, additional parking and soon to be complete

are restrooms, a pavilion and offic-es for Marine Patrol. Additionally, two new libraries were built, one in Garden City and the other on Whitemarsh Island. These librar-ies greatly expand services to the public and provide more comput-ers for research. At the Anderson-Cohen Weightlifting Center an expansion that offers more train-ing space for our award winning athletes was completed. These construction projects alone amount to over $17 million in investment for the use of our citizens.

Future SPLOST projects include a new police precinct at Whitefield Avenue and Truman Parkway, the replacement of Memorial Stadium and an expansion of the Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex.

Keep your eyes open as the Chatham County Board of Com-missioners continues to support SPLOST projects on our citizens’ behalf. You will see many projects under construction in the coming months. •

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, April 17, 2016

Al ScottChairman

Helen StoneDistrict 1

James Holmes - District 2

Tony CenterDistrict 3

Patrick FarrellDistrict 4

Yusuf ShabazzDistrict 5

Lori BradyDistrict 6

Dean Kicklighter District 7

Priscilla Thomas District 8

April 17, 2016

CHATHAM COUNTY

Message FroM THe CHaIrMaN

For more information on the current district lines visit: http://www.chathamcounty.org/Government/BoardofCommissioners/CommissionDistrictMaps.aspx

Al Scott, Chairman

The Summer Bonanza Partnership Program is designed to help our young people become knowledgeable about their community, its people and places, as well as learning discipline, good citizenship, manners, self-pride and determination. All are qualities that supply them with much-needed confidence to succeed in school and throughout their lives. This program is a local effort that has been replicated in over 50 cities in the United States. Our outreach program is a part of the SBP, Inc., but is administered separately.

Summer Bonanza Partnership, Inc., was founded in 1991 by Dr. Priscilla D. Thomas, Vice Chair – District 8 Representative Chatham County Commission. Dr. Thomas is also a retired educator. Her goal was to provide an opportunity for the local business community and the government to come together as partners in

the development and enrichment of youth in helping to prepare at-risk youth ages 7 to 14 in all academic disciplines through

summer development and enrichment programs as well as a year round technology center and tutorial program in Chatham County. To date Summer Bonanza has touched the lives of some 4,700 youths as well as parents, community volunteers, corporate partners and business supporters.

The program utilizes the summer months to strengthen academic development while providing safe, structured, and fun activities for

youth ages 7 to 14. Each week is an enjoyable program appropriate for this age group. Summer Bonanza meets once per week on Saturday mornings from 10 am - 1 pm at the Moses Jackson Center. The program fee

is $20 per child. To submit an application please visit our website at www.summerbonanza.com or call (912) 663-4528 to request someone to email

the application or attend the orientation

session on June 4, 2016. Applications must be turned in on June 4, 2016, at Moses Jackson Center, 1410B Richards Street, Savannah, GA 31415.

The goals for the Summer Bonanza Program are as follows:

Encourage and • support academic excellence at all educational levels

Encourage and • develop wholesome interpersonal and social skills

Summer Bonanza Partnership Program

continued on p. 3

Chatham County Youth Commission

Visits U.S. Supreme Court, Meets With Justice Thomas During 2016 Annual Trip

See Page 2

Members of the Chatham County Youth Commission stand in front of the US Capitol

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, April 17, 2016

Chatham County Youth Commission

Visits U.S. Supreme Court, Meets With Justice Thomas During 2016 Annual Trip The Chatham County

Youth Commission had a two hour private meeting with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during their 2016 Annual Legislative Tour to Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York City.

The Youth Commission was joined by 4 members of the Housing Authority of Savannah’s Youth Advisory Council.

On Sunday, February 21, 2016, the Youth Commission visited the National Postal Museum, National Portrait Museum, and the Lincoln & King Memorials in Washington, DC. The next day, February 22, the Youth Commission toured the US Capitol and met with staffers from Congressman Buddy Carter’s Office. Later, they met at the United States Supreme Court with Savannah native and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and learned about the purpose and function of the Supreme Court. Justice Thomas encouraged them to take full advantage of their opportunities and to seek truth.

In New York, on February 22, 2016, the Youth

Commission toured the newly opened 9/11 Memorial Museum, the One World Observatory ( at 1,776 feet, now the tallest skyscraper in the United States) and took in the Broadway production of Aladdin before visiting NBC’s Today Show and ABC’s Good Morning America and returning back to Savannah.

ABOUT THE CHATHAM COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION

The Chatham County Youth Commission was founded by Dr. Priscilla D. Thomas in 1992 and

is directed by Van R. Johnson, II. This program has been replicated in Fulton County (Atlanta), GA, Alachua County (Gainesville), FL, Savannah, GA (Savannah Youth Council), Prince George’s County, MD, Cass County (Fargo), ND, Dougherty County, (Albany), GA, Riverdale, GA, Newnan, GA, Miami-Dade County, FL, DeKalb County, GA and Jasper County, SC.

For more information on the Chatham Youth Commission, visit their website, ChathamYouth.com or their sites on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Youth Commissioner members with Justice Clarence Thomas

Youth Commission Officers (L-R) Isis Howard, Mohammed Abdallah, Lindsey Mitchell & Caylen Johnson with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Youth Commissioners members in the 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, NY

CS258143A January 12, 2016

Mosquito Bite Prevention (United States)

Not all mosquitoes are the same. Different mosquitoes spread different viruses and bite at different times of the day.

Active ingredient

Higher percentages of active ingredient provide longer protection

Some brand name examples*

DEET Off!, Cutter, Sawyer, Ultrathon

Picaridin, also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin

Cutter Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus, Autan (outside the United States)

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD)

Repel

IR3535 Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition, SkinSmart

Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites

Use insect repellentUse an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent with one of the following active ingredients. All EPA-registered insect repellents are evaluated for safety and effectiveness.

Type of Mosquito

Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus

Viruses spread Biting habits

West NileCulex species

Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika

Daytime

Dusk (evening) to dawn (morning)

* Insect repellent brand names are provided for your information only. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cannot recommend or endorse any name brand products.

Spring is under way and as more people make their way outside for activities, Coastal Health District officials want to remind residents to take precautions to avoid mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are annoying but can also carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, chikungunya, or Zika Virus.

There are ongoing Zika outbreaks in nearly 40 countries and territories in the Americas, Caribbean, Pacific Islands and Mexico. So far there are no reports of locally transmitted Zika cases in Georgia or anywhere in the United States, but cases have been reported in returning travelers.

Zika virus is transmitted primarily through the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes, which can be found in Georgia. Zika virus is passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites. An infected mosquito can then transmit the virus to other people. Sexual transmission of Zika has also been documented.

While most people who get Zika Virus may not even know they have it, there is a link between Zika and birth defects and because of that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising pregnant women not to travel to areas where Zika is circulating. Pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant who must travel to a Zika-affected area should talk to their healthcare providers prior to travel.

Travel To Zika-imPacTed areaS

CDC continues to update a list of countries where Zika is known to be circulating. Travel notices regarding Zika Virus can be found by going to wwwnc.cdc.gov/

travel/page/zika-travel-information

Anyone traveling to an area where Zika Virus is circulating should take the following precautions:

Wear long-sleeved • shirts, long pants, and socks

Use EPA-registered • insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535 (during travel and for three weeks after returning home)

Use permethrin-• treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents)

Stay and sleep in • screened-in or air-conditioned rooms or sleep under a mosquito net

Upon returning home • from travel to Zika-affected countries, individuals should continue to use EPA-registered insect repellents for three weeks and follow precautions to prevent additional mosquito bites.

reducing The moSquiTo PoPulaTion in georgia

So how can the spread of Zika virus infection be prevented in Georgia? It begins at home – both inside and outside.

Female mosquitoes lay several hundred eggs on the walls of water-filled containers - even a container as small as a bottle cap is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. When water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week to 10 days. They bite primarily during the day and at dusk. A few infected mosquitoes can produce large outbreaks in a community and put families at risk of becoming sick.

If you have things in and around your home

and yard that could hold water, get rid of them! One of the most effective ways to control the mosquito population is to eliminate standing water. After every rainfall and at least once a week, Tip ‘n Toss. Dump out standing water in flowerpots and planters, children’s toys, or trash containers. Do not allow water to accumulate in old tires, rain gutters, or piles of leaves or natural holes in vegetation. Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. For containers without lids and too big to Tip ‘n Toss (bird baths,

pools), use larvicides such as mosquito dunks or mosquito torpedoes (they will not hurt birds or animals).

Trimming vegetation and cutting tall grass can help reduce the number of adult mosquito resting places. Community clean up campaigns, including free landfill or dump days or free trash pick-up days, encourage residents to clean up around their homes and are very effective in eliminating places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. The Georgia Department of Public Health is encouraging all Georgians to use the first two weeks

of April to clean up around their homes and yards.

Adult mosquitoes live inside and outside so it’s important to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Use screens on windows and doors, making sure they are in good repair and fit tightly. Use air conditioning when it’s available. Mosquitoes are not strong fliers, so using fans on porches and patios can also help reduce mosquito exposure.

It is important to use personal protection to avoid mosquito bites when engaging in outdoor activities. Wear lightweight long-sleeve shirts, long pants and socks. Using

EPA-registered insect repellents containing 20%-30% DEET or a product such as oil of lemon eucalyptus will reduce exposure to mosquitoes.

Controlling the mosquito population will take all of us – working together as neighbors, united in a common cause – to prevent the spread of Zika Virus in Georgia.

For more information about Zika Virus, visit dph.ga.gov/zika or cdc.gov/zika.

Zika Virus: What You Need to Know

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, April 17, 2016

Join us to learn how to preserve your harvest.

Develop a sense of pride, self-• worth, self-discipline and high morals

Promote values that support healthy • family and community relationships

To teach our children about financial • management

To help protect the environment •

To give youth marketable skills • academically

To include hands-on work skill • development

Promote civic responsibility and a •

philanthropic spirit in today’s youth

Let youth experience the arts • through mentoring and exposure

To teach the core values of life •

continued from p. 1

Summer Bonanza

Summer Bonanza 2016 Schedule of Events

June 4 Youth & Parent Orientation 10AM - 1PM

Kick-Off and registration; Parent University Enrollment Facilitated by Dr. Thomas and Mike O’Neal at the Moses Jackson Center.

June 11 Health & Fitness Fun Day 10AM - 1PM

“Let’s Kick It” Facilitated by Brittany Norman-Kirkland Farmers Market Forsyth Park

June 18 Savannah Chapter of the Links** 10AM - 1PM

Moses Jackson Center

June 25 Chatham County Jail Presentation 10AM - 1PM

The Law & You - Building Healthy RelationshipsFacilitated by Cpl. Ron Robinson & Prevention Ed. By RCC Chatham County Sheriff Complex, Chatham Parkway

July 9 Community Service Project** 10AM - 1PM

Packaging Emergency Food Boxes Facilitated by Katrina Walters2nd Harvest Food Bank 2501 E. President Street

July 16 Chatham County Cooperative Extension 10AM - 1PM

Financial Literacy Facilitated by Jackie Ogden Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens

July 23 Presentation of Youth Projects 10AM - 1PM

Barnes Restaurant Facilitated by Reginald Stepherson

July 29 - 30 Out of Town STEMs Focused Trip 5AM

TBA Departure from Walmart on Hwy 17

July 31 AIM & The Arts Special Presentation 11AM -1 PM

Overcoming by Faith Ministries

Aug 6 Annual Awards Reception 12 NOON

Candler Hospital’s Marsh Auditorium

Ch at h a m C o u nt yYard Waste Weight Limit

County Ordinance § 21-403

lbs50

Maximum weight limit of yard waste per container

Amount of yard waste bags one Chatham County employee can have in one day

hippos if every household has 50 pounds of yard waste

Please be considerate of Chatham County employees and do not exceed the 50 pound weight limit of yard waste.

Injuries are frequent if workers pick up household yard waste exceeding 50 pounds

Equivalent of lifting

900 15

Gardening is a rewarding hobby and a great way to get outdoors and incorporate some physical activity into your day. Now that spring is here, you may consider starting a garden of your own.

Have you been thinking about starting a garden, but just don’t have the space? That’s where community gardens come into play. Community garden plots range in size and may or may not require a small fee to use the land provided.

One community garden opportunity in Chatham County, which is made available through the Chatham County Parks and Recreation Department, is located at L. Scott Stell Park (195 Scott Stell Community Park, Savannah, GA 31419).

Each garden plot at the park is provided free of charge, water is available to use at no cost, and park employees will even plow the land for you to use prior to your first planting. You can grow

a variety of nutritious fruits and vegetables, and even flowers; the possibilities are endless.

Gardening can be a great activity for families, and if you have a garden plot at L. Scott Stell Park, you can also take advantage of other park amenities while you are there.

Take a stroll around the 1-mile paved track as a family, enjoy a picnic lunch by the playground, or even bring your furry friend to the dog-exercise area.

For more information

about L. Scott Stell Park visit: http://parks.chathamcounty.org/Parks/Community-Parks/L-Scott-Stell and for more information about gardening visit http://extension.uga.edu/garden/garden-fruits-vegetables/index.cfm

If you are interested in learning how to preserve food using the water bath canner join Family & Consumer Science Agent, Jackie Ogden, for a hands-on water bath canning food preservation workshop April 21st. The cost is $10 and pre-registration is required.

Register by email at uge3051@uga.edu or by phone (912) 652-7981.

Photos from the Spring 2016 Melanie Badding family community garden plot located at L. Scott Stell Park.

Garden to Table: Community Gardening

Yukon gold potato plant growth 3 weeks apart.

An overview of the Badding garden.

Silver Queen white corn growth 3 weeks apart.

*Lunch is provided at each event**Parent University Workshop Held at Moses Jackson for Summer Bonanza Parents

A lot of Heroes and Southside Emergency Medical Service is dedicated to enabling Citizen Superheroes with every tool we can.

As technology is ever increasing in our world, emergency medicine is working hard to keep up. In November of 2015 Southside Emergency Medical Service took on a new initiative to work with PulsePoint, Inc., to bring rapid community involved help to cardiac arrest patients.

The PulsePoint foundation was started in 2009 as a 501C4 non-profit organization that had a mission to bring faster help to cardiac arrest victims by using community involvement with training and Automatic External Defibrillators (AED). Their success has been phenomenal. Heart disease is has been the number 1 cause of death in the United States for many years. When a person stops breathing, time is critical to restore the heart function and breathing. At 6 minutes after your heart stops, brain damage can start. At 8 minutes there is a loss of brain tissue that can’t be healed. Every second counts.

Now the technology. With quick action, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation

and the use of an AED your chances of surviving sudden cardiac death can be 80% higher than before. This solution is simple and effective. Rapidly starting hands-only CPR once sudden cardiac death has occurred, attaching the patient to an AED and calling 911. That’s it. However, knowing these steps isn’t quite enough. You have to know about the event first and that’s where PulsePoint helps.

PulsePoint is a simple smart phone application that works on Droid and iPhones to alert trained civilians that a person near you needs CPR. When a call is received in the Southside EMS 24 hour dispatch center it automatically alerts the system of an event. This happens within seconds. If your phone, using GPS, senses you are close by (within 4 square blocks), you will receive an alert. A map will open on your phone and show you your location, the victim’s location and the closest AED to you.

If you have already had CPR and AED training you can install the app right now on your phone. Select the agency “SSFD” and you’re set. If you haven’t been trained, Southside EMS offers FREE training for everyone, young, fast, slow and experienced. A one hour training class is all it takes and you can be well on your way to being secure in knowing you can make a difference…..and did we mention it’s FREE.

Southside EMS also has partners. Dan Vaden, Thomas Sheehan Insurance, Gamble Funeral Home, Colonial Oil and now the Chatham County Commissioners and their employees have joined. Chatham County is training employees in CPR and AED use. This large undertaking is just one of the ways Team Chatham is working to improve our community. This is where Heroes start!

For more information on PulsePoint and Southside EMS you can go to pulsepoint.org or call Southside Emergency Medical Service at 912-354-1011. We need all the Heroes we can get.

