Does Savannah get much hurricane or flooding activity? (Tybee Island: insurance, house)

[TootsieWootsie]

I did some homework on hurricanecity.com on Savannah, but have read a post that stated Savannah didn't get hurricane activity really. What is the true story?
Is Savannah just so likely as Charleston, South Carolina, to be hit by a big hurricane? I remember 1989 when Charleston was just devastated..sadly.

[ellie]

No, we sit around and lie to people in our free time. Savannah has a fair chance of being hit by hurricanes. It just hasn't happened in a long, long time.

[Just Plain Al]

Originally Posted by ellie

No, we sit around and lie to people in our free time.

Yup.

[Padgett2]

The last bad one was in 1893. Water covered Tybee Island. Of course, we could have another one like that any time. The usual ones are Category 1 and 2. It's been about 20 years since the last one. 1989, I think.

Hurricanes start at Category 1. Those winds are 75 miles per hour. Not nearly the strength of the wind in a blizzard and a lot warmer.

Flooding. only from heavy rains in low lying areas at the time of the high tide when the canals can't drain the rain water fast enough. Buy a house close to a swampy area and chances are that at some point, you will get water in the house. We don't have rivers that flood around Savannah. Farther south, around the fresh water rivers, there is flooding.

[TootsieWootsie]

Good...because the area looks great to me. I've done the flooding thing that ruined cars and homes in Texas, and don't want to revisit that memory again.

[bellhead]

Go and look at the Gulf stream along the coast. Savannah sits in the center of a slight bend. The gulf stream goes straight bye. The gulf stream heads straight into Charleston. Wonder why they get hit all the time.

[TootsieWootsie]

Yes, this is what I read before: that that little inland bump where Savannah sits saves it from getting the worst on hurricanes. Sure hope it stays that way as I'm looking at living on the South Carolina side--but so close to Savannah as I can get. Looks like beautiful country just up and down the whole coast there.

[bgnzsavnh]

Certain areas of Savannah and area are flood prone
there are canals that drain the central parts of the county
but heavy rain at high tide can be a problem
recently several pumping stations have been built and canals widened

'Buy Dry' campaign urges consumers to be wary of homes built in wetlands | SavannahNow.com
'Buy Dry' campaign urges consumers to be wary of homes built in wetlands

Check with the Chatham County Department of Engineering at (652-7800) to find out what flood zone you are in and what the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is for your neighborhood. You can also use the forms to obtain a Flood Zone Determination letter.
Do your homework, never trust, It is buyer beware.
The vast majority of homes have no flood problems
Even some subdivisions in the neighboring counties have been built on low flood prone wetlands

Georgia Flood Mapping Program

Floodsmart.gov: Your premier resource for flood insurance information

Flooding | Chatham Emergency Management Agency