Chatham County ranks 7th nationally for hurricane vulnerability, with most Georgia coastal areas facing severe storm threats according to a new study.
🌀 Why It Matters: Most hurricane-prone Georgia counties have experienced increasingly powerful storms, with 83% seeing Category 3 or stronger hurricanes in the past decade, putting residents and property at significant risk.
🌊 The Danger Zones: Coastal counties face the greatest hurricane threat, with Chatham County (Savannah) ranking 7th nationally among 318 FEMA-designated counties analyzed by LawnStarter.
“Have a hurricane plan in place now,” advises Gregory S. Jenkins, professor of meteorology at Penn State. “Know where your valuables are kept, and keep phone contacts and important documents in a Ziplock bag in case of flooding.”
🏠 Financial Impact: Georgia’s 23 hurricane-vulnerable counties account for $581 million in projected annual losses, representing 3% of the nation’s total hurricane-related financial damage.
🗺️ County Rankings: Six Georgia counties landed in the top 100 most vulnerable areas:
- Chatham County (Savannah): 7th
- Bryan County (Richmond Hill): 62nd
- Liberty County (Hinesville): 53rd
- Glynn County (Brunswick): 85th
- Bulloch County (Statesboro): 97th
💨 Lower Risk Areas: Several inland counties showed more moderate hurricane vulnerability, including Grady County (245th), Dougherty County (265th), and Tift County (278th).
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