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, April 17, 2016

Staff at the Aquatic Center Provide Swimming Lessons for Children With Disabilities

DO YOU NEED HElp gETTINg INTO A BUIlDINg Or ACCESSINg A SErvICE?

Chatham County complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act but sometimes we miss something. If you or anyone you know needs help, because of a disability, accessing any service the county provides please contact James Aberson the Chatham County ADA Coordinator. He can be reached by phone at (912) 652-7937 or email at jeaberson@chathamcounty.org.

We are back again for the 2nd Annual Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Jailbreak Mud Challenge. This year we are bigger and better than ever, with a 5 mile course and over 50 obstacles! All proceeds from the Jailbreak Challenge go to the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes. Come out June 11th and chal-lenge yourself for a good cause.

You must make your escape through 50 obstacles and extremely tough terrain.If you make it, you earn your freedom.

This is a challenge not to be taken on by the faint of heart.This event is designed to push participants to their limits both physically and mentally. It is not a family fun run, you WILL be pushed to the extreme. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

All proceeds go to benefit the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homesgeorgiasheriffsyouth.org

Chatham County is committed to providing services to all residents of Chatham County including those with disabilities. In fact, by law we are required to provide the same services to people with disabilities as we do to every other citizen of Chatham County. Sometimes that means making physical changes to a building while other times it means changing the way we offer our programs. Because of that, we are continually making improvements to our programs and facilities to better serve our citizens with disabilities. An example of one place that we have made both types of improvements is Chatham County’s Aquatic Center located at 7240 Sallie Mood Drive.

Staff at the Aquatic Center provide swimming lessons for children with disabilities. Most children love to swim and it is important to teach basic safety skills as well as swim skills to children, including those with disabilities. Our facility has staff who are trained and certified Adapted Aquatics Instructors who work either in group settings or privately to meet the needs of the student. Children with disabilities should not let the disability prohibit them from learning to swim and interacting with their peers.

Chatham County has also provided pool lifts for swimmers in wheelchairs or those that have trouble using the steps to get in and out of the pool. Wheelchair users or mobility impaired swimmers can transfer to the lift seat and then Aquatic Center staff can lower the individual smoothly and safely into the pool. When they are ready to leave the pool, they swim to the submerged seat, and the pool lift is used to safely return them to their wheelchair or the pool deck.

A recent addition to the aquatic center is an accessible family changing room/

bathroom. This allows a mother with their son or a father with a daughter a place to change without the awkwardness of taking the child into a changing room that is not of their own sex. The changing room is fully wheelchair accessible and has a full bathroom including a shower. It also has a changing table large enough for adults to use. This new changing room has been extremely popular with the families that use the aquatic center. In fact, patrons are often lined up awaiting use of the room.

The Aquatic Center is only one example of Chatham County’s commitment to providing access to all of our services to each and every citizen. Watch future issues of the Chatham

County Connection for more examples of our efforts.

If you need an accommodation to access any of Chatham County’s buildings or services, or know someone who does, please contact James Aberson, ADA Coordinator. He can be reached by phone at (912) 652-7937 during business hours, or by email at jeaberson@chathamcounty.org.

Every community needs Heroes!

We are back again for the 2nd Annual Chatham County Sheriff's Office Jailbreak Mud Challenge. This year we are bigger and better than ever, with a 5 mile course and over

50 obstacles! All proceeds from the Jailbreak Challenge go to the Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes. Come out June 11th and challenge yourself for a good cause.

You must make your escape through 50 obstacles and extremely tough terrain.

If you make it, you earn your freedom.

This is a challenge not to be taken on by the faint of heart.

This event is designed to push participants to their limits both physically and mentally. It is not a family fun run, you WILL be pushed to the extreme.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

All proceeds go to benefit the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes www.georgiasheriffsyouth.org

Visit the official website at jailbreakmudchallenge.com

PRICInG Last day to register is June 9th at midnight.

REGISTRATIOn TYPE Individual $60.00 2 Runner Chain Gang $110.004 Runner Chain Gang $210.00

Visit the official website at jailbreakmudchallenge.com

REGISTRATIOn InFOYou may register as an individual, 2 runner chain gang, or 4 runner chain gang. Register online or in person at Fleet Feet Sports located in Savannah at 3405 Waters Avenue. You must be at least 13 years-old to register for the Jailbreak Challenge, and runners under 18 years-old must have parental consent. A waiver must be completed by each runner, and turned in at packet pick up. One member of a chain gang may turn in the waiver for other teammates. You can download the waiver at jailbreakmudchallenge.com, or fill one out at packet pick-up.

Every spring County staff are hard at work preparing the budget for the next fiscal year which starts on July 1 every year. On June 24, 2016, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved the County’s fiscal year 2017 budget of $505 million and also adopted annual prop-erty tax rates. I am pleased to report that for the third year in a row the Board was able to

hold property tax rates steady despite rising operating costs.

The Board adopts budgets and tax rates each year for its County-wide and unincor-porated area operations. The Board approved a budget of $175.8 million for County-wide operations with a cor-responding tax rate of 11.543 mills. The approved budget for unincorporated area opera-tions was $30.7 million funded by a tax rate of 4.13 mills. Most of the remaining $299 million budget outlines the capital projects funded by the voter-approved Special Purpose Lo-cal Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) penny.

The County-wide millage rate of 11.543 includes the decrease in property taxes first generated in 2014 when repurposed SPLOST funds of $4 million were returned

to taxpayers. Building on the zero-based budgeting strategy, this year the County Manager expanded the internal budget review process for evaluating requests. Balancing a level millage rate with increasing service needs and rising costs created some prioritization challenges. Some of these challenges included increased detention center medical costs, increased recreational services, public defender restructur-ing, competitive salary levels, higher technology costs and the maintenance of aging in-frastructure and facilities.

Some of the major projects in this year’s SPLOST fund bud-gets include replacement of Memorial Stadium, roadway resurfacing, road improve-ments on Skidaway Road, drainage improvements over Pipemaker’s Canal at State Route 21 & 25 as well as two

railroad crossings, Benton Boulevard Extension, con-struction of the Whitefield Avenue Police Precinct, ex-pansion of the Juvenile Court facility, Jennifer Ross Soccer complex improvements and $45 million that will be passed through to area municipalities for their SPLOST projects.

The budget process is now tied to the need of the citizens and businesses based on the County Blueprint, a long term strategic plan authorized by the Board of Commissioners, covering areas such as eco-nomic development, health, education, and quality of life. Visioning and planning for the future of our County is para-mount in setting proper direc-tion for budget, community programs and capital projects such as recreation, roads, etc. for our community. •

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, July 24, 2016

Al ScottChairman

Helen StoneDistrict 1

James Holmes - District 2

Tony CenterDistrict 3

Patrick FarrellDistrict 4

Yusuf ShabazzDistrict 5

Lori BradyDistrict 6

Dean Kicklighter District 7

Priscilla Thomas District 8

July 24, 2016

CHATHAM COUNTY

Message FroM THe CHaIrMaN

For more information on the current district lines visit: http://www.chathamcounty.org/Government/BoardofCommissioners/CommissionDistrictMaps.aspx

Al Scott, Chairman

Voting information for

Precincts Eligible to Vote in this RunoffElection Date: July 26, 20165-02 Senior Citizens Center5-03 Butler Presbyterian5-06 Seed Church5-08 Savannah Primitive Baptist Church5-10 Jonesville Baptist Church5-11 Largo Tibet School7-09 Southwest Baptist Church7-10 Progressive Recreation8-03 Silk Hope Baptist8-06 Mary Fournoy Golden Age Center8-12 Beach High School

If you voted Democratic or non partisan in the May 24 election or did note vote but were regis-tered by April 26, 2016, you are eligible to vote on July 26.

If you do not live in the 5th Commission District or you voted Republican in the May 24 election you will not be eligible to vote in this runoff election.

2016 Election Dates5th District Democratic County Commission Runoff Election

Election Date: July 26, 2016 Polls Open 7AM - 7PM

LoCations aDDREss HouRsVoter Reg Main Office 1117 Eisenhower Dr, Suite E 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (M,W,F)Voter Reg Main Office 1117 Eisenhower Dr, Suite E 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (T, TH)Civic Center 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (M-F)Mosquito Control 65 Billy B. Hair Dr 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (M-F)Islands Library 125 Wilmington Island Rd 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (M-F)Southwest Library (Sav Mall) 14097 Abercorn St 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (T-F)

Voter Registrationonline

Must have a GA Driver’s License or State ID to register online.

• Go to the GA Secretary of State website: www.sos.ga.gov

• Click Elections• Click the red box: Register to Vote

Mobile app• Available to use to update voter

registration • Search: GA Votes in App Store

Log in to www.sos.ga.gov

We’re on Twitter@Chathamvotes

Like us on FACEBOOKChatham County Voter Registration

CHatHaM County VotER REgistRation offiCE

1117 Eisenhower Drive suite E, savannah, ga 31406MaiL: P.o. Box 13757, savannah, ga 31416PHonE: 912-790-1520 faX 912-790-1519Email: voter@ chathamcounty.orgWebsite: voter.chathamcounty.org

2016 ELECtion DatEs

July 26: General primary, nonpartisan runoffoct. 11: Deadline to register to vote in General Election; local, state and federal runoffsnov. 8: General ElectionDec. 6: Runoffs for local, state officesJan. 10, 2017: Runoffs for federal offices

You might be asking yourself “What is a comprehensive plan?” and “Why is it important to me?” Simply put, a comprehensive plan is a document designed to

help guide a community by providing a vision of the future.

It is an all-inclusive, or “comprehensive,” approach to addressing the issue of a community’s growth in the future. The final, official document serves as a policy guide for staff, appointed officials, and elected officials in their decision making process as growth and development issues come before them.

Our local comprehensive plan should be important to each and every one of us because it will shape how our community will grow and evolve.

It’s once again time to review and update our existing Comprehensive Plan originally completed in 2006, with revisions made in 2009 and 2012. Now is the time to reflect on what has been completed, identify what still needs to be done, and determine if priorities have changed requiring any adjustments in the course we are headed.

Please follow us on Facebook or check our website (thempc.org) for updates and opportunities to be involved in providing input for this important document. This document will help shape our community by identifying issues, opportunities, and priorities and allocating resources accordingly.

The Survey is available at www.thempc.org

Chatham County-savannah

Comprehensive Plan update

Although Georgia hasn’t weathered a major hurricane in recent years, Georgia’s coast remains at risk for hurricanes that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Now is the time for all Georgians to prepare and recognize the risks and potential dangers of hurricanes and what to do before, during and after a storm. Use this list as a guide to start important conversations with your family and friends. Don’t wait until the storm comes. Plan now!

Know Your Risks! Because of our low elevation and geographical makeup, Chatham County is especially vulnerable to storm surge. Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm’s winds that can reach heights over 10 feet and flood nearly all of Georgia’s coastal counties. Believe it or not, storm surge is responsible for the greatest number of hurricane fatalities. In a category 3 hurricane, about 75 percent of Chatham County would be under 17 to 23 feet of water!

Develop an Evacuation Plan! Use this time to figure out where you are going to go and how you will get there if an evacuation was ordered. Do you have family or friends far away from the storm that you can stay with for an extended period of time? If so, go there! Shelters will be cramped and should be your last option. Plus, most shelters don’t accept pets. Make sure you take

them with you! Most will not survive if left behind.

Check Your Insurance! Hurricanes can produce high winds that add to a storm’s destructive power. Hurricane-force winds can easily destroy poorly constructed buildings and mobile homes. Winds can stay above hurricane strength well inland. In addition to destructive winds, hurricanes also can spawn dozens of tornadoes. Call your insurance company or agent and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough homeowners insurance to repair or even replace your home. Don’t forget coverage for your car or boat. Remember, standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding.

Build an Emergency Kit! You’re going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy and unpleasant aftermath. Have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person in your family a minimum of one week. We recommend one gallon of water per person, per day. Electricity and water could be out for at least that long. You’ll need extra cash, a battery-powered radio and flashlights. Check out our emergency kit checklist by downloading the ChathamEMA mobile app. A customized communications plan and Ready kit checklist can be created and shared through the app. The best part? It’s free for Apple and Android users!

Strengthen Your Home! Hurricanes are vicious storms. Adding some extra protection to your home could save you time and money later. Have the proper plywood, steel or aluminum panels to board up the windows and doors. Remember, the garage door is the most vulnerable part of the home, so it must be able to withstand the winds. Yard furniture can become deadly missiles in a hurricane’s high winds. Bring them indoors or properly secure before evacuation.

Stay In The Know! Where will you turn for trusted information? You can sign up for CEMA’s Emergency Alerts and have them sent directly to your phone via text. Just text “follow ChathamEMA” to 40404. NOAA Weather Radios are also an invaluable resource to ensure your

family stays weather ready.

Have a Plan After the Storm! Local authorities may not be able to provide information about what is happening in your area. Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio, watch TV, listen to the radio or monitor the Internet for official news and instructions as they become available.

To help residents prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies, CEMA provides online tools to make a disaster supply kit, develop a tailored communications plan and stay informed about potential threats. Visit ChathamEmergency.org to find helpful information on how protect your pets, elderly or disabled family members, and tips on preparing for severe weather.

Hurricanes and storm surge

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, July 24, 2016

It is no secret that Chatham County is vulnerable to the threat of tropical storms and hurricanes. With our low elevations and significant flooding potential, the storm surge from a major hurricane making landfall on our coast could have catastrophic consequences. Likewise the winds from one of these systems could create millions of cubic yards of debris clogging our streets and highways and damaging or destroying property on an enormous scale.

Storm surge happens when the surface of the sea rises due to the force of the hurricane’s winds spiraling in towards the center of the storm. Storm surge can reach heights of more than 30 feet near the center of a Category 5 hurricane. In very large hurricanes, the surge can horizontally fan out over several hundred miles of coastline, gradually diminishing well away from the center. The surge of high water topped by battering waves

can be devastating. It is important to note that the stronger and larger the size of the hurricane and the shallower the offshore water, the higher the surge will be. Storm surge is by far the greatest threat to life and property along the Georgia coast. In the past, large death tolls have resulted from the rise of the ocean associated with many of the major hurricanes that have made landfall. Hurricane Katrina (2005) is a prime example of the damage and devastation that can be caused by surge. At least 1500 persons lost their lives during Katrina and many of those deaths occurred directly, or indirectly, as a result of storm surge.

For Chatham County, the effects of storm surge can be catastrophic. Storm surge estimates are higher for our area due to unique geographical features, like shallow waters offshore and a slow sloping shelf. For instance, a typical Category 3 hurricane in our area could be expected to result in a storm surge

of anywhere between 17-23 feet. In Chatham County, a Category 1 hurricane would leave Tybee Island and just about all of coastal Chatham under water. With a Category 3 storm, areas inland like Garden City and Pooler would be covered in water. The entire county would be inundated with water with a Category 5 hurricane.

The Storm Tide is the combination of the storm surge and the astronomical tide (normal daily tide). If the storm surge arrives at high tide, the water height will be even greater. For example, as a hurricane moves ashore, a 15-foot surge added to the 2-foot high wind driven waves creates a storm tide of 17 feet. The mass of water, topped by battering waves, can travel miles and miles inland from the coast, submerging everything in its path. The combination of storm surge, battering waves, and high winds can be deadly as well as cause massive property damage.

When an evacuation is imminent, the safety of all Chatham County residents is of utmost importance. For those without transportation, help is available at the Evacuation Assembly Area (EAA). CEMA initiates evacuation operations at the local level utilizing all available resources to assure effective response. State assistance is supplementary to local activation of resources and is made available in response to local requests for assistance.

Activation of the EAA will be situation dependent, and contingent on the CEMA Director’s recommendation and the approval of the Command Policy Group. Current planning calls for the Savannah Civic Center to be utilized as the primary EAA facility/location. Activating the EAA will require all scheduled events at the Civic Center to be postponed and/or cancelled, and the facilities prepared for EAA activities. As evacuation orders are considered, local Emergency Support Function (ESF) partners having responsibilities at the EAA will be notified and will meet to review procedures, determine or update resource requirements, identify possible issues, and resolve other shortcomings. Evacuees may walk to the EAA, or be dropped off by family or friends however; it is anticipated that the majority of the evacuees will arrive at the EAA utilizing Chatham Area Transit buses.

