Officials from the Camden County Board of Commissioners and the Cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine, along with Camden County Schools, jointly agreed to close all local government offices and schools Wednesday, August 30, 2023. The safety of our youth, staff, and citizens are our first priority.
All Camden County residents should prepare now for significant tropical activity and rapidly changing conditions. Take time now to secure loose outdoor objects. Take all precautions to protect life and property.
Earlier this year the Camden County Board of Commissioners approved new hurricane evacuation zones for Camden County. The county now features four zones to better reflect risk and evacuation management. Camden County residents, regardless of zone, should strongly consider voluntary evacuation in low lying areas. Locations that have flooded in the past are likely to flood during this tropical event. Residents in manufactured housing should consider relocating to a stronger structure.
Camden County residents should continue to monitor their local municipal service providers for changes to existing schedules for curbside collection.
Based on storm speed and track, Idalia is forecast to impact our community beginning some time very late Tuesday, August 29, 2023, or very early, Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Impacts may include strong wind, downed trees, loss of power, and an increasing threat of tornadoes. Households should review their emergency plans and check their emergency supply kits. It’s now time to take necessary action to protect life and property. More preparedness information is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s ready.gov.
Local residents are also encouraged to visit the National Hurricane Center, www.nhc.noaa.gov, and the National Weather Service Office in Jacksonville, www.weather.gov/jax, as trusted sites for weather related information. In addition, Camden County residents are urged to sign-up for the CodeRED Emergency Notification System by visiting www.camdencountyga.gov/CodeRED. CodeRED is critical during situations like this as a direct method of communication from Camden County EMA to your landline, cell phone, or email. TDD/TTY service is also available. Participants will be notified in the event of emergency situations or critical community alerts.
Camden County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and in partnership with the cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine, along with Camden County Schools, and the National Weather Service (NWS) will coordinate incident response and public communications. Local residents should continue to monitor Camden County Website, Public Information Hub, and Camden County EMA Facebook for updates.