The City of Thomasville is preparing and actively monitoring Hurricane Ian that could potentially impact our area later this week. Proper preparation for a severe weather event is advised to safely protect your home and family as well as our community.
“While the potential impact of Ian’s track is still uncertain, we are planning and preparing to make sure our City crews are ready to respond to all possible weather conditions,” said Chris White, City of Thomasville Assistant City Manager. “As an organization, we have an established response plan that we set in motion for extreme weather situations.”
Some of the preparations City of Thomasville staff is addressing include:
- Coordinating with Thomas County EMA and GEMA in regards to storm information
- Discussing mutual aid agreements with other utility providers for electric restoration efforts
- Clearing out trouble spots in the collection system to ensure the system runs effectively with the anticipated higher water flow
- Ensuring adequate personnel are on standby and additional personnel are assigned to key city facilities to respond quickly to storm damage
- Cleaning out catch basins, road culverts, and storm pipes of leaves, debris and anything that could clog inlets or culverts to ensure water flows properly throughout the city stormwater system
- Inspecting erosion control measures, open excavations and material storage at City construction sites and asking private contractors to do the same
- Ensuring all necessary small equipment (chainsaws, weed eaters, etc), generators, and vehicles are inspected and fueled and that an adequate fuel supply is on hand
- Verifying inventory of materials and supplies needed for restoration efforts
- Fully charging all handheld radios, cell phones, and other electronic devices and ensuring all internal and external communications protocols are in place
At the very least, rain is expected in our forecast beginning Wednesday or Thursday. With this in mind, Thomasville residents can assist with storm preparations by making sure they do not have debris blocking any stormwater drainage areas on their private property. Additionally, residents may also assist by reporting any areas that need to be cleared by work crews. Other ways citizens can prepare for potential storm impacts include the following:
- Assess your property and be sure yard furniture, trash bins, yard toys and equipment are secured or put away
- Avoid performing any large pruning of shrubs and trees unless immediate disposal of waste material is possible
- Be sure there is no other debris on your property that can float or be blown away, as these things can block the storm drains and prevent the flow of water through our community
- Obtain a working NOAA Weather Radio
- Monitor weather situations and be alert to changing conditions
“Severe weather can also impact utility operations, and our electric crews will work to bring customers back online as quickly as possible,” noted White. “To prepare for possible utility outages, customers should have adequate food, batteries, medications and fuel for vehicles.”
Citizens that use City water are encouraged to not rush out to purchase bottled water. “Our water system is reliable and well prepared and designed to operate during prolonged electrical outages,” said White.
City of Thomasville utility customers can report a loss of utility services by calling 229-227-5499 or by registering for the Tville TextAlert system. Registration steps include:
- Verify that your mobile number is added to your utilities account by calling 229-227-7001.
- Once your number is added or if it is already active on your account, text tville to 85700.
- You’ll receive a text asking you to confirm the service location. You can manage up to four locations through the Tville TextAlert service.
Citizens should also keep the following City department numbers handy:
- Outage Hotline – 229-227-5499
- Public Works & Other City Services – 229-227-7001
- After Hours – 229-227-5499
- All Emergencies - 911
The City of Thomasville will continue to monitor Ian’s path and post updates as appropriate to Facebook and the City of Thomasville’s website, Thomasville.org. Citizens should continue to monitor the latest forecast and local emergency management information through the following websites:
National Hurricane Center, nhc.noaa.gov
National Weather Service Tallahassee, weather.gov/tae