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Evacuation Information DECISION TO EVACUATE
Authority and Responsibility for Evacuation
GEMA may recommend that evacuation be conducted locally to protect lives and property. The Governor may recommend or order evacuations on a County-wide or regional basis. However, a mandatory evacuation decision will almost always be relegated to local jurisdictions if they are capable of making such a decision and carrying it out.
The Georgia Emergency Management Act, The Georgia Emergency Operations Plan and the Georgia Hurricane Plan also place the responsibility for making evacuation decisions on local officials. They further authorize that ..."local officials may recommend or order evacuation in accordance with the authority contained in their resolutions/ordinances." The Chatham County Resolution Pertaining to Emergency Management clearly states that the Chairman and Mayors can "... take such emergency actions as may be necessary to promote and secure the safety, protection and well-being of the inhabitants of the County." This includes the issuance of voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders when deemed necessary.
When a hurricane threat increases to the point that the National Weather Service (NWS) may soon issue a Hurricane Watch, the CEMA Director will request that the Chairman and Mayors convene in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to assess the threat and consider future options for a possible evacuation scenario. After a Watch but prior to and in anticipation of a Hurricane Warning for Chatham County the Chairman and Mayors will deliberate on the need for evacuating all or any portion of the County. This may occur at periodic intervals (and actually extend into the Warning period).
Before reaching any decision the Chairman and Mayors will be thoroughly briefed by the CEMA Director and others. They will be afforded the opportunity to discuss the situation, forecast and available options by telephone with Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), the National Weather Service (NWS) Charleston, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Furthermore they may select other government officials to assist and advise them. Such officials will ordinarily include any or all of the following:
County/City Managers or Administrators
Key Department Heads and Bureau Chiefs
CEMA Director
City/County Attorneys
State/Federal Liaison Officers
Public Information Officer
Any decision to evacuate will be immediately communicated to and coordinated with GEMA and other State agencies in the State Operations Center (SOC). The Chairman and Mayors will then ensure that evacuation and sheltering operations are successfully carried out as described in this plan, by authorizing and committing all the available resources, personnel and facilities under their control.