Upon arrival at the EAA, citizens will be directed to one of two designated Registration Areas. Passengers without pets will be directed into the Civic Center Arena. Passengers arriving at the EAA accompanied by pets will be directed to a sign-in area staffed and prepared to address pet issues. EAA staff will be available to answer questions and to help those passengers requiring assistance. Passengers with service animals will not be required to register their pets and may go through general check-in.

After completing the registration process, evacuees, pets and baggage will be loaded on school buses and trucks. Next stop is Augusta where they will be provided temporary housing. Once public safety issues within the County have been mitigated and the area is determined safe, the Chatham County Command Policy Group will call for the return of the area’s population. Evacuees from Chatham County that utilized public transportation during the evacuation process will be afforded the opportunity to utilize public transportation to return to Chatham County.

Hurricane Preparedness

Evacuationtransportation

CEMA encourages everyone who lives, works and plays in Savannah and Chatham County to sign up to receive emergency and community notifications on their cell phones.

SwiftReach allows us to send emergency and community notifications to alert the public to missing persons, severe weather, evacuation orders, and other urgent public safety scenarios.

Subscribers can also sign up to receive notifications in other areas: where they work, where their children attend school, etc. And they can sign up for non-emergency notifications such as road closures, neighborhood watch meetings, and more.

Registration is free and all alerts will be clearly identified as originating from SCMPD, City of Savannah, Chatham County or Chatham Emergency Management Agency officials. The system is designed to make phone

calls to specific people or areas in the event of an emergency or for sharing important information.

All listed landline phone numbers have already been programmed into the system, but since many people no longer have a home phone or primarily use their mobile devices, CEMA encourages citizens to register their cell phone with SwiftReach.

SwiftReach will make up to two attempts to reach each number in the system and will leave a message if the call is routed to voicemail. Addtionally, subscribers can sign up to receive text messages and/or e-mails.

The system can make thousands of calls in a minute to convey vital information.

When Emergency situations occur, stay informed!

When Emergency Situations Occur: Stay Informed! Visit: chathamemergency.org/register-for-alerts.php

WTOC and the Chatham Emergency Management Agency have teamed up to make sure you stay ahead of the storms and other emergencies. You can get weather and emergency information by simply picking up the phone. Just dial 912.644.8811 to get weather and emergency information, as well as seasonal tips.

This year, CEMA took a long hard look at the word “Recommended” and “Voluntary” when it came to evacuations. The words implies there is a choice; however, if a major storm threatens Chatham County, residents must evacuate the county. Starting this season, CEMA will no longer use the term ”Recommended” or “Voluntary” Evacuation, instead we will use “Early” or “Mandatory” Evacuation. This change is to reflect the dangers residents will surely face should they stay behind.

Dial 912.644.8811 to get weather and emergency information, as well as

seasonal tips.

Do your Part in Chatham County to Help Control Mosquito Population

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, July 24, 2016

Ch at h a m C o u nt yYard Waste Weight Limit

County Ordinance § 21-403

lbs50

Maximum weight limit of yard waste per container

Amount of yard waste bags one Chatham County employee can have in one day

hippos if every household has 50 pounds of yard waste

Please be considerate of Chatham County employees and do not exceed the 50 pound weight limit of yard waste.

Injuries are frequent if workers pick up household yard waste exceeding 50 pounds

Equivalent of lifting

900 15

Find out what it takes to stop ZikaPlease visit dph.georgia.gov/zika

CONTROL MOSQUITOES

TIP ’n TOSS

Mosquitoes breed in standing water. To reduce the mosquito populationaround your home and property, eliminate all standing water and debris.

Pool cover that collects water,

neglected swimming pool

or child’s wading pool

Trash and old tires; Drill drain

holes in bottom of tire swings

Tree rot hole, hollow stump

or rain puddle

Repair missing, damaged, or

improperly installed screens

Uncovered boat or boat cover

that collects water

Leaky faucet (repair) or pet

bowl (change water daily)

Birdbath (change water weekly)

and garden pond

(stock with fish)

Any toy, garden equipment,

or container that

can hold water

Flat roof with

standing water

Clogged rain gutter

(home and street)

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Chatham County Health Department officials are urging residents to clean up around their homes, yards and communities and get rid of unnecessary items that can hold water and turn into mosquito breeding grounds. After every rainfall, tip out water in flowerpots, planters, children’s toys and wading pools, and buckets. If it holds water and you don’t need it (old tires, bottles, cans), toss it out. Mosquitoes can cause disease such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Zika virus.

One of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of mosquito-borne viruses is controlling the mosquito population by eliminating standing water around the home and in the yard. In addition, clean out gutters, remove piles of leaves, and keep vegetation cut low to prevent landing sites for adult mosquitoes. For containers without lids or that are too big to tip over or toss out (bird baths, garden pools), use larvicides such as Mosquito Dunks or Pre-Strike Mosquito Torpedoes and follow the label instructions. These larvicides will not harm birds or animals.

Homeowners associations and neighborhoods, along with city and county governments, are encouraged to sponsor community cleanup days.

“Controlling the mosquito population has to be a community-wide effort,” said Dr. Diane Weems, District Health Director for the Coastal Health District. “If we all do our part to remove places where mosquitoes can breed and take precautions to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes then we

can lessen the risk of getting mosquito-borne diseases.”

It is also important to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing 20%-30% DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Wear light colored clothing with long sleeves, long pants and socks to help prevent mosquito bites.

To learn more about Tip ‘n Toss or mosquito-borne viruses including Zika, go to gachd.org/tip-n-toss or dph.ga.gov

Residents are always encouraged to remember the 5 D’s of Prevention:

Dusk/Dawn – Mosquitoes usually bite at dusk and dawn, so avoid or limit outdoor activity at these times.

Dress – Wear loose-fitting, long sleeved shirts and pants to reduce the amount of exposed.

DEET – Cover exposed skin with an insect repellent containing the DEET, which is the most effective repellent against mosquito bites.

Drain - Empty any containers holding standing water because they are excellent breeding grounds for virus-carrying mosquitoes.

Doors – Make sure doors and windows are in good repair and fit tightly, and fix torn or damaged screens to keep mosquitoes out of the house.

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The Chatham Apprentice Program (CAP) trained 100 Chatham County residents and assisted 60 with job placements for the fiscal year 2016, which ended June 30th. CAP also supported 31 participants in obtaining their forklift safety certification and seven individuals get a TWIC card.

CAP is a workforce training program that helps unemployed and under-employed Chatham County residents find or create career paths that offer opportunities for advancement.

“My lack of experience and a GED or high school diploma have kept me from acquiring a job,” said Andrew Bags, a recent CAP graduate. “I have the ability to do any job that I put my mind to but without the proper education and skill set I am unable to achieve my goals.

“With the help of the Chatham Apprentice Program I have gained confidence and a sense of direction. I’ve learned work force etiquette and skills in the program. For example, I did not have any knowledge of resumes and resume building. I learned that I need to create a budget so that I can stay on track with my finances. I encourage everyone to go through the Chatham Apprentice Program. It changed my life, and I think it will change other’s lives as well.”

CAP is a four week employability-skills training that includes professionalism, resume’ writing, interview skills, and customer service; plus, basic reading, writing, and math skills. Classes are offered at least six times a year. Upon completion of the program CAP staff assist successful graduates with job placement and follow up with the participants from six months to a year. The average pay rate for successful graduates is $10.24 per hour. In addition, CAP staff offers individual “case management” consultations for those who cannot enroll in the full-time program but are motivated to change jobs and advance in their chosen field.

2015-16 Highlights

The Chatham Apprentice Program held several classes for special populations last fiscal year. Last August it held a class for single mothers at the Wesley Community Center. CAP provided childcare and transportation passes to reduce barriers for attendance.

In January, CAP held a class at the Georgia Department of Labor and partnered with Savannah Technical College to offer a forklift safety certification to all 20 participants. This class had a job placement rate of 60% with an average hourly wage of $11.24.

This spring, CAP partnered with the Coastal Transitional Center and Dismas Charities to offer a class for 18 returning citizens. Several of the participants also earned their forklift safety certification through Savannah Technical College. Eleven of 18 of the participants have obtained employment with pay ranging from $8.00 to $10.00 per hour.

The Chatham Apprentice Program, managed by Step Up Savannah, is funded by Chatham County with support from the United Way of the Coastal Empire. Services are open to all residents of Chatham County who are 18 and older.

Job training Program Can Change Lives

Wesley Single Mom CAP Class

Forklift Safety Certification

Reentry Class UPCOMING CAP CLASSES:

RECRuITmEnT AnD InfoRmATIon SESSIon

Department of Labor 9/19 to 10/13/2016

West Broad YMCA 11/7 to 12/6/2016

Recruitment and information sessions will run from 7/1 – 9/1/2016. Please call (912) 401-0672 or (912) 656-4339 or (912) 656-4079 for more information.

Just imagine, on a warm summer Savannah morning: you just spent an entire hour focusing on your breathing, stretching those hamstrings, opening up your hips, and strengthening your core. You’re lying flat on your back, arms out at a 45 degree angle, and eyes closed in a deep relaxed shavasana. You’re sinking into the foam mat beneath you, your mind clears and the salty breeze brushes your forehead. The ripples in the water are gently splashing against the pylons then washing to shore. This puts you in a state of mind you want to forever stay in. From head to toe your body thanks you for its treatment …Namaste. OK – back to reality… this will be you very soon on the Tybee Island Pier!

Location: Tybee Island Pier & Pavilion

Start Date: Sat, 06/04/2016 Start Time: 8:00am - 9:00am

Parking: You will need to pay the parking meters on Tybee. Tybee Island meters need to be paid 7 days a week, 8am - 8pm.

Registration Fees: $8 Pre-Registration / $15 morning of or register for all 4 classes for only $28.

Proceeds Benefit the Fresh Air Home on Tybee - a summer camp for children from the Savannah and surrounding area who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend a camp.

Yoga on the Pier is sponsored by: the Chatham County Parks & Recreation Department

LittLe League Youth aLL-Star tournamentSFriday July 8 thru Sunday July 10and Friday July 22 thru Sunday July 24in North Georgia

Summer Scorcher at Lake Mayer ParkFriday July 15 thru Sunday July 17

Yoga on the tYbee PierSaturday, July 16 at 8am

Youth FootbaLL coacheS meeting Thursday, July 24 at 6pmAdministrative Office

indoor garage SaLe at the Frank G. Murray Community CenterSaturday, July 99am - 12pm

For More InForMatIon

Call 912-652-6784

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, July 24, 2016

Health insurance is essential for children to thrive at school and in life. National research has shown that children with health coverage who visit a doctor regularly are more likely to complete high school and graduate college compared with their peers who don’t have access to care.

Fortunately, there are free and low-cost health insurance options available in the community through Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids. These programs offer a broad set of benefits, including doctor visits, dental care, immunizations, prescriptions, mental health services, and more.

Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids provide quality health coverage for working families with children and teens; a family of four earning up to $59,904 a year may qualify. For those already enrolled, it’s important to renew each year to ensure continuous coverage.

Individuals who need assistance finding a pediatrician or family practitioner may call the Chatham County Care Coordinator at 912-356-2887.

Unexpected illness or accidents can happen at any time. Get some peace of mind: Get your children enrolled and keep them enrolled in health coverage.

Back-to-school Brings opportunities to sign up for Children’s Health Coverage

Our Enrollment Assistance Partners…

Bull Street Public Library2002 Bull Street, SavannahDetails: 2nd Tuesday of each monthHours: 5pm-8pmnext events: August 9th & September 13th.

St. mary’s Community Center812 W. 36th Street, Savannah 912-447-0578 • Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9am-3pm

Centro Hispano de Savannah first Hispanic Baptist Church(SE HABLA ESPAÑOL) 1 Gamble Road, Savannah 912-777-8955 Hours: Tuesday 6pm-9pm, Thursday 9am-4pm, 6pm-9pm

Centro Hispano de Savannah St. Paul’s Episcopal Church(SE HABLA ESPAÑOL) 1802 Abercorn St, Savannah912-232-0274Hours: Mondays 6pm-9pm

Chatham County Safety net Planning CouncilChatham County Health Department 1395 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah 912-356-2887 Hours: Monday 9am-1pm and Wednesday 1pm-5pm

Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Center(SE HABLA ESPAÑOL) 106 E. Broad Street, Savannah 912-527-1000 Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8am-5pm, Tuesday & Thursday 8am-7pm, Saturday 9am-2pm

moses Jackson Advancement Center1410B Richard Street, Savannah 912-525-2166 Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-2pm

Step up Savannah 428 Bull Street, Savannah 912-232-6747Hours:

Bull Street Public Library “Enrollment Assistance for PeachCare for Kids, Medicaid and SNAP benefits available the second Tuesday of each month at the Bull Street Public Library. Walk-ins on a first come, first served basis.

In Chatham County, in-person assistance for signing up or renewing coverage is available from the Campaign for Healthy Kids enrollment partners:

Questions? Visit healthykidssavannah.org

or call 912-661-3040.

Get your children the health coverage they deserve and have one less thing to worry about.

One of the many ways that Chatham County provides services to the disabled community is through the Anderson/ Cohen Weight Lifting Center located at 7230 Varnedoe Drive, next to Memorial Stadium. They provide weight lifting coaching for people with disabilities through the Abilities Unlimited Program. Abilities Unlimited also coaches the award winning Special Olympics Weight Lifting Team.

But there is a recent addition to services for citizens with disabilities. GEM (Get Excited and Move) is a multi-dimensional exercise program designed by Olympic Coach Michael Cohen, and is just one more example of how Chatham County is helping people with disabilities in our community. The program, which utilizes the most appropriate skills and activities from a variety of sports (Olympic weight lifting, floor work, stretching, agility training, and boxing) is designed specifically for People with Parkinson’s disease (PwP’s) and other movement disorders. In addition, like no other group remedial or therapeutic program in the US, GEM encourages the caregivers to participate. They do not serve as

coaches or cheerleaders. Rather, the caregivers, like the PwP’s, become active, vital athletes, working towards the goal of strengthening their bodies and encouraging overall health.

GEM was developed at the request of Sarah Bernzott, Director of Savannah Parkinson Support Group (SPSG), an area 501(c)(3) supporting and enhancing the lives and families of those touched by Parkinson’s disease, which is both debilitating and progressive.

With more than 150 people on the support group roster, and with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders diagnoses growing, it became necessary to create a program, utilizing both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, that could be modified to help each diagnosed person, regardless of age or level of degeneration.

GEM began in late February with 23 participants as a pilot program approved by Chatham County Parks and Recreation. It is funded totally by non-profit, except for the reduction of fee ($10 rather than $20) allowed to people with disabilities at the Anderson Cohen Gym and the support of Coach

Cohen and his staff. As of June 10, there are 88 participants signed up from throughout Chatham County, and living at a variety of economic levels. Each day brings new success to the participants and to the GEM program, and growth shows no signs of slowing down. SPSG/Team Savannah leaders anticipate more than 200 participants in a variety of movement disorders (PD, ALS, MS, Essential Tremor, Huntington’s disease, Dystonia, etc.) by December, 2016.

Additionally, a number of caregivers and PwP’s have decided to continue to work outside of the regularly scheduled classes and are training as Elite Masters Level Athletes, utilizing training by Coach Cohen and his Team Savannah staff. These people, just a few short months ago, had little hope of any cure for Parkinson’s disease. There is still no cure. However, they have repeatedly been told to exercise, exercise, exercise by their physicians and families; and now, they have the opportunity to do that, in a safe environment, and can focus on activities and skills designed with a degenerative condition in mind.

get Excited and Move (gEM)

If you want more information about any of these programs, or if you need an accommodation to access any of Chatham County’s buildings or services, or know someone who does, please contact James Aberson, ADA Coordinator. He can be reached by phone at (912) 652-7937 during business hours, or by email at jeaberson@chathamcounty.org.

Three Chatham County All-Star Little League Teams Participated at District and State Levels

Chatham County Parks and Recreation recently finished its first full season of Little League Baseball. This year the program expanded to include children from the ages of 4 to 12.

