This plan seeks to provide a framework to guide and support decision-making and implementation of recovery and redevelopment operations for natural and human-caused disasters.
The DRRP was prepared over many months’ work with local, regional, and state partners in emergency preparedness, including the Cities of Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine, as well as collaborators from the Camden County non-profit and business sectors.
“We want to thank our community partners across Camden County for their time and input into this process,” said Camden County Emergency Management Agency Director Chuck White. “This wide-ranging support indicates that we are working towards being better prepared for future disasters.”
With preparation assistance from Hagerty Consulting, Inc., this plan incorporates national best practices, guidance from the Georgia Post-Disaster Recovery and Redevelopment Guide, and lessons learned from similar planning initiatives within Georgia’s coastal communities.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), through the Georgia Coastal Management Program (GCMP), received $370,000 in funding from the 2017 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Resilience Grants program. Every two dollars of federal funds received must be matched by a non-federal contribution of at least one dollar by the project partners, adding another $303,000 and bringing the total project contribution of $673,000 to the State of Georgia. Comprehensive disaster recovery and redevelopment plans will be developed for six coastal counties in Georgia, including Bryan, Camden, Wayne, Effingham, Liberty, and Long.
NOAA received more than 167 proposals in 2017, requesting more than $135 million. The proposals were reviewed by a panel of coastal management experts and scientists from around the United States that included representatives of government, academia and private industry. Georgia was just one of two southeastern projects selected for the $13.8 million available.
Once completed, Georgia will be the only state in the nation to have a fully resilient coastline in planning for disaster recovery and redevelopment.