Hurricane Season Is Here Flood Preparation Tips from the City of Pooler

Predictions are that this hurricane season, which runs June 1st to November 30th, there will be 19 named storms. Out of these, 9 could reach hurricane status with 4 becoming major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher intensity. We need to be prepared because hurricanes are unpredictable. Located 30 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, our city would experience some flooding from a Class 3 storm surge and severe flooding from a Class 5 storm surge.

There are several actions you can take to mitigate the flood

1. Know the flood warning procedures.
2. Prior to evacuating your residence, turn off electricity, gas and water in your home.
3. During times of heavy rainfall, monitor the level of water in the drainage way and stay tuned to radio or TV for possible flood warning.
4. Evacuate the flood hazard area in times of impending flood or when advised to do so by the police chief or fire chief.
5. Do not walk through flowing water as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
6. If your car stalls in high water, abandon it immediately and seek higher ground. More people drown in their cars than anywhere else.
7. Keep children away from flood waters, ditches, culverts, unstable stream banks and storm drains.

Many buildings can be protected against flooding by retrofitting. Retrofitting is changing an existing structure in some manner to help reduce flooding. Some retrofitting techniques are waterproofing walls and doors, adding waterproof fences (usually brick or concrete) with sealing gates and even elevating the building above flood levels. Emergency measures you can take during a flood which will help reduce property damage include:

2. Move cardboard and newspapers to high ground. Otherwise, they may disintegrate and/or clog drains when the flood waters recede.
3. Put chemicals (insecticides, weed killers, those that give off heat, explosive or toxic gases when exposed to water) in waterproof containers and remove to high areas of the building.
4. Note that some flood protection measures may need a building permit and others may not be safe for your type of building, so be sure to talk to the City of Pooler.
5. Avoid backflow of sewer lines by closing off all sewer line entries into the house. If this is a somewhat regular occurrence during heavy rains, you may consider installing a backflow prevention valve on your sewer line. If you have a backflow prevention valve, be sure it is

City Staff can make site visits, upon request, to assist property owners with flooding, drainage, and sewer problems and to address any site-specific flooding concerns within the community. The service is provided at no charge. For additional information on flooding, flood insurance, flood zones, retrofitting, how to pick a contractor, obtain an elevation certificate, past flooding or environmentally sensitive area or wetlands, you may call the Planning & Zoning Department

Substantially damaged buildings must also be brought up to the same standards. More information on the substantial improvement and substantial damage rules can be found in Answers to Questions about Substantially Damaged Buildings. Copies are