HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Houston County officials are working to update their disaster preparedness plan, aiming to better protect the community from future natural disasters.
The pre-disaster mitigation plan, which must be updated every five years to maintain compliance, helps ensure the county is prepared for emergencies like tornadoes and severe storms.
"We put plans in place to improve our chances of sustaining our services and equipment throughout that disaster," said Chris Stoner, Houston County Emergency Management Agency director.
Two years ago, a tornado struck the Stathams Landing area, damaging homes and businesses. Martin Barajas, owner of Cuban Island Cafe, remembers the day vividly.
"I was in my house when it happened that night," Barajas said. "I hope the government can notify those people earlier. I know it's natural, but at least tell the people to be careful if anything they see is kind of dangerous."
Local business owners are pushing for enhanced warning systems. Tiffany Sanchez, who owns La Cabana Restaurant in the same area, recalled the frightening moments during the tornado.
"I just heard a lot of rumbling from the ceiling and I was like, 'Oh goodness, maybe the ceiling is gonna fly off,'" Sanchez said. "I just told everybody the bathrooms are over there, and we were gonna go to the storage area."
While Sanchez appreciates the current emergency alerts on phones, she agrees with Barajas that more outdoor warning sirens could provide an additional layer of safety.
"It would be nice so everybody would be aware," Sanchez said. "I think maybe they have a siren on base or any emergency siren, but you have to be outside. So it's not the loudest thing."
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) awarded Houston County grant funding to cover the $22,000 cost of updating the plan. The Middle Georgia Regional Commission will assist with the update process.
"That's been a tremendous help," Stoner said. "There's a lot of counties that wouldn't be able to afford to do this plan or they would have to do it on their own. We're able to contract that and get that payment reimbursed by the state."
Stoner emphasized that while the government plays a crucial role in disaster preparedness, community involvement is essential. In previous years, only about ten people attended public hearings despite the county having more than 170,000 residents.
"The government can only do so much. A lot of that preparation has to come from the citizens of the county as well," Stoner said. "If people have ideas or thoughts, we're more than happy to discuss those and make sure we get the best plan possible."
Public hearings will be scheduled after the new year, giving residents an opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions for improving the county's disaster preparedness.
The plan serves as a framework for prioritizing infrastructure improvements and securing additional grant funding for specific projects, such as emergency generators for wells and sewage systems.
"If it's not in that plan, we're not eligible for that grant funding," Stoner said. "We want to make sure that we get all those things included in this plan and have that be a framework for us going forward for the next five years."