GDOT Hurricane Preparedness: Planning your routes before, during, and after a storm

ATLANTA, Ga. – Hurricane season isn’t just about preparing kits at home, it’s also about being safe behind the wheel in the event of a major storm.

And… CBS 44’s Brian Roche tells us what you need to do to drive safely in the event of a hurricane.

A big part of any hurricane plan is road safety. And… that’s why we spoke with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) about what you can do to be prepared for the roads before, during, and after the storm.

We spoke with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Communications Director, Natalie Dale earlier this month…

And… Dale says that even in the days leading up to a hurricane, it’s imperative to have a plan in place if you need to be out on the road to prepare.

“The worst of us comes out in an emergency situation. So you want to have that plan. You want to have the Georgia 511 app downloaded, so you know what routes are clear, you know where to go; so you can really focus on driving. Making sure you’re getting out of harm’s way and not creating a different issue by being involved in a crash on the road…” said Natalie Dale, Comm. Dir. GDOT.

Though in the lead up to a hurricane, a good plan can help avoid any of that pre-storm panic.

“Know your routes, know your options. Download that 511 app. That’s going to tell you where you can find backups. There are hundreds, thousands of cameras across the state that you can look at and see what road conditions are…” said Dale.

But… even when the storm comes in, it’s absolutely imperative for most of us, to stay off the roads…

Because… if it’s too dangerous for first responders, it’s dangerous for everyone.

“Emergency crews, whether that’s first responders, ambulances, certainly our crews; when you get into those hurricane force winds, we’re going to pull our crews off the road for their safety. So, if our crews, who are trained to be out there, are not on the road, you certainly do not need to be. Again, very important…” said Dale.

Even after the hurricane moves out of the area, roads can still be very dangerous…

We spoke with dale about one of the biggest hazards that can impact people’s safety…

Downed power lines.

“We have to ensure that the power companies have the lines as ‘cold.’ that means there is no power is in those lines before any of those crews can get in and clear. That’s for our safety. That’s for their safety. When you’re dealing with wind, water, debris and live power lines: that is a deadly mix,” said Dale.

As well, there’s the matter of evacuating if you feel it isn’t safe to stay in the area.

“Don’t just use interstates and don’t just go north. Depending on the path of the storm, you have many options: you can go north and west to Alabama, you can go up to Atlanta, you can go through to Tennessee, you can go east. Know where the track of the storm is, and see where you can go that may be thinking outside the box… said Dale.

Ultimately, Dale tells us that throughout the course of the cycle of a hurricane…

“…You want to be the best driver you can, and again; we find that that’s when you’re prepared. That when you’re not in a hurry and when you’re sort of bringing that anxiety down surrounding driving, having that plan in place and putting that plan into place creates better drivers…” said Dale.

Georgia DOT evacuation routes: https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/Pages/Hurricane.aspx

GA 511: https://511ga.org/

GA 511 app: https://511ga.org/about/mobileapp

Brian Roche reporting.

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