Three All Star teams were selected to participate at

the district and state levels. Our 7-8 year olds went to Warner Robins June 20th - 21st to vie in the district tournament. The 9-10 year old team will travel to Marietta on July 9th and the 11-12 year old group to Peachtree City July 22nd to compete against other All Star teams at the state level. We wish all these teams the very best!

Chatham County Parks and Recreation’s goal is to provide kids a great experience with baseball as well as teaching them the fundamentals of the game. We would also love to see Chatham County represented at the Little League World Series on ESPN one day! Want your child to be part of Little League Baseball? Signups will begin for players and volunteer coaches at the beginning of 2017.

For more information, contact Cameron Chastain at (912) 652-6782 or by email at cjchasta@chathamcounty.org

Back by popular demand, the Famous Hall of Fame “Gator Rivers” 3 on a 3 Competition

Free Globetrotters Bookbags to the 1st 8 teams

Hamburgers and Hotdogs while they last

Time: 9am–1pm, Saturday July 30, 2016

Ages: 8–14

Site: Lake Mayer Community Park, 1850 East Montgomery Cross Road

Contact: Anthony D. Russell, (912)-652-6791 or ADRussell@chathamcounty.org

Sponsored by Chatham County Park Services

2016 Chatham County Parks & Recreation Department

In 2016, Chatham County has experienced several storms resulting from a very active tropical season. With Tropical Storm Hermine and Tropical Storm Julia, the effects were isolated and the damages were contained to primarily the eastern areas of the County. A few weeks later, Chatham County was faced, once again, with the third tropical system within a 30 day period. Hurri-

cane Matthew began impacting Chatham County on October 7th and officially produced Hurricane Category 1 sus-tained winds, and Category 2 gusts on Tybee Island. Hur-ricane Matthew became the first hurricane to significantly impact Chatham County since Hurricane David in 1979. Lead-ing up to the actual impact of Hurricane Matthew, Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) began moni-toring the storm as it formed in the Atlantic and moved toward the Caribbean becoming a tropical storm on September 28, 2016.

As Tropical Storm Matthew progressed northward, CEMA met with county and mu-nicipality leaders to discuss preparations and timelines leading up to the potential for Matthew to become a major hurricane. Communication

regarding Matthew began as early as September 28th with messages to emergency man-agement partners and county staff announcing the need to monitor Matthew’s develop-ment. Regular information was distributed on a routine basis to ensure partners and county staff members remained aware of the developing system. On Monday, CEMA began distrib-uting tropical packages and issuing guidance on preparing for the storm and promoting their readiness.

Beginning Tuesday, October 4, 2016, conference calls occurred between municipal partners, emergency management team members, Chatham County officials, and the National Weather Service to discuss the changing predictions and path of Hurricane Matthew. Also, as information became available, the CEMA Director ensured the

most current information was distributed.

Shortly following the Octo-ber 4th 11:00 AM advisory on Hurricane Matthew, I met with the CEMA Director Dennis Jones and County Manager Lee Smith to review the dynam-ics of the storm and discuss the various options available to me regarding an evacua-tion decision. Information was presented to discuss the evacu-ation process, communication methods and statistics of the storm. At the time of this initial discussion, the majority of the forecast models projected the storm to remain off-shore from Chatham County. Additionally, the estimated models from the Hurricane Center projected the storm to drop in intensity by the end of the week.

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, October 30, 2016

Al ScottChairman

Helen StoneDistrict 1

James Holmes District 2

Tony CenterDistrict 3

Patrick FarrellDistrict 4

Yusuf ShabazzDistrict 5

Lori BradyDistrict 6

Dean Kicklighter District 7

Priscilla Thomas District 8

October 30, 2016

CHATHAM COUNTY

Message FroM THe CHaIrMaN

For more information on the current district lines visit: http://www.chathamcounty.org/Government/BoardofCommissioners/CommissionDistrictMaps.aspx

Al Scott, Chairman

continued on p. 4

The calendar year of 2017 will see plenty of construction, and frustration, to the traveling public. The Georgia Department of Transportation is ramping up many of the projects that have been on the drawing board for many years. Most of this comes from the passage of HB 170 a couple of years ago. The much needed change in the transportation funding for the State of Georgia has solidified the amount of money that the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) sees on an annual basis. The GDOT is pushing many of the projects and maintenance programs forward in an attempt to catch up on the needs of the system. The following are just some of the improvements that will be seen and the construction that is ongoing in some areas.

Interstate 95 / Interstate 16 Improvements. – Work is underway to provide multiple improvements to the interstate system in Chatham County. The first is the widening of

Interstate 16. The GDOT has hired a consultant to do the preliminary plans for the project. Many commuters are already seeing surveyors on the route. This project will widen the current 4 lane section to 6 lanes. Much of the delay along the route is due to the lack of merge capacity at the various interchanges (I-516 / SR 307 / Chatham Parkway). The widening for the project will occur to the center of the corridor. With the widening there will also be modifications

to many of the ramps and a replacement of the bridge at State Route 307 (Dean Forest Road). Considerations for other improvements along the corridor are being studied at this time. The intent of the project at this time is to make it a Design / Build project. This method of construction allows the project to be fast tracked and work to begin earlier than traditional methods. Although this is a much needed improvement, work will make the commute even more laborious over the next couple of years. Work is expected to begin in calendar year 2017.

Another improvement along this corridor is the construction of two fly-over ramps at the I-95 / I-16 interchange. The clover design of the interchange creates many weave points that are not ideally suited for the demands placed on it. The two ramps being considered at this time would be for traffic that is south bound on

Orange Barrels will overtake Chatham County in 2017!

continued on p. 4

County Partnership Helps Stop Hunger

On Friday, September 23rd, the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) and Occupational Safety and Risk Management (Safety) teams partnered with United Way HandsOn Savannah and America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia to pack boxes of food for the Mobile Food Pantry. The Mobile Food Pantry is one of Second Harvest’s Hunger Relief Programs and distributes emergency food relief to rural residents who struggle with providing enough food for their family. Over the last year, Second Harvest transported approximately 15,000 pounds of food for distribution to families in over 21 counties across Southeast Georgia.

The Chatham County team spent two hours at the warehouse creating an assembly line to fill the boxes of food. Each member had a specific task and worked together to fill and package each box. “It’s a great feeling to know two hours of work helped provide meals for over 300 families in our community,” said CEMA employee Randall Mathews.

This is the first time CEMA and Safety have partnered together for a community service project and, due to the success of the event, will partner again for similar outings in the future.

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, October 30, 2016

It may still feel a little like summer outside but as we move into fall, something else may blow in with the change of seasons: the flu virus. Don’t wait to get vaccinated against the flu. Several locations, including the Chatham County Health Department, physician offices, and pharmacies, now offer the flu vaccine.

Getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from the flu. Every flu season is different and we never know how bad a flu season is going to be or how long it’s going to last which is why it is so important to get the flu vaccine every year.

Some things to know about this year’s flu season:

The vaccine has been updated for the • 2016-2017 flu season so it should be a better match for flu viruses.

Only the flu shot is recommended • this year because there are questions about the effectiveness of the nasal spray form of the vaccine.

The Chatham County Health • Department, located at 1395 Eisenhower Drive, offers regular flu shots for $29 and high dose flu shots, made especially for people 65 years and older, for $50. No appointment is necessary for flu shots.

It’s Flu Season: Don’t Wait to Vaccinate

Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it also protects people around you - like babies, older people, and people with chronic health conditions - who may be at risk from getting seriously ill from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 6 months of age and older receive a yearly flu vaccine. People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, heart disease, diabetes and lung disease and people 65 years of age and older.

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the immune system to fully respond to the vaccine and provide the body protection. While getting the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu, there are other things we can all do every day to prevent getting or spreading the flu viruses and other viruses:

Avoid close contact with sick • people.

If you get sick with flu-like • illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.

While sick, limit contact with • others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

Try to cough or sneeze into the • corner of your elbow and not your hand or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands with soap and • water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, • and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Clean and disinfect surfaces and • objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

Don’t let the flu get the best of you. Protect yourself and your loved ones from flu by getting vaccinated early.

cough or sneeze intoyour upper sleeve, not your hands.

Cover your mouthand nose with a tissue when youcough or sneeze

Put your used tissue inthe waste basket.

You may be asked toput on a surgical maskto protect others.

or

after coughing or sneezing.

Stop the spread of germs that make you and others sick!

clean with alcohol-basedhand cleaner.

Wash with soap and water

or

Minnesota Department of Health625 N Robert Street, PO Box 64975St. Paul, MN 55164-0975651-201-5414 TDD/TTY 651-201-5797www.health.state.mn.us IC#141-1428

MinnesotaAntibioticResistance Collaborative

CoverCough

CleanHands

your

yourIn the previous issues of Chatham County Connection we brought you stories of how Chatham County is meeting the needs of its citizens with disabilities and meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act at the same time. We’ve talked about accommodations at the Aquatic Center and the Get Excited and Move program (GEM) at the Anderson/ Cohen Weightlifting Center.

In this issue we want to highlight the Sit and Be Fit program at the Frank G. Murray Community Center on Whitemarsh Island.

The Sit and Be Fit program was designed for people with a disability or that are recovering from an injury or surgery and cannot stand for long periods of time. It is also great for those who have severe weight problems, or simply have not exercised in years and need to ease back into a routine of physical activity. The class is held on Fridays at 9 a.m. and is a well-rounded 45 minute class that takes place entirely in a seated position so it is wheelchair friendly.

The class was created in May of this year by

Jodi Moody, Recreation Supervisor at the Frank G Murray Community Center. Jodi has been a certified Pilates instructor for 10 years and has been at the FGM Center since 2007 teaching Pilates and other core conditioning classes and is dedicated to helping people regain physical activity and wellness in their lives.

Jodi customizes each Sit and Be Fit class based on the participants who are present that day. She can modify the class to the abilities of each person by using a variety of small apparatus “props,” including Thera bands, mini exercise balls, hand weights, Pilates rings, plastic plates and more. Using the props, she creates routines that include cardiovascular, isometric, and flexibility exercises, along with strength training and core conditioning. And to top it all off, she makes exercising fun.

One regular had this to say; “[The] Sit & Be Fit Class at the community center has really helped me. Jodi is an outstanding instructor who gives consideration to the needs and physical limitations of her students. Her goal is to provide a

good workout while having fun. I leave the class feeling so much better physically and I continue many of the routines I’ve learned at home.” – Jeanne C.

Perhaps best of all, the program is free, so people on a fixed income or who may have exhausted insurance coverage for Physical Therapy can participate without any financial burden.

In addition to the Sit and Be Fit class, the Frank G. Murray Community Center has a wide variety of programs for participants of all ages. They have Zumba, Line Dancing, Toddler Arts and Crafts, Yoga, even a Friday Night Kid’s Movie that parents can drop the kids off at and come back to pick them up when it’s over.

The Center also has a full kitchen, and is available for rent.

For more information contact:Jodi L Moody, Recreation Supervisor Frank G Murray Community Center , (912) 898-3320 160 Whitemarsh Island Road Savannah GA 31410 https://parks.chathamcounty.org/Parks/Community-Centers/Frank-G-Murray

Sit and Be Fit

Housing is fundamental in all of our communities. Chatham County hosted its first-ever forum on this important topic on August 17. An adequate supply of quality affordable housing is critical to building a healthy and stable community. We encourage your participation as we explore options and challenge assumptions about what works to build safe neighborhoods and make housing affordable for our workforce, seniors and special needs populations.

Our featured speaker was Phillip Mangano, president and CEO at American Round Table to Abolish Homelessness, spoke of successes of the “housing first” strategy, as well as other tactics that are data-based and have been used by cities in Georgia and around the U.S. As former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Mr. Mangano was recognized for his leadership in housing issues by Governing magazine in 2006.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about an array of services, resources and supports provided through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Whether the community is dealing with

homelessness or working to ensure a broad range of housing options exist, Chatham County and its partners explored options and challenged assumptions about what works to build safe neighborhoods and make housing affordable for all residents.

Chatham County’s recent score (125 out of a possible 200) is in part attributable to lack of affordable housing options for thousands of residents in our communities. As a result local elected officials met with Mr. Mangano to discuss strategies for addressing the scarcity of affordable housing in our community. In addition participants had the opportunity to hear about specific projects currently underway in Garden City as well as City of Savannah.

Recommendations from the forum that are being considered include: The creation of a county-wide housing task force which would then work to revise ordinances and policies specific housing and landlords, identify and address barriers to access existing housing, and explore creative financing tools. If you are interested in serving on the Chatham County Housing Taskforce please contact us at housing@chathamcounty.org

Do you neeD helP getting into a builDing or accessing a service?

Chatham County complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act but sometimes we miss something. If you or anyone you know needs help, because of a disability, accessing any service the county provides please contact James Aberson the

Chatham County ADA Coordinator. He can be reached by phone at (912) 652-7937 or email at jeaberson@chathamcounty.org.

Chatham County to Host Housing Forum

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, October 30, 2016

The Coastal Campaign for Healthy Kids offers enrollment and renewal assistance for Children’s Health Insurance Programs, Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids to families who would like to work through the application process with the help of a personal enrollment assister. Most children and teens (Ages 0-19) in Chatham County qualify for one of these free or low-cost health insurance programs. Benefits include regular check-ups, shots, doctor and dentist visits, hospital care, mental health services, prescriptions and more.

Getting a child covered gives parents one less thing to worry about. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one out of three children aged 5 to 17 years missed one or more school days due to illness or injury. Children who have health insurance are better prepared to learn in school and they are less likely to miss school because they are sick

Eligibility for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids is based on family size and income. Children in a family of four earning up to $59,904 a year may qualify.

our enrollment assistance Partners…

Locations Accepting Walk ins

Bull Street Public Library2002 Bull Street, SavannahDetails: 2nd Tuesday of each monthHours: 5pm-8pmNext events: November 8 & December 13

Centro Hispano de Savannah First Hispanic Baptist Church(SE HABLA ESPAÑOL) 1 Gamble Road, Savannah 912-429-3803Hours: Tuesday, 6pm-9pm and Thursday, 9am-4pm, 6pm-9pm

Locations Accepting Walk ins and Appointments

St. Mary’s Community Center812 W. 36th Street, Savannah 912-447-0578 • Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9am-3pm

Centro Hispano de Savannah St. Paul’s Episcopal Church(SE HABLA ESPAÑOL) 1802 Abercorn St, Savannah912-232-0274Hours: Mondays 6pm-9pm

Locations Accepting Appointments Only

Chatham County Safety Net Planning CouncilChatham County Health Department 1395 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah 912-356-2887 Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm

Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Center(SE HABLA ESPAÑOL) 2 Roberts Street, Savannah 912-527-1000 Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8am-5pm, Tuesday & Thursday 8am-7pm, Saturday 9am-2pm

Moses Jackson Advancement Center1410B Richard Street, Savannah 912-525-2166 Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-2pm

Step Up Savannah 428 Bull Street, Savannah 912-232-6747Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm

Coastal Campaign for Healthy Kids Mobile Enrollment

Call for locations.912-661-1272912-661-1290 (SE HABLA ESPAÑOL)Hours: Monday 8:30am-4:30pm, Saturday 10am-12:00pm

In Chatham County, in-person assistance for signing up or renewing coverage is available from the Campaign for Healthy Kids enrollment partners:

Yahira Heraldez is the Campaign’s Bilingual (Spanish-English) Enrollment Specialist

Vira Salzburn is the new Program Coordinator for the Coastal Campaign for Healthy Kids

Enrollment Specialist, Chloe Long helps families enroll and renew in Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids

Coastal Campaign for Healthy Kids Offers In-Person Medicaid and PeachCare

Enrollment and Renewal Assistance

With the Cooler Weather Comes Fall Sports, Get Covered, Get in the Game!As a parent, you want to do everything you can to be sure your child is prepared to play fall sports– including having the required physicals and emergency and specialist care for unexpected injuries. Call 912-661-3040 to talk to an enroller today!

