By David Colmans
The tornado that struck Atlanta earlier this month wasn’t a typical disaster in that tornadoes are rarely seen in the downtown area of major cities like Atlanta, and that so much of the insured damage was focused on one location: the Georgia World Congress Center and surrounding buildings.
Upwards of $250 million in insured damage occurred statewide according to Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine. Several insurers set up a joint insurance claims center in the parking lot of an Atlanta MARTA train station to assist with claims handling.
The shared area for insurers was, as a department of insurance official noted, “a real-time exercise for the planning process between the commissioner’s office, the Georgia Insurance Information Service and the emergency management agency in Savannah/Chatham County in the event of a hurricane strike.
It wasn’t difficult for first responders to handle what ultimately became a statewide situation with multiple weather events, which speaks volumes for constant training and disaster plans that can be put into action on a moment’s notice.
But it should serve as a reminder that while 2008’s severe weather season in Georgia is one to remember so far, we are slightly more than two months away from the start of the 2008 hurricane season. We have the potential for not only the huge storms, but the tropical storm aftermath that can reach virtually anywhere in Georgia and surrounding states. As newspaper and broadcast reporters spoke with witnesses to the severe weather across the state, the usual “it sounded like a train coming” was a common theme.
What was particularly troubling were the numerous comments from these individuals who said they were awakened by the storm. It’s not because they were asleep, but because they should have been awakened earlier by the alarm of a severe weather radio going off in their homes or apartments.
The news media gives good information if someone is listening, watching or on the Internet. In the middle of the night, only warning sirens and weather alert radios can help save lives other than pure luck.
This was not an event to dismiss as one-time. These two storm days should clarify how important it is that:
— Families and businesses have disaster plans for sheltering in place or evacuating
— Weather alert radios that are county-specific are a must-have for all households and businesses
— That any place in the state is subject to the anger of Mother Nature
This is the time to seriously think about what you and your family should be prepared for and that an awareness of weather conditions is very important regardless of where you live or work.
David Colmans is executive director of Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at 770-565-3806 or by e-mail at dcolmans@giis.org. The Web site is http://www.giis.org.
