U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) urged Georgians to take safety precautions to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, which officially begins tomorrow, June 1. The senators also called on the U.S. House of Representatives to approve critical disaster aid legislation, which passed the Senate last week, to help Georgians still recovering from Hurricane Michael, which devastated Georgia during the 2018 hurricane season.

“As hurricane season begins, I urge all Georgians to be vigilant and take advantage of the many available resources to prepare for potential storms,” said Senator Isakson. “As we learned from Hurricane Michael last fall, preparedness can save lives. Please stay alert and heed the advice of state and local officials as hurricane season approaches. Senator Perdue and I also urge the U.S. House of Representatives to pass critical disaster relief without further delay for states still recovering from last year’s hurricanes. We need to do better to provide federal assistance in a timely manner for those who find themselves having to put their lives back together after natural disasters strike.”

“During this hurricane season, it’s critical that Georgians take each potential storm seriously and heed warnings from local officials,”said Senator Perdue. “Eight months ago, Hurricane Michael tore through Southwest Georgia and reminded us how important it is to prepare for the impact and aftermath of a dangerous storm. The U.S. Senate last week passed a bipartisan disaster relief package to help Georgia and other states recover from major national disasters, and now, the U.S. House must vote and deliver this bill to President Trump’s desk. It should not have taken eight months to deliver this federal assistance. Going forward, Congress must leave politics out of disaster relief and move swiftly to provide assistance in a timely manner. When disaster strikes, time is of the essence, and the American people need to know we have their backs.”

Isakson and Perdue encourage hurricane preparedness just one week after the Senate overwhelmingly approved critical disaster relief funding for Georgia and other states impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters in 2018 and early 2019. Isakson and Perdue fought for months to secure disaster funding for Georgia after Hurricane Michael hit in October 2018. This legislation must now be passed by the House before it can be signed into law by the president.

The senators shared the following resources for Georgians who are preparing for the 2019 hurricane season:

Georgia Hurricane Resources:

·         Download the Ready Georgia app for weather alerts and emergency preparedness tips.

·         View up-to-date emergency declarations from Governor Kemp here.

·         View updates from Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency here.

·         Follow Georgia 511 for real-time traffic information.

·         Learn what to do before, during, and after a flood here.

·         Report power outages by contacting your power provider. The two main providers in Georgia are:  

·         Georgia Power (contact here or at 888-891-0938)

·         Georgia EMC (find your local branch here)

·         Call your local non-emergency police line to report a downed tree in a main road.