Introducing Our New Team MembersThe Campaign is pleased to introduce additions to the Campaign Team and welcome Vira Salzburn, Chloe Long and Yahira Heraldez. Vira serves as our program coordinator and Chloe and Yahira are “Mobile” Enrollment Assisters.

The Mobile Enrollers will offer Children’s Health Insurance enrollment assistance at various locations, days and times throughout Chatham County and are available for individual appointments. Additionally, Yahira is bilingual and can assist helping Spanish-speaking parents/guardians. Please check with coastalcampaign.org for a list of upcoming enrollment events or call for an appointment.

Free In Personal Enrollment Help for Children’s Health Coverage at the Bull Street Public Library November 8th

FREE in-person, enrollment and renewal assistance for children’s health insurance programs, Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids, Pregnancy Medicaid and other public benefits (SNAP and CAPS) will be available at the Bull Street Public Library, 2002 Bull Street, Tuesday, November 9, 2016, from 5:00PM-8:00PM in the first floor board room (Please arrive by 7:30PM)

The Coastal Campaign for Healthy Kids will provide one-on-one enrollment assistance on a first come, first served basis. If you are unable to attend, please call Chloe Long at 912-661-1272 or Yahira Heraldez (se habla Español) at 912-661-1290.

For more information on the Campaign for Healthy Kids, call Campaign Manager, Eva Elmer at 912-661-3040 or visit coastalcampaign.org.

We ask everyone to bring a government-issued ID and proof of income.

This event is free and open to the public.

to see if your child is eligible or to enroll now, call (912) 661-3040 or visit coastalcampaign.org

Cooler weather means we are ready to get out and walk together again! Beginning October 5th, Every WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY Morning at 10:30, we depart from the Community Center and take a walk thru the YMCA trail and over to the Whitemarsh Preserve Trail.

We will have a fast group and a not-so-fast group, led by recreation leaders here at the Frank G Murray Community Center.

Walk time is approx. 1 hour

chatham county Parks & recreation… bringing Quality to life!Featuring the Frank G Murray Community Center & Whitemarsh Preserve Trail

Get out and Walk: Walkie Talkies Returns

Walkie Talkies is a WEATHER PERMITTING group activity.

Route varies

OptiOnal: Bring your WALKING POLES, for burning more calories and additional core conditioning

PIECING TOGETHER THETALENT PIPELINE

Connecting business leaders to education and training resources

and understanding workforce issues to better meet employer needs.

An Employer Networking Event

November 3, 20168:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Savannah Technical College

INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY

MANUFACTURINGHEALTH CARE

LOGISTICS

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/piecing­together­the­talent­pipeline­tickets­28024128924EVENT REGISTRATION:

Special Supplement to the Savannah Morning News, Sunday, October 30, 2016

On Wednesday, October 5th, after the 11:00 AM advisory, I met again with the CEMA Director, County Manager and County Attorney to review the evacuation decision making process, the timeline and other necessary information regarding Matthew. During this meeting, the forecast models still expected Matthew to stay off shore and decrease in intensity. In an evacuation decision, the Chairman has sole authority to issue a decision for the County under the Georgia Emergency Management Act and the Chatham County Emergency Management Ordinance. Based on the information presented, I decided to issue an evacuation order for the islands east of the Wilmington River and other low-lying areas. This evacuation order was to begin on Thursday, October 6, 2016.

In an evacuation decision, each jurisdiction has the authority to issue additional orders for their jurisdiction that are more stringent than the County’s order. Tybee Island elected to issue a mandatory evacuation order for their community. As Chairman, I supported their decision. This same level of authority extends to the State as well. The Governor’s office has the authority to issue more strict evacuation decisions if desired. I had several discussions with the Governor regarding the evacuation timing and decision. The Governor asked if a mandatory evacuation order would be reasonable, and I replied “Yes, I don’t have a problem with that Governor.” With this common understanding, the Governor issued a mandatory evacuation order for all coastal counties and we both issued orders to evacuate all areas east of I-95 in Chatham County. This trigger allowed for all eastbound lanes of I-16 to be turned to westbound lanes to facilitate the evacuation process.

Chatham County began feeling the impacts of Hurricane Matthew on Friday, October 7, 2016. Those residents who remained were urged to shelter in place until after the storm. Hurricane Matthew’s full strength was evident in the early hours of Saturday, October 8, 2016, as he passed within 30 miles of Chatham County’s coastline.

When it was safe to move around the county, Damage Assessment Teams and critical infrastructure workers began assessing the damage to Chatham County. Current estimates indicate the debris caused by Matthew is about 1,278,000 cubic yards, or roughly enough to fill the Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena in the Savannah Civic Center 11 times! Public Works crews began clearing main roads and highways so that Georgia Power teams could begin restoring power to the entire county.

On Sunday, October 9, 2016, Chatham County began the re-entry process for critical workforce employees throughout the County. This process allowed for critical workforce staff members to return and begin the important recovery and restoration steps necessary to ensuring the County’s safety before allowing its citizens to return and assess their personal damage. On the full return of the County, citizens were cautioned they should expect no electricity, unknown damage and the possibility of water outages and contamination. Citizens were warned that these conditions could possibly continue for a week or longer depending on the damage to utility infrastructure. As part of the re-entry process, a county-wide curfew was put in place. The significant power outages, downed trees and other damages produced an environment too hazardous for citizens to move around the County during nighttime hours.

This Hurricane produced enough damage to qualify Chatham County for a Full Presidential Disaster Declaration. This allows FEMA programs to be available to Chatham County in the areas of Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. Shortly after the storm, FEMA teams arrived to assess damage to personal homes and property, historical sites, public buildings and schools. In order to assist as many citizens as possible, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are working in neighborhoods offering guidance in applying for FEMA assistance as well as working with CEMA to secure a site to serve as a Disaster Recovery Center.

Storm recovery is an ongoing process. Debris pickup is a time consuming job that will take many months to fully complete. The Public Works departments is working tirelessly to ensure that this process proceeds as expeditiously as possible. We ask that you exercise patience as our teams make their way through Chatham County collecting the debris and performing routine cleaning of areas damaged by the storm. Recovery can be a long and arduous process, especially in areas with such a large tree canopy as Chatham County.

While Chatham County does not see many hurricanes, these natural disasters remain our biggest threat. It is important to remain vigilant and prepared for the day if or when Chatham County is threatened by a direct impact from a powerful storm. Our citizens are our most important asset, and I am proud of their reaction to the evacuation process as well as in how they handled returning to damaged areas. Our strength is truly in how we pull together in times of a crisis, and Chatham County rose to the test.

continued from p. 1

chairman’s Message

Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition, Chatham County and other local economic and workforce development partners are planning to host an Economic/Workforce networking event on Thursday November 3, 2016; called PIECING TOGETHER the TALENT PIPELINE.

The goal of the event is: To promote the community goal of building a prepared local workforce by connecting business leaders to education and training resources and understanding workforce issues to better meet employer needs. Proposed outcomes:

Open the lines of communication between workforce development programs •and businesses so that programs can better understand and meet the needs of the employer

Gain knowledge to better refer job-seekers and job-providers to appropriate •organizations

Gain awareness of the services and access to the pipeline that stems from •local workforce programs

The agenda outline includes panelist of workforce development providers, the second panel consist of employers who will share success stories. The event will include a resource center staff with a variety of agencies and departments who have an array of services and supports for employers seeking individuals that meet industry demands.

Finally, we hope this event will help providers and policy makers better understand theneedsofemployersanddefinewaystopiecetogetherthetalentpoolofindividuals with the vacancies within our region for employment.

Event will be held at the Eckburg Auditorium at Savannah Technical College (5717 White Bluff Road).

Check-in and breakfast begin at 8:00 am with program scheduled to begin at 8:30 am; wrap up by 10:00 am.

The event is free but online pre-registration is required: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/piecing-together-the-talent-pipeline-tickets-28024128924

{{NEW STARTING SALARIES IN 2016! 

Salaries start at $34,518 and increase to $35,208 after six months.

I-95. Instead of using a clover to merge onto I-16 east bound, traffic would enter a fly-over that would bring them directly onto I-16 east bound and eliminate the clover and weave for this movement. The second fly-over would be for traffic heading west bound on I-16 that wants to get to Bryan County on south bound I-95. These two movements are the dominant ones on the interchange and will improve the safety of the interchange as a whole. Work is expected to begin in calendar year 2017.

Another project that will be very noticeable in the coming months is the maintenance of vegetation along these areas. The GDOT is planning a very aggressive campaign to clear the entire rights of way along I-16 and I-516. The most noticeable area will be that within the I-516 / I-16 interchange. The sight distance for these ramps is very limited. GDOT intends to clear cut the entire area and remove all trees. The goal is to provide better sight distance and increase safety. This work could begin before the end of the year.

Islands Expressway Bridge Replacement – The Chatham County Department of Engineering has been designing a replacement for the old Bascule Bridges for a couple of years. The age and reliability of the existing structure has deteriorated and many of the parts required to keep the bridge operational are not available. The design is to

build two high span bridges similar to the structure that crosses the Wilmington River on US 80 in Thunderbolt. Construction will be staged to keep traffic flowing but at a restricted rate during construction. The first phase of the project will be to construct the bridge to the north while traffic is maintained on the existing bridges. Once opened, all traffic will be swapped to the new bridge and the removal of the old bridges and the construction of the new one will occur. Obviously there will be delay once this swap occurs since there will only be one lane in each direction. The duration of this project is approximately 2 ½ to 3 years. And prior to that Georgia Power will be relocating their facilities that are in conflict with the new bridge. This will be a frustrating project over this time period but once complete it will provide constant uninterrupted service over the river.

As always patience is requested when it comes to dealing with these construction projects over the coming years. Many workers will be in these corridors that are vulnerable to traffic in close proximity to their work areas. Please use caution when traveling through these areas and remember those individuals that are working to make your commute a safer and worry free one. If you have any additional questions on any of these projects you can contact the Department of Engineering at 912-652-7800.

continued from p. 1

orange barrels

{{NEW STARTING SALARIES IN 2016! 

Salaries start at $34,518 and increase to $35,208 after six months.

{{NEW STARTING SALARIES IN 2016! 

Salaries start at $34,518 and increase to $35,208 after six months.

Special Supplement

Be Prepared: Before, During, and After Flood

Before a flood or hurricane

• Know your flood hazard. Check with the Chatham County Department of Engineering at (912) 652-7800 or City of Savannah Development Services at (912) 651-6530 to find out what flood zone you are in and what the Base Flood Elevation is for your lot.

Note that flood zone determination requests are to be made in writing and

can be faxed to Chatham County at (912) 652-7818 and (912) 651-6543

for the City of Savannah. You can get a good idea of your flood zone and

risk from the map included with this publication and www.sagis.org. Please

refer to the Point of Contacts Table on the flood map for your area.

• Understand the flood warning system and know the safest route to high, safe ground.

Visit Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA): www.chathamemergency.org or call (912) 201-4500 to find out about the flood

warning system and what evacuation route you should use.

• Prepare a family disaster kit. Learn more at: www.ready.gov

• Prepare your home. Learn how to turn off the gas and electricity to your house and do so if flooding is imminent. Protect your home against high winds associated with hurricanes and tropical storms (install storm shutters, reinforce garage doors, etc.)

• Buy flood insurance. Flood damage is not covered by

homeowner’s insurance. It’s affordable and easy to obtain. Renters can secure flood damage coverage for their personal property. Know what items are not covered and take extra steps to protect them. Coverage is limited to only certain items of property in basement and enclosure areas.

• Do you have questions or concerns? Evacuation routes and the locations of emergency shelters can be found in the phonebook and online. Check the “Resources on the Web” and “Contacts” tables inside this publication for more information.

During a flood Because flood water can rise quickly, be prepared to evacuate before the water level reaches your property.

• Stay informed during a weather event.

• Follow evacuation orders when issued.

• Move to higher ground if you can do so safely—but DO NOT attempt to walk, drive, or swim through moving water or flooded areas. Just 6 inches of fast moving water can knock a person off their feet and less than 2 feet of swiftly moving water

can sweep away heavy cars and trucks. Remember: turn around, don’t drown. Drowning is the number one cause of flood-related deaths, followed by electrocution.

• If you are caught at home by rising water, move to the second floor or the roof. Take your disaster supply kit with you.

• If evacuation is required and you can safely do so, turn off all utilities at the main power switch and close any gas valves.

• On the road, watch for and avoid floodwaters, fallen debris and power lines.

After a flood Danger does not end when flood water recedes.

• Return home only when authorities indicate it is safe.

• Hidden structural damage may make a building unsafe.

• Have a professional check your heating, electrical system, and appliances for safety prior to using.

• Don’t use any food or water that was exposed to floodwaters.

• Dry your house slowly but thoroughly. Pump out flooded basements slowly to avoid structural damage.

As a flat, low-lying coastal region, the natural landscape of our community puts various locations within the County and City at risk for flooding during any long periods of moderate rainfall or during high volume, short duration rainfalls. Local structural flooding during major storms dates back to 1811 and as recent as July 2007. On June 29, 1999, more than 12 inches of rain fell within

a 24-hour period on areas of Chatham County. Since 1948, Chatham County and the surrounding municipalities have flooded more than 15 times due to storms that produced 4 inches of rainfall or more. There are more than 1,700 dwellings on record that flooded during those same weather events. Areas around local waterways such as the Wilmington, Vernon, Forest Grove and

Ogeechee rivers and Springfield, Casey, Placentia, Pipemakers and Harden canals have increased vulnerability to flooding. With such close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, we’re also at serious risk for the flooding and damage caused by hurricanes. Your City and County governments have invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 20 years to lessen

the risk of structural flooding in our community, but given our geography that risk will never be eliminated. Through emergency preparedness and responsible environmental actions, you can help reduce some causes of flooding and protect your family in the event of a dangerous weather event.

FlooDing hAPPens where you live:

Residents can help prevent localized flooding by keeping the ditches, culverts, and storm drains of our stormwater system clear of yard waste,

leaves, trash, and other debris. Simple actions make a big difference in how well this system functions. You should always properly collect and dispose of yard waste, including leaves. Raking or blowing debris into the street can contribute to flooding. Litter in the street can cause problems with drainage as well. Any type of debris can become entangled in culverts and shallow streambeds and reduce drainage causing the water to back up. Be sure to keep drainage ditches on your property free of debris, foliage

and vegetation that would impede the flow of water. It’s illegal to dump trash, grass clippings, leaves or other materials including chemicals, oil, gasoline or household products into ditches or other drainage systems. If you see illegal dumping, report it to the local public works department

or local law enforcement agencies. People caught dumping can face jail time and/or a fine as outlined in County Code 24-708 or the City’s Code 4-11004 and 5-2005. Please refer to the Point of Contacts Table on the flood map for other communities.

you Can help Prevent Flooding in your own neighborhood

howPrePAreDAre you?

A guide to help Keep you Above water

use this guide to learn about:

Contact info for assistance within savannah & Chatham Co.

Ways to greatly reduce our impact on water resources

Being prepared for flooding and hurricanes

Saving money, property and lives

in the course of a 30-year mortgage,

there is a 26% chance you might experience

a flood. Take steps to protect your

property from flood or hurricane damage:

• Buy flood insurance well in advance of storm season. Policies often have a 30-day waiting period before going into effect, making it essential to plan ahead for coverage.

• Keep the ditches and drains on your property clear of leaves and debris.

• Elevate or move furniture and electric items such as TV, stereos, appliances and electrical panels.

• Install backwater valves or plugs for drains, toilets, or other sewer connections to keep floodwater from entering your home. Install a sump pump in the basement to remove seeping and flood waters.

• Schedule a flood preparation site visit from the City or County. Staff will assist property owners with issues related to flooding, stormwater drainage and address any site-specific flooding concerns. The service is provided free of charge. Please refer to the Point of Contacts Table on the flood map.

• Elevation certificates (EC) of newly constructed or substantially improved buildings and benchmark locations may be obtained, when requested in writing, from the Chatham County Department of Engineering. New, EC are downloadable from each community on their Flood webpage. Please refer to the City and County Resources Table.

