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Dougherty County steps up hurricane readiness<\/strong><\/p>\n As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season<\/strong> gets underway, Dougherty County<\/strong>, home to Albany, Georgia<\/strong>, is intensifying preparations for the potential impact of a Category 3 hurricane<\/strong>. According to Deputy EMA Director James Brown<\/strong>, the region is actively reviewing its Disaster Recovery and Redevelopment Plan<\/strong> and Local Emergency Operations Plan<\/strong>, key frameworks that guide response strategies during high-impact weather events.<\/p>\n Brown emphasized that Albany<\/strong> is officially designated a \u201cStorm Ready\u201d community<\/strong>. This means the county has met stringent preparedness criteria set by the National Weather Service<\/strong>, including having multiple communication systems, trained emergency personnel, and regular drills.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Historical context and storm impact<\/strong><\/p>\n The urgency behind these preparations is grounded in recent history. In 2018<\/strong>, Hurricane Michael<\/strong>\u2014a Category 3 hurricane<\/strong>\u2014devastated parts of Georgia<\/strong>, marking the first time in a century such a powerful storm had struck the state. The damage to the agricultural sector alone<\/strong> exceeded $2 billion<\/strong>, and widespread property destruction<\/strong> was reported.<\/p>\n During that event, Albany<\/strong> was nearly on the right-front quadrant<\/strong> of the storm, the most dangerous sector<\/strong> where winds, storm surge, and tornadoes are most likely. Tommie Owens<\/strong>, WALB First Alert Meteorologist, stressed that storm category<\/strong> does not fully capture the potential for destruction<\/strong>, and all residents should maintain full readiness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Community readiness and individual planning<\/strong><\/p>\n In practical terms, Dougherty County<\/strong> is updating emergency contact databases<\/strong>, staffing its Emergency Operations Center<\/strong>, and ensuring call screeners<\/strong> are prepared. Brown advises residents to take the season seriously and to \u201cmake a family evacuation plan\u201d<\/strong>. He urged: \u201cNever ignore warnings<\/strong>. When you hear a warning, go ahead and prepare.\u201d<\/p>\n Though infrastructure preparedness<\/strong> is high, personal responsibility remains critical<\/strong>. Whether Albany ends up on the left or right side<\/strong> of the hurricane’s path, being prepared for rapid escalation is essential. The memory of Hurricane Michael\u2019s aftermath<\/strong> remains a powerful motivator for both authorities and residents<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Albany<\/strong> may be Storm Ready on paper<\/strong>, but its true readiness will be tested if and when the next major hurricane<\/strong> makes landfall in southwest Georgia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dougherty County steps up hurricane readiness As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season gets underway, Dougherty County, home to Albany, Georgia, is intensifying preparations for the potential impact of a Category 3 hurricane. According to Deputy EMA Director James Brown, the region is actively reviewing its Disaster Recovery and Redevelopment Plan and Local Emergency Operations Plan, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":3539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n