By Kelsi Eccles
Hurricanes can be a devastating
they don’t, to make sure that we can and veterinarians on site for us.”
experience for anyone directly
accommodate new registrants.”
Volunteers and staff that work
affected by one, and the Georgia
“I really want to encourage
through these tough times not
Coastal Health District is taking
people to reach out to people
only ensure that people can stay
extra steps to ensure that everyone in their neighborhoods, church
together at shelters but they also
can evacuate to safety no matter
congregations or community
ensure registrants can stay with their
the medical or transportation
groups,” Silbermann said. “If you
pets as well.
barrier residents may face.
know a neighbor is shut-in, reach
“It’s a free service to us and
The Hurricane Registry for
out to them and figure out if they’re we have a safe place to lay our
those with functional, access or
eligible. We can take it from there
heads” Vaz said. “You couldn’t
medical needs is a list of residents
but we need the public to help us
ask for better considering the
who may need transportation or
identify those people, reach out to
circumstances and the people are
medical assistance and have no
your neighbors.”
so wonderful and I appreciate the
resources such as
service so much.”
family members,
“If you know a neighbor is shut-in, reach The registration is a
neighbors, or
resort option and
out to them and figure out if they’re eligible. last
friends to help them
only serves residents
evacuate prior to
We can take it from there but we need the without transportation
hurricanes. The
who also have medical
public
to
help
us
identify
those
people,
so
list is a one-time
or functional needs.
registration process
Another important factor
reach out to your neighbors.”
managed by local
to note about the list is
health department officials in eight
Frankie Vaz, a Chatham County
that registrations close 72 hours
Georgia counties.
resident, has been on the registry
prior to the arrival of tropical storm
“The number of registrants is
for three years and evacuated
force winds.
very fluid because people will
for both Hurricanes Matthew and
“We’ve learned a lot from past
drop off the list for various reasons
Irma. Vaz encouraged some of her experiences about best practices
including address changes, having
neighbors to also register and has
from the application period
access to transportation, death
enjoyed her past experiences while through the evacuation process,”
and various other reasons,” said
on the registry.
Silbermann said. “In the past, we
Sally Silbermann, Georgia Coastal
“I told one of my friends about it
stopped accepting applications
Health District Public Information
and she asked me what it’s like and just 36 hours in advance, but we
Officer and Risk Communicator.
I said ‘darling, it’s wonderful,’” Vaz learned that we needed more
“The local health department
said. “During Hurricane Irma, I was time to manage getting everyone
checks in with registrants annually
a little nervous to go somewhere
out of town and evacuees safely
to make sure that they still need our new but they brought in activities to removed.”
services and in the cases where
keep us busy and also had doctors
Vaz recounted that the check-in
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