• Determine if retrofitting your property would be beneficial. Retrofitting means to alter the building to eliminate or reduce flood damage. There are several options to consider: elevation, flood barriers, dry flood proofing, and wet flood proofing. There are several references in the public libraries on retrofitting and additional documents pertaining to floodplain management topics. See the FEMA guide on retrofitting your house against flooding. Visit www.fema.gov for more information. The library at 2002 Bull Street has copies of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps and additional flood protection literature.

• Store materials like sandbags, plywood, lumber and plastic sheeting in case of a serious flooding threat. These materials can help minimize the damage caused not only by flood waters, but also damage by hurricane force winds.

stay informed: understanding the Flood warning system Locally, the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) manages the flood warning system. Once CEMA receives a potentially dangerous warning, sirens will be activated as well as the Local Emergency Information Network system which interrupts television and radio programs to give further instructions. With 95% of Chatham County’s population covered by an emergency warning siren, CEMA can activate individual siren sites in the immediate area to alert individuals who are not near a TV or radio. Information can also be

heard on the NOAA weather radio broadcast at frequency 162.40. Local evacuation routes can be found in the phone book. For additional information, contact CEMA at 912-201-4500 or visit the website at: chathamemergency.org

Flood warning system: Know

your TermsFlood watch

Be on the lookout for flooding

Flood warning Flooding is occurring

Tips For Protecting your valuable Property

A publication jointly presented by:

report Blocked storm Drains and illegal Dumping

City residents: Call 311County residents: Call (912) 652-6840

online: Chatham County Connect App

Savannah, Chatham County, and Surrounding Areas

Special Supplement

Yamacraw

YamacrawPark

Wormsloe

Woodsville/bartow

WinterGarden

WindsorForest GolfCourse

WindsorForest

WilshireEstates

Williamson Creek

WhitfieldPark

WhiteBluff

WestSavannah

WalthourSwamp

WalkerCanal

WrightSquare

WindsorForest Park

WindsorForest HighSchl

WilsonAnnex CooperCenter

WhiteBluffElementary

WheathillSportsComlex

WestsidePark

WesselsPark

WellsPark

WashingtonSquare

W. VictorianDistrict W W Law

Park

W ETaylorPark

VictorySquare/pinehurst

VictoryHeights

Vernonburg

VernonRiver

Vallambrosa

Valambrosia Canal

VictoryHeightsPark

VetsburgPark

VarnedoeCenter

UrsulaIs land

Twickenham

TremontPark

Thunderbolt

ThomasSquare

The Branches

Tatumville

TroupSquare

TremontPark

TreatParkTompkins Park

TompkinsElementarySchool

TomTriple ttPark

TiedemanPark

ThunderboltElementarySchool

Thomas\square

ThomasSquare

ThirdStreetPark

TheusPark

SylvanTerrace Sunset

Park

Summerside

SugarMill

StilesAvenue

Steamboat River

St. AugustineCreek

St JamesPlace

SpringfieldCanal

SouthsideCommercialDistrict

SouthfieldCanal

SouthbridgeGolf Club

Southbridge

SouthGarden

SkylandTerrace/grovePark

SkidawayRiver

SkidawayNarrows

SkidawayIs land/theLandings

SkidawayIs land

ShipyardCreek

Savannah AndDundee Canal

SavannahState/glynnwood

SavannahRiverLanding

SavannahQuar tersCounty Club

SavannahQuar ters

SavannahMall

SavannahInternational Trade& Convention Center

SavannahGolf Club

SavannahGardens

Savannah / HiltonHead InternationalAirport

SandyBluff/pineBar ren Road

Sandfly

SaltCreek

Sackvil le

SunsetPark

SummersidePark

StaleyHeightsPark

StaleyAvenuePark

SpragueElementarySchl

SolomonsPark

Soldie rsField Par

Seda

SavannahStateCollege

SavannahGardens

SavannahCountryDay Schl

SalvationArmyField

S. BeachInstitute

RunawayPoint

RunawayNegroCreek

Roundhouse/visitors'Center

Rose Dhu

RockfishCreek

RobinWoods

RiversEnd/lyndhurst

Red DockCanal

RunawayPointPark

RockwellPark

RobbieRobinsonPark

RiversEndPark

RiverDrivePark

RaccoonKey

PoplarPlace

Pooler

PipeMakersCanal

Pinpoint

PineGarden

PeachtreeCanal

PaulsenSoftbal l/memorialStadium

Parkside

Parks/sportsComplexes

ParadisePark

Pulaski Square

Pt. WentworthElementarySchl

PowderMagazine

PoolerRecreationPark

PassiveRecreation Park

OnslowIs land

OglethorpeMall

Ogeecheeton

OgeecheeRiver

OaklandPark/eastgate

Oakhurst

Or leansSquare

NottinghamWoods

NorwoodAvenue/wyllyIs land

NewtonTract

NewHampstead

Nw HistoricDistrict

NellieJohnsonPark

Ne HistoricDistrict

NathanielGreenePark

N. BeachInstitute

MoonRiver

Midtown

MiddleRiver

Metropolitan

Memorial/fairfield

Mega-site

MedicalArts

Mayfair

Mary CalderGolf Course

MarshIs land

MagnoliaPark/blueberry

MyersPark

MontereySquare

Mlk/indian St

MercerMiddleSchl

MemorialStadium

Mechanics AveWaterway Park

MccauleyPark

MayfairPark

MatildaPark

Mary CalderGolf Course

LynesParkway/indus trial Park

LottsIs land

Live Oak

Li ttleOgeecheeRiver

Li ttleOgeecheePond

Li ttleOgeecheeLandings/cottonvale Road

Li ttleNeck Road

Li ttleBackRiver

LibertyCity

LaurelGrove/gadsden

LargoWoods

Louis C.MobleyPark

LionsParkballfield

LibertySquare

LavidaCountryClub

LaurelGroveCemetery

Lattimore Park

LakeMayerPark

KensingtonPark

KaytonFraizer

KennedyPark

Kavanaugh Park

Jones Narrows

JacksonPark

JacksonManor

JohnsonHighSchool

JenkinsHighSchool

Is le OfHope

Is le OfHopeRiver

Is leOf\armstrong\park

I-95/204

HutchinsonIs land

HutchinsonIs land

HunterGolf Club

Hunter ArmyAirfield

HudsonHil l/bayview

HoustownCut

HoustonStreet

HoustonCreek

Horse PenSwamp

HooverCreek

Hog MarshIs land

HogIs land

Hitch/wessels

Hil lcrest

HerbRiverHenderson

Golf Club

Henderson

Hel lGate

Heatherwood

HarveyCreek

Harmony

HardinSwamp

HardinCanal

HaneysCreek

HalcyonBluff

HabershamWoods

HullPark

HudsonHil l Park

HitchPark

HitchVillage

HaynesElementarySchl

Haaf

GroveRiver

GroveHil l

GreenIs landSound

GreenIs land

GraysCreek

Gordonston

GeorgiaTechSavannah

Georgia PortsIndustrial Area

Georgetown

GeneralMacintosh

GardenCity

Guy MinickComplex

GuckenheimerPark

GrovesRecreationArea

GriffinStreetPark

Greene Square

GraysonStadium

GardenHomes Park

Garden CityElementarySchl

FridayCreek

FranklinCreek

FortArgyle

ForsythPark

ForrestPark

ForestCity GunClub Lake

FiveDocksCanal

Fernwood/parkwood

FellwoodHomes

FairwayOaks

Fairgrounds/feilerPark

FutureLei sure Park

Ful tonPark

Fred WesselsPark

ForsythPark

ForestHil lsPark

EllaIs land

ElbowCanal

Edgemere

Eastside

EastSavannah

EastHil l/victoryManor

EntlemanPark

EmmentPark

Eli WhitneyPark

E. VictorianDistrict

E.Ardmore

DutchIs land/parkersburg

DrakiesBluff/stoneContainer/sav Foods

DixonPark

DelegalCreek

DeanForrestRoad

DaffinHeights

DavantPark

DaffinPark

Cuyler/brownsville

CulvertSwamp

CrosswindsGolf Club

CrossroadsBusiness Park

Crooked Creek

CountryClubCreek

CornfieldCreek

ColonialVillage/leedsGate

ColonialOaks

CoffeeBluff/nicholsvill e

Club AtSavannahHarbor

Cloverdale

ChippewaTerrace

ChippewaPlaza/ogle thorpePlaza

ChevisRoad/ogeechee Farms

ChathamParkway

CharlesCreek

CentralHis toricDistrict

CaseyCanal

CarverHeights

CannPark

CuylerPlayground

CrusaderPark

Cross RoadVillaPark

CloverdalePark

ChathamCounty SoccerComplex

Charlie(sad)Bryan Park

CedarGroveNature Park

CarverVillage Park

CannPark

Camp FullOf Fun

ButterbeanBeach AndBoat Ramp

BurnsideRiver

BurnsideIs land

BreakfastCreek

Brand lewood/lamarville

Bonaventure

BonaBella/majesticOaks

Bloomingdale

Blackshear

Bingville

BethesdaBoysHome

Berwick

BerkshireWoods

BenjaminVan ClarkPark

Benedictine

Bell'sLanding

Belford

BeeRoad/backus

Beaulieu

BeachHigh/kilowattDrive

Bay StreetViaduct

BaldwinPark

BaconPark GolfCourse

BaconPark

BackRiver

BowlesFord Park

Boll WeeviHil lPark

BluberryHil lPark

BlommingdaleElementarySchl

Blackshear Park

BenedictineSchl

BenClarkPark

BazemorePark

Bar towPark

Bar tlettMiddleSchool

Bar janTerracePark

BaldwinPark

Bacon ParkTenni sComplex

AzaleaPlaza/buckhalte rRoad

Avondale

Armstrong-atlantic

ArgyleIs land

ArdsleyPark

Ardmore

ArborsAt Godly

Airport/crossroads

AbercornHeights/lamaraHeights

AbercornCreek

AberconStrip

AvondalePark

AtlanticMall Park

AtlanticAnd 66thStreet Park

AshleyDearing Park

ArmstrongAtlantic StateUniversi ty

ArmstrongAtlanticField

AmbushPark

AmbucPark

AlpinePark

AllenE. PaulsonPark

AdamsPark

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§̈¦516

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POOLER

UNINCORPORATED

BLOOMINGDALE

SAVANNAH

GARDENCITY

THUNDERBOLT

SAVANNAH

SAVANNAH

VERNONBURG

PORTWENTWORTH

UNINCORPORATED

Flood Zone Boundaries for theCity of Savannah and

Unincorporated Chatham County

Mat

chLi

neM

atch

Line

Scale: 1" = 1 mileAugust, 2016

.

Risk

DFIRMS DATE: July 7, 2014

Unincorporated Chatham CountyBorder between Municipalities

Flood InsuranceZone

Available

Required

X_500

VE

Chatham County CanalsFlooded Structure

High

Moderate

AvailableLow

AE

X

Required

HighA Required

High

!(

RequiredHighFloodway

Special Supplement

Point of Contacts to determine your flood zone, elevation certificates, and additional flood information ChAThAM CounTy (1)*Michael Blakely, CFM Floodplain Administrator/CRS Program Manager124 Bull Street, Room 430, Savannah, GA 31401Office: 912-652-7814Fax: 912-652-7818mblakely@chathamcounty.orgwww.chathamcounty.org

Community Codes: Code 24-708Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-652-6840Report drainage and flooding through the “Chatham County Connect” App downloadable from Google Play or the Apple App StoreCity Flood Web Resource: http://engineering.chathamcounty.org/Flood-ZonesContact For Site Visits: 912-201-4300CRS Class Rating: 5 - 25% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

CiTy oF sAvAnnAh (2)*Tom McDonald, CFMPermitting/Floodplain Manager5515 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31405Office: 912-651-6530 ext. 1895Fax: 912-651-6543tmcdonald@savannahga.govwww.savannahga.gov

Community Codes: 4-11004 and 5-2005.Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 311City Flood Web Resource: http://www.savannahga.gov/ index.aspx?NID=936Contact For Site Visits: 912-651-6530CRS Class Rating: 5 - 25% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

Town oF ThunDerBolT (3)*Caroline Hankins, MPA Town Administrator 2821 River Drive, Thunderbolt, GA 31404Office: 912-629-4650Fax: 912-354-2038chankins@thunderboltga.orgwww.ThunderboltGA.org

Community Codes: 10-201Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-354-5533City Flood Web Resource: http://www.thunderboltga.org/ Flood-InformationContact For Site Visits: 912-354-5533CRS Class Rating: 6- 20% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

CiTy oF TyBee islAnD (4)* George Shaw Planning & Zoning ManagerPO Box 2749, Tybee Island, GA 31328Office: 912-472-5033 or 912-472-5030Fax: 912-786-9539gshaw@cityoftybee.org www.cityoftybee.org

Community Codes: Sec. 16-620Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-472-5043City Flood Web Resource: http://www.cityoftybee.org/Contact For Site Visits: 912-472-5033CRS Class Rating: 5 - 25% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

CiTy oF Pooler (5)* Kimberly Classen, CFM Zoning Administrator/CRS Coordinator 100 Highway 80 SW, Pooler, GA 31322 Office: 912-748-7261 Kclassen@pooler-ga.govwww.pooler-ga.us

Community Codes: Sec. 42-187.2. Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-748-4800City Flood Web Resource: http://www.pooler-ga.us/ flood-protection-home.htmlContact For Site Visits: 912-652-6840 CRS Class Rating: 6 - 20% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

CiTy oF gArDen CiTy (6)* Ron Alexander, MCP, CBO, CFMBuilding Safety Director, Garden City100 Central Avenue, Garden City, GA 31408Office: 912-966-7777ralexander@gardencity-ga.govwww.gardencity-ga.gov

Community Codes: Sec. 82-212 Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-629-2296City Flood Web Resource: http://www.gardencity-ga.gov/ index.aspx?page=250Contact For Site Visits: 912-963-2756CRS Class Rating: 8 - 10% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

CiTy oF PorT wenTworTh (7)*Brian HarveyDevelopment Services305 S Coastal Hwy, Port Wentworth, GA 31407Office: 912-964-4379Fax: 912-966-7429bharvey@cityofportwentworth.comwww.cityofportwentworth.com

CiTy oF BlooMingDAle (8)*Diane ProudfootCity Clerk/Zoning Administrator/CRS Coordinator City of BloomingdaleP.O. Box 216, Bloomingdale, GA 31302Office: 912-748-0970Fax 912-748-1005dproudfoot@bloomingdale-ga.govwww.bloomingdale-ga.com

Community Codes: Sec. 78-408Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-784-0970City Flood Web Resource: http://www.bloomingdale-ga.com/FloodInfo.htmlContact For Site Visits: 912-748-0268CRS Class Rating: 8 - 10% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

Town oF vernonBurg (9)* Jimmy HungerpillerMayor, Town Of VernonburgOffice: 912- 790 7660jrhunger@hungerpiller.com

surrounDing JurisDiCTionsBryAn CounTy Greg Brooks CRS CoordinatorEngineering DepartmentOffice: 912-756-7964gbrooks@bryan-county.orgwww.bryancountyga.org

Contact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-653-4511City Flood Web Resource: http://www.bryancountyga.org/ flood_protection/index.phpContact For Site Visits: 912-756-7964CRS Class Rating: 6 - 20% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

eFFinghAM Co. Brian AdlersteinEngineer601 N. Laurel Street, Springfield, GA 31326(912) 754-8063badlerstein@effinghamcounty.orgwww.effinghamcounty.org

Community Codes: Sec. 30-375. - PenaltiesContact For Reporting Dumping and Flooding: 912-754-2141City Flood Web Resource: http://www.effinghamcounty.org/ DepartmentsRW/WaterResources/FloodProtectionInformation.aspxContact For Site Visits: (912) 754-8063CRS Class Rating: 7 - 15%% Policy Premium Discount in SFHA

CiTy oF rinCon Travis Grubbs Building and Zoning Inspector Floodplain Manager912-826-5996 or 912-210-6227tgrubbs@cityofrincon.comwww.cityofrincon.com

City Flood Web Resource: http://www.cityofrincon.com/ services-planning.htm

insurAnCe ADvoCATesJeffrey M. Brady, ANFIJeffBrady@allstate.com5859 Abercorn St., STE 1, Savannah, GA 31405Office: 9123653815www.rountreebradyinsurance.com

Walter Corishwalterc@corishinsurance.com6811 Waters Ave, Savannah, GA 31406Office: 912-354-2424www.corishinsurance.com

unincorporated Chatham County and the City of savannah Flood Prone AreasReview the attached map to determine if you are in or near a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). If you need assistance in making this determination or need a Flood Zone Determination Letter based on the current or historical Flood Insurance Rating Map (FIRM) please contact the Chatham County Department of Engineering at (912) 652-7814 or the City of Savannah Development Services Department at (912) 651-6530. See above chart for your area. You can also review flood zone, Letter of Map Amendment and benchmark map information at www.sagis.org. Other maps and flood information can be viewed at www.msc.fema.gove (FIRMettes) and by visiting the Flood Protection page on both the Chatham County’s web page at www.chathamcounty.org and the City’s at www.savannah.gov.

People caught dumping can face jail time and/or a fines as outlined

in the community codes.

(*) Jurisdiction’s Property Identification Numbers (PIN) begin with this number

Yamacraw

YamacrawPark

Wormsloe

Woodsville/bartow

WinterGarden

WindsorForest GolfCourse

WindsorForest

WilshireEstates

Williamson Creek

WhitfieldPark

WhiteBluff

WestSavannah

WalthourSwamp

WalkerCanal

WrightSquare

WindsorForest Park

WindsorForest HighSchl

WilsonAnnex CooperCenter

WhiteBluffElementary

WheathillSportsComlex

WestsidePark

WesselsPark

WellsPark

WashingtonSquare

W. VictorianDistrict W W Law

Park

W ETaylorPark

VictorySquare/pinehurst

VictoryHeights

Vernonburg

VernonRiver

Vallambrosa

Valambrosia Canal

VictoryHeightsPark

VetsburgPark

VarnedoeCenter

UrsulaIs land

Twickenham

TremontPark

Thunderbolt

ThomasSquare

The Branches

Tatumville

TroupSquare

TremontPark

TreatParkTompkins Park

TompkinsElementarySchool

TomTriple ttPark

TiedemanPark

ThunderboltElementarySchool

Thomas\square

ThomasSquare

ThirdStreetPark

TheusPark

SylvanTerrace Sunset

Park

Summe rside

SugarMill

StilesAvenue

Steamboat River

St. AugustineCreek

St JamesPlace

SpringfieldCanal

SouthsideCommercialDistrict

SouthfieldCanal

SouthbridgeGolf Club

Southbridge

SouthGarden

SkylandTerrace/grovePark

SkidawayRiver

SkidawayNarrows

SkidawayIs land/theLandings

SkidawayIs land

ShipyardCreek

Savannah AndDundee Canal

SavannahState/glynnwood

SavannahRiverLanding

SavannahQuar tersCounty Club

SavannahQuar ters

SavannahMall

SavannahInternational Trade& Convention Center

SavannahGolf Club

SavannahGardens

Savannah / HiltonHead InternationalAirport

SandyBluff/pineBar ren Road

Sandfly

SaltCreek

Sackvil le

SunsetPark

SummersidePark

StaleyHeightsPark

StaleyAvenuePark

SpragueElementarySchl

SolomonsPark

Soldie rsField Par

Seda

SavannahStateCollege

SavannahGardens

SavannahCountryDay Schl

SalvationArmyField

S. BeachInstitute

RunawayPoint

RunawayNegroCreek

Roundhouse/visitors'Center

Rose Dhu

RockfishCreek

RobinWoods

RiversEnd/lyndhurst

Red DockCanal

RunawayPointPark

RockwellPark

RobbieRobinsonPark

RiversEndPark

RiverDrivePark

RaccoonKey

PoplarPlace

Pooler

PipeMakersCanal

Pinpoint

PineGarden

PeachtreeCanal

PaulsenSoftbal l/memorialStadium

Parkside

Parks/sportsComplexes

ParadisePark

Pulaski Square

Pt. WentworthElementarySchl

PowderMagazine

PoolerRecreationPark

PassiveRecreation Park

OnslowIs land

OglethorpeMall

Ogeecheeton

OgeecheeRiver

OaklandPark/eastgate

Oakhurst

Or leansSquare

NottinghamWoods

NorwoodAvenue/wyllyIs land

NewtonTract

NewHampstead

Nw HistoricDistrict

NellieJohnsonPark

Ne HistoricDistrict

NathanielGreenePark

N. BeachInstitute

MoonRiver

Midtown

MiddleRiver

Metropolitan

Memorial/fairfield

Mega-site

MedicalArts

Mayfair

Mary CalderGolf Course

MarshIs land

MagnoliaPark/blueberry

MyersPark

MontereySquare

Mlk/indian St

MercerMiddleSchl

MemorialStadium

Mechanics AveWaterway Park

MccauleyPark

MayfairPark

MatildaPark

Mary CalderGolf Course

LynesParkway/indus trial Park

LottsIs land

Live Oak

Li ttleOgeecheeRiver

Li ttleOgeecheePond

Li ttleOgeecheeLandings/cottonvale Road

Li ttleNeck Road

Li ttleBackRiver

LibertyCity

LaurelGrove/gadsden

LargoWoods

Louis C.MobleyPark

LionsParkballfield

LibertySquare

LavidaCountryClub

LaurelGroveCemetery

Lattimore Park

LakeMayerPark

KensingtonPark

KaytonFraizer

KennedyPark

Kavanaugh Park

Jones Narrows

JacksonPark

JacksonManor

JohnsonHighSchool

JenkinsHighSchool

Is le OfHope

Is le OfHopeRiver

Is leOf\armstrong\park

I-95/204

HutchinsonIs land

HutchinsonIs land

HunterGolf Club

Hunter ArmyAirfield

HudsonHil l/bayview

HoustownCut

HoustonStreet

HoustonCreek

Horse PenSwamp

HooverCreek

Hog MarshIs land

HogIs land

Hitch/wessels

Hil lcrest

HerbRiverHenderson

Golf Club

Henderson

Hel lGate

Heatherwood

HarveyCreek

Harmony

HardinSwamp

HardinCanal

HaneysCreek

HalcyonBluff

HabershamWoods

HullPark

HudsonHil l Park

HitchPark

HitchVillage

HaynesElementarySchl

Haaf

GroveRiver

GroveHil l

GreenIs landSound

GreenIs land

GraysCreek

Gordonston

GeorgiaTechSavannah

Georgia PortsIndustrial Area

Georgetown

GeneralMacintosh

GardenCity

Guy MinickComplex

GuckenheimerPark

GrovesRecreationArea

GriffinStreetPark

Greene Square

GraysonStadium

GardenHomes Park

Garden CityElementarySchl

FridayCreek

FranklinCreek

FortArgyle

ForsythPark

ForrestPark

ForestCity GunClub Lake

FiveDocksCanal

Fernwood/parkwood

FellwoodHomes

FairwayOaks

Fairgrounds/feilerPark

FutureLei sure Park

Ful tonPark

Fred WesselsPark

ForsythPark

ForestHil lsPark

EllaIs land

ElbowCanal

Edgemere

Eastside

EastSavannah

EastHil l/victoryManor

EntlemanPark

EmmentPark

Eli WhitneyPark

E. VictorianDistrict

E.Ardmore

DutchIs land/parkersburg

DrakiesBluff/stoneContainer/sav Foods

DixonPark

DelegalCreek

DeanForrestRoad

DaffinHeights

DavantPark

DaffinPark

Cuyler/brownsville

CulvertSwamp

CrosswindsGolf Club

CrossroadsBusiness Park

Crooked Creek

CountryClubCreek

CornfieldCreek

ColonialVillage/leedsGate

ColonialOaks

CoffeeBluff/nicholsvill e

Club AtSavannahHarbor

Cloverdale

ChippewaTerrace

ChippewaPlaza/ogle thorpePlaza

ChevisRoad/ogeechee Farms

ChathamParkway

CharlesCreek

CentralHis toricDistrict

CaseyCanal

CarverHeights

CannPark

CuylerPlayground

CrusaderPark

Cross RoadVillaPark

CloverdalePark

ChathamCounty SoccerComplex

Charlie(sad)Bryan Park

CedarGroveNature Park

CarverVillage Park

CannPark

Camp FullOf Fun

ButterbeanBeach AndBoat Ramp

BurnsideRiver

BurnsideIs land

BreakfastCreek

Brand lewood/lamarville

Bonaventure

BonaBella/majesticOaks

Bloomingdale

Blackshear

Bingville

BethesdaBoysHome

Berwick

BerkshireWoods

BenjaminVan ClarkPark

Benedictine

Bell'sLanding

Belford

BeeRoad/backus

Beaulieu

BeachHigh/kilowattDrive

Bay StreetViaduct

BaldwinPark

BaconPark GolfCourse

BaconPark

BackRiver

BowlesFord Park

Boll WeeviHil lPark

BluberryHil lPark

BlommingdaleElementarySchl

Blackshear Park

BenedictineSchl

BenClarkPark

BazemorePark

Bar towPark

Bar tlettMiddleSchool

Bar janTerracePark

BaldwinPark

Bacon ParkTenni sComplex

AzaleaPlaza/buckhalte rRoad

Avondale

Armstrong-atlantic

ArgyleIs land

ArdsleyPark

Ardmore

ArborsAt Godly

Airport/crossroads

AbercornHeights/lamaraHeights

AbercornCreek

AberconStrip

AvondalePark

AtlanticMall Park

AtlanticAnd 66thStreet Park

AshleyDearing Park

ArmstrongAtlantic StateUniversi ty

ArmstrongAtlanticField

AmbushPark

AmbucPark

AlpinePark

AllenE. PaulsonPark

AdamsPark

§̈¦16

§̈¦95

£¤80

!(204

§̈¦516

§̈¦95

§̈¦516

£¤17

POOLER

UNINCORPORATED

BLOOMINGDALE

SAVANNAH

GARDENCITY

THUNDERBOLT

SAVANNAH

SAVANNAH

VERNONBURG

PORTWENTWORTH

UNINCORPORATED

Flood Zone Boundaries for theCity of Savannah and

Unincorporated Chatham County

Mat

chLi

neM

atch

Line

Scale: 1" = 1 mileAugust, 2016

.

Risk

DFIRMS DATE: July 7, 2014

Unincorporated Chatham CountyBorder between Municipalities

Flood InsuranceZone

Available

Required

X_500

VE

Chatham County CanalsFlooded Structure

High

Moderate

AvailableLow

AE

X

Required

HighA Required

High

!(

RequiredHighFloodway

Special Supplement

• Closed recreation areas and beaches due to Enterococci and E. coli levels

• Tainted seafood due to algae blooms

• Oily film or foul smelling wetlands from leaking boats and cars

• Sick or declining bird populations due to improperly used insecticides

• Fish dying from sediment clogged gills

• Aquatic invertebrates fleeing or dying due to increased salt levels

• Car wash detergents increase nitrate levels, promoting the rapid overgrowth of algae

Does my homeowner’s insurance cover flood damage? NO. The standard homeowner or commercial policy does not cover damage caused by flooding (rising waters). To protect your property you must buy a flood insurance policy. Flood insurance can cover the structure alone or cover a combination of the structure and contents. Renters can buy coverage for contents, even if the owner does not have structural coverage. A house has a higher percentage of flooding than suffered from a fire, yet many homeowners do not complain about carrying fire insurance. There is normally a 30-day waiting period before flood insurance goes into effect; it is essential to plan ahead. Contact your local insurance agent to get a flood insurance policy.

How much does flood insurance cost? The average flood insurance premium in Georgia is less than $500 per year. Contact your insurance agent to determine exact cost.

If I rent my home, can I buy any form of flood insurance? YES. Renters can obtain coverage for their personal belongings and the contents of their home, even if owner of the property does not insure the home itself.

If I live in a low risk area and my insurance agent says I do not need flood insurance what should I do? Many times homeowners and renters are misinformed. Flooding can occur outside the high risk area. In Savannah, of the reported 1700 flooded structures, 53% of the buildings were in the Low risk area. Many home owners in a low-lying coastal region like Chatham County could benefit from flood insurance.

When is flood insurance required? Anyone can buy flood insurance but it is required in certain conditions. If you buy a house in a designated high-risk flood zone and receive a mortgage loan from a federally regulated or insured lender, your lender is legally bound to require you to maintain flood insurance.

Will Federal disaster assistance pay for flood damage? Federal disaster assistance is available only if the President declares a disaster. Typically, assistance is a loan that must be repaid with interest. Following a Federal disaster declaration

some financial assistance is available, but usually for only short-term housing and not repairs. Flood insurance is the only sure way to be reimbursed for some of your flood losses. For more information contact your community floodplain representative listed on the Point of Contacts Table on the flood map. What does the City and County do to make flood insurance more affordable? Because the City of Savannah and Chatham County participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, subscribe to the Community Rating System program and have highly rated flood management programs, homeowners here receive special flood insurance premium discounts not available to homeowners living in neighboring jurisdictions. This means that if you live within the City of Savannah or Unincorporated Chatham County, you are eligible for a 25% discount on their flood insurance premiums. The UCC saved 11,794 flood insurance policy holders in the SFHA a total of $3,004,557 on premiums last year, or an average of $255 per policy. The COS saved 2,551 SFHA policyholders $663,658 or an average of $260 per policy.

What is Freeboard and how does it benefit me? Freeboard is a safety provision that refers to elevating a structure’s lowest level a few feet above predicted flood elevations (generally 1-3 feet). Storm waters can and do rise higher than shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Freeboard helps protect buildings from storms larger than those that Flood Insurance Rate Maps are based on, and provides an added margin of safety

to address the flood modeling and mapping uncertainties associated with Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Because the risk of flooding is reduced significantly, Freeboard results in much lower flood insurance premiums. Freeboard is required by both the flood ordinances of the City of Savannah and Chatham County.

What is the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA)? The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) protects coastal areas that serve as barriers against wind and tidal forces caused by coastal storms, and serve as habitat for aquatic species. CBRS boundaries are established and mapped by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) which only Congress can revise CBRS boundaries. To manage development, limit property damage, and preserve wildlife and natural resources, CBRA restricts Federal financial assistance, including disaster relief assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Robert T. Stafford Act and the NFIP. The NFlP cannot provide flood insurance coverage for structures built or substantially improved after the area is designated as a CBRS unit (initial designations went into effect October 1, 1983). Minimum NFlP floodplain management standards do not prohibit the rebuilding of substantially damaged buildings in CBRS units. However, such structures must meet the community’s floodplain management regulations, and NFlP coverage is not available for such structures. Lenders should exercise special care with properties in or near these areas.

When and why do FIRM change? Maps change as money becomes available from congress or a local government performs a detailed study. Developers can produce Letter of Map Amendments (LOMA) in the course of the permitting process. Chatham County has seen maps changes throughout the years to include 2008, 2013 and 2014. Georgia Department of

Natural Resources (DNR) continues to update the maps under the Risk Map program that is currently addressing costal surge inundation for thirteen counties along the Georgia coast. The new preliminary maps are currently undergoing FEMA’s 90-day appeal period and scheduled to be effective in Fall of 2017. You can view the Preliminary FIRMS on the UCC and COS websites or map.georgiadfirm.com. Contact your community’s “Point of Contact” listed in the table on the full map page if you have any questions.

What happens if my property changes from low-risk to high-risk because of new Flood Insurance Rate Maps? With new maps, you will likely be required to protect your building and its contents with flood insurance if you have a mortgage. Flood insurance rates for high- risk areas are higher, but there are ways to save money with the National Flood Insurance Program “Grandfather Rule”. Under NFIP administrative grandfathering, Post-FIRM buildings in the Regular Program built in compliance with the floodplain management regulations in effect at the start of construction will continue to have favorable rate treatment even though higher Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or more restrictive, greater risk zone designations result from Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) revisions. Buildings constructed in compliance with earlier maps or continuously covered by flood insurance stay in their original rate class when maps change or properties are sold. See www.FEMA.Gov for more information or contact your local insurance advocate (see point of contacts table on the flood map).

Is there any help to bring non-conforming, flooding structure into compliance with local ordinances? Yes. Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage is now available through the National Flood Insurance Program and pays up to $30,000 to help property owners bring a non-compliant structure into compliance with our Flood Damage Protection Ordinance. The structure must have flood insurance, be within the designated “High Risk” flood zone and the community must declare the structure to be substantially damaged or repetitively flooded. Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage claims will only be paid on flood-damaged homes and businesses, and can only be used to pay for costs of meeting the floodplain management ordinance in our community. Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage is part of the maximum $250,000 payout set by the National Flood Insurance Program. For more information on ICC coverage, call your insurance company or agent, or call the National Flood Insurance Program toll-free at 1-800-427-4661.

what you need to Know About Flood insurance

only rain Down the Drain!

Yard clippings, tree limbs and trash can clog up the storm drains and ditches causing street and yard flooding (even with moderate rainfall).

sToPit’s Against

the law!

Polluted waters Can Cause:

Natural floodplains generally include marsh areas and low lying areas along canals and rivers. Floodplains provide fish and wildlife habitat, fertile soil for plant growth and act like reservoirs, storing excess rainfall and runoff. Open parks such as the Henderson, Wilmington and Bacon Park. Golf Courses also act as natural floodplains. Chatham County and the City of Savannah also have barrier islands such as Little Tybee, Ossabaw, Cabbage and Wassaw Islands that serve as natural protective barriers to incoming hurricane forces such as wave attacks, and serve to reduce tidal and wind energies in addition to acting as natural aquatic habitats, wetlands, marshes and estuaries. Continued filling in of these areas for development coupled with environmental contamination incidences, such as the fire and gas release in April 1995 at the Powell Duffryn Terminals, Inc. site, the sewage spills into the Savannah River, and the February 2008 Dixie Crystal (Imperial) Sugar plant explosion have crippling impacts in these conservation zones. Maintaining adequate flood control along the

coast is vital to a healthy and productive community. The natural floodplains that make up much of our county protect human life and property from flood damage in the event of a storm. The beautiful, functioning wetlands, riparian buffers and marshlands offer economic and health benefits as well as their rich and diverse

ecosystems. By making wise land use decisions in the development and management of floodplains, beneficial functions can be protected and negative impacts to the quality of the environment can be reduced. See Water Quality topic on how to protect these natural habitats.

Building and Developing in Floodplains Most activities in the floodplain—such as grading, placing fill, building a new structure/addition, or repairing/ remodeling an existing structure—require a permit. Development within a floodplain has the potential to impact flood levels. If not properly designed, it may make flooding worse on your property and your neighbor’s property. All new construction must be built to current City and County floodplain development standards. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and City andCounty code require that if the cost of reconstruction, accumulated over a five year period, due to any type of damage, addition or other renovations to an existing

building exceeds 50% of the buildings value, the activity is considered a “substantial improvement.” This may require that the building be considered new construction and be brought up to current floodplain development standards. Additional County and City floodplain requirements may apply. Please see the last question in Flood Insurance Frequently Asked Questions section above for additional information.

For more information or to obtain a building permit within Chatham

County, contact your building official at the Chatham County Department of Building Safety and Regulatory Services

at 1117 Eisenhower Drive, or phone them at (912)201-4300. For the City of Savannah, contact the Development

Service Department at 5515 Abercorn Street or (912) 651-6530. For additional

contacts, please refer to the Point of Contacts Table on the flood map.

Floodplains Benefit everyone

report illegal Development

City residents: Call 311County residents:

Call Dept of Public Works (912) 652-6840

online: Chatham County Connect App

resources on the webFederal Emergency Management AgencyFlood SmartGeorgia Environmental Protection DivisionGeorgia Emergency Management AgencyNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationGeorgia Department of Natural ResourcesThe University of Georgia Cooperative ExtensionGeorgia Association of Floodplain ManagementU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyNational Wetland InventoryCritical HabitatRiver Gages: USGS:

www.fema.govwww.floodsmart.govwww.gaepd.orgwww.gema.ga.govwww.noaa.govwww.gadnr.orgwww.ugaextension.comwww.gafloods.orgwater.epa.govhttp://www.fws.gov http://ecos.fws.gov/crithab/http://waterdata.usgs.gov

Special Supplement

How many of us are gardening these days? How many of us have created special spaces in backyards, courtyards, patios and balconies? While these spaces bring us personal rewards they can also help protect our waterways. All wildlife needs habitat with food, water, and shelter. When the only habitat is close to the waterway, wildlife will congregate and fecal pollution

can increase. By providing other places for food, water, and shelter wildlife can spread out and away from the water. So think about adding a plant in your outdoor space that attracts wildlife. Why not add a water source that provides fresh, clean water free of mosquitoes. You can find the perfect plants at your local nursery but please make note of these important tips:

Picking up your pet’s waste is not just a common courtesy, it is a health necessity. Picking up after your pet helps reduce the likelihood of its waste ending up in our waterways. Considering pet feces are common carriers of nasty things like heartworms, whipworms, parvovirus, and E. coli, it’s important to do your duty! If left on the ground the rain will carry the feces to the nearest stormdrain which goes straight to a waterway.

How does that impact everyone in Chatham County? The State and the Environmental Protection Agency requires Georgia’s coastal waterways to average less than 200 counts of fecal bacteria in a water sample. Pet waste can have counts above

here are 3 easy ways you can help keep our water clean1 Pick up Pet waste 2 Collect rain water 3 Create Backyard habitats

noTe: The best way to dispose of your pet’s waste is in the toilet. The most common way is using a special pet waste bag or plastic grocery bag that you put in your trash. Composting pet waste is tricky business and not recommended for the average city home owner.

Join the fun!Our annual river clean up is every October. The 2016 date is Saturday, October 15th at 8:30 AM at Rivers End boat ramp. Kayaks are provided.

Healthy water resources are important to the economy and quality of life in Chatham County.

There are so many ways to catch rain to use for your garden and indoor plants. It is the best and it is free! But did you know that collecting rain helps reduce pollution in our waterways? When you capture rain on your property you keep it from flowing into the street stormwater drains. When it flows to the drain it will carry with it things left on the ground like fertilizer, oil, gas, litter and any other pollutants. So not only can you feel good about giving your plants nutritious rain you can feel great about protecting our waterways too!

• It is always best to stick with native plants. Visit your local garden center or www.coastscapes.org for selections.

• Check to be certain your plants do not contain any insecticides that may be harmful to wildlife like neonicotinoids.

• Read the label carefully to ensure your plant(s) will thrive in your space.

If you want great step by step instructions on how to make wildlife habitats at home visit the National Wildlife Federation website and the Garden for Wildlife page.

noTe: You can purchase a rain barrel from your local garden store or learn how to make your own www.savannahga.gov

it is easy to help our waterways stay clean and healthy for everyone. let’s all do our part!

160,000! When a waterway exceeds the average the State requires the City and County to test the water. They also require new codes to restrict certain activities until the waterway returns to normal. Both testing and new regulations cost money for all citizens.

When rain falls in Savannah it goes one of two places. It either flows to the Savannah River or the Ogeechee River.

Did you know that most of the City of Savannah lies within the Ogeechee River Watershed? That’s why the City and the Ogeechee Riverkeeper recently began installing signs that inform citizens of just that. The signs promote the close connection we have on the land with this important river. In this watershed, each stormdrain, ditch, and canal leads to the Ogeechee River and her tributaries like the Vernon River.

For more information go to ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

where’s your watershed?

stormwater site visit

Flood insurance: Determination & elevation Certificates

structural Flood visit

Clogged storm Pipe or Ditch

grease separator inspection

soil erosion guidelines

Chatham County emergency Management (CeMA)

stormwater Quality

septic Tanks (health Depart.)

recycling Center

watering restrictions

water wise landscaping (Xeriscape)

water resources education & Tours

912-652-7800

912-652-7814

912-652-7814

912-652-6840

912-652-7800 912-652-7800

912-652-7800

912-652-7800

912-356-2441

912-652-6856

912-651-2221

912-652-7981

912-651-2221

912-650-7855

912-651-6530 ext 1895

912-651-6530 ext 1895

311

912-651-6620

912-651-6530

912-201-4500

912-650-7855

912-356-2441

912-652-6856

912-651-2221

912-651-2221

912-651-2221

www.engineering.chathamcounty.org

www.chathamcounty.orgMichael Blakely

Michael Blakely

www.publicworks.chathamcounty.org

www.engineering.chathamcounty.org

www.engineering.chathamcounty.org

www.chathamemergency.org

www.engineering.chathamcounty.orgwww.mpcnaturalresources.org www.savannahga.gov

www.gachd.org

www.chathamcountyrecycles.com

www.savannahga.gov

www.bamboo.caes.uga.edu/xeriscape1.html

www.savannahga.gov/index.aspx?nid=508

www.savannahga.govTom McDonald

Tom McDonald

www.savannah.gov (search word 311)

www.savannahga.gov/index.aspx?NID=375

www.chathamemergency.org

www.savannahga.gov/index.aspx?nid=508

www.gachd.org

www.savannahga.gov

www.savannahga.gov

Laura Walkerlwalker@savannahga.gov

Laura Walkerlwalker@savannahga.gov

City and County resourcesFor other Chatham County municipalities contacts, see Flood Zone Boundaries map.

service Chatham County City of savannah

Saturday, October 15th 8:30-11:00 AM

River’s End Boat Ramp

Kayaks Provided savannahga.gov

Special Supplement

Wormsloe

WinterGarden

WilmingtonRiver

WilmingtonIs landSouth

WilmingtonIs landGolf Club

WilmingtonIs land

WilliamsonIs land

Williamson Creek

WassawSound

WassawIs land

WassawCreek

WesselsPark

Wassaw IslandNationalRefuge

VictorySquare/pinehurst

VictoryHeightsVictory

HeightsPark

UsherPond

Tybee Cut

Twickenham

TurnerCreek

TomCreek

Thunderbolt

Teal Pond

TalahiIs land

TreatPark

ThunderboltElementarySchool

ThirdStreetPark

SunsetPark

South Channel

SkidawayRiver

SkidawayNarrows

SkidawayIs land

SheepsheadCreek

ShadRiver

Seine Creek

SavannahState/glynnwood

SavannahRiver SouthChannel

SavannahRiverLanding

SavannahRiver

SavannahGolf Club

SavannahGardens

SaintAugustineCreek

SunsetPark

SkidawayIs land MarineExten Center

SavannahStateCollege

SavannahGardens

SalvationArmyField

RunawayPoint

RunawayNegroCreek

RomerlyMarshes

RomerlyMarshCreek

RichardsonCreek

Rhodes Creek

RunawayPointPark

RiverDrivePark

RaccoonKey

PineGarden

Penrose

PaulsenSoftbal l/memorialStadium

Oyster Creek

Otter Pond

Olde Towne/buccaneerTrace/wilmingtonPark

Old RomerlyMarshChannel

OemlerPointe

Odingse llRiver

OatlandIs land

OatlandCreek

OaklandPark/eastgate

NottinghamWoods

NorwoodAvenue/wyllyIs land

New Cut

NellieJohnsonPark

MudCreek

ModenaIs land

MillCreek

MarshIs land

Mechanics AveWaterway Park

LongPoint

LazarettoCreek

Landings Club

Jones Narrows

Joes Cut

JohnsonHighSchool

Is le OfHope

Is le OfHopeRiver

Is leOf\armstrong\park

Hwy 80Mcqueen'sIs land

HouseCreek

Hil lcrest

HerbRiver

HarborCreek

HalfmoonRiver

HabershamCreek

GrovesCreek

GreenIs landSound

GraysCreek

Gray'sPark/theMarshes

Gordonston

GardenHomes Park

Ft. Jackson/kerr-mcgee/wahlstromRoad

FranklinCreek

FloraHammock Flag

Pond

Fernwood/parkwood

Fort PulaskiNat Monument

ForestHil lsPark

ElbaIs landCut

ElbaIs land

EastSavannah

EastPines

EastHil l/victoryManor

Eli WhitneyPark

DutchIs land/parkersburg

DutchIs land

DelegalCreek

CurtisCreek

CountryClubCreek

CornfieldCreek

CaustonBluff

CabbageCreek

Camp FullOf Fun

CabbageIs land

ButterbeanBeach AndBoat Ramp

BullRiver

Bradley Point/commodorePoint/turner 's Rock

BradleyCreek

Bonaventure

BonaBella/majesticOaks

BlueBankCreek

Betz Creek/angelOaks/riverOaks

BetzCreek

BeeRoad/backus

BeardCreek

BeachPond

BatteryPoint

BaconPark

Bar janTerracePark

Bacon ParkTenni sComplex

Avondale

AtlanticOcean

AdamsCreek

AvondalePark

South Channel

£¤80

Flood Zone Boundaries for theCity of Savannah and

Unincorporated Chatham County

.

Mat

chLi

neM

atch

Line

Byers

US Hwy 80

Estil l

Dav

Island

Catalina

Laurel

BayTeresaAndrea

US Highway 80

Bre

ezy

Pelican

San M

arco

TYBEE

Scale: 1" = 1 mileAugust, 2016

DFIRMS DATE: July 7, 2014

Unincorporated Chatham CountyBorder between Municipalities

Flood InsuranceZone

Available

Required

X_500

VE

Chatham County CanalsFlooded Structure

High

Moderate

AvailableLow

AE

X

Required

HighA Required

High

!(

RequiredHighFloodway

Steehen Fox

From: Sent: To: Subject:

78,000 Lbs.

David Nash < danash@chathamcounty.org > Thursday, April 6, 2017 10:25 AM Stephen Fox electronics recycled

Adopt a roadway - No change from last year

'[)Mid,

David A. Nash Environmental Program Coordinator

facebook.com/chathamcountyrecycles https://twitter.com/Chathamrecycle www.chathamcountyrecycles.com http:// recycli ng.chatha mcou nty .o rg

'Our e~hre socLettj rests u-po~ -­Cl ~cl LS cle-pe~cle~t u-po~ -­our wciter, our Lci~cl, our forests, Cl ~cl our V\-1.L~erci Ls.

How we use tl-iese resources L~fLue~ces our 1-ieciLtli, securLtl::J,

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Chatham County Publ ic Works & Park Services

Fax: 912-652-6845

Phone: 912-652-6856

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Why Rain Barrels? Placed under one of your downspouts, rain barrels conveniently collect rainwater that you can use to water gardens and lawns, wash cars or even fill birdbaths and ponds. A 1000 square foot roof yields about 600 gallons per inch of rainfall, so that’s a lot of water (and money) to be saved. We’ve even seen them hooked up to a soaker hose for easy and free garden watering. 

At the WorkshopThere will be a brief presentation on the benefits of rain barrels and overall water conservation.  We will then go over in detail how to construct your rain barrel and assist with installation. Registration includes the barrel and kit to connect it to your gutter downspout.  All necessary tools and equipment will be provided.  If you do not have gutters and downspouts we will assist you with adapting your rain barrel to an open top system.

Register for this workshop at: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SavMay26For more information contact:Kelly.o’rourke@gadnr.orgSuzanne.vanparreren@dnr.state.ga.us

This program is made possible by The Coca-Cola Company and coordinated by select local watershed conservation groups, such as River Network and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Drums used in these workshops are donated by the Jacksonville Coca-Cola Plant. Funding for this program also provided by NOAA through the Georgia Coastal Management Program

Build‐Your‐OwnRainBarrelWorkshopMay26th,201610am‐12pm@TheResourceConservation

EducationCenter‐ Savannah

Presented by GA DNR‐ Coastal Management Program  & Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve – Coastal Training Program

DID YOU KNOW THAT STORM DRAINS AND ROADSIDE DITCHES LEAD DIRECTLY

TO OUR WATERWAYS? SO, ANY TRASH, FERTILIZER, PET WASTE-EVEN YARD

CLIPPINGS THAT ENTER THE STORM DRAIN GOES DIRECTLY INTO OUR RIVERS

AND MARSHES. REMEMBER STORMDRAINS ARE ONLY FOR STORMWATER. FOR

MORE INFO VISIT M-P-C NATURAL RESOURCES DOT O-R-G.