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It’s hurricane season 2025 after Debby and Helene’s ‘wakeup call’ to Bulloch
EMA director Corey Kemp: 2024 storms ‘may not have been worst-case’
Debby - 'wakeup call'
The dam at Akins Pond, shown on Aug. 7, 2024, was overwhelmed from the effects of Tropical Storm Debby. (SCOTT BRYANT/Herald file)

So far, so calm: the National Hurricane Center's maps showed no tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane symbols as of Monday, June 16, just over two weeks into hurricane season. In fact, the map of the North Atlantic carried the message, "Tropical cyclone activity is not expected during the next 7 days."

Underway since June 1, the official 2025 Atlantic hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30, with fewer storms predicted than in 2024, but still an above-average number. Last year's Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene should "serve as a wakeup call" that Statesboro-area residents need to be prepared, says Corey Kemp, Bulloch County's emergency management director. 

Bulloch EMA Director Corey Kemp
Bulloch County EMA Director Corey Kemp

The outlook for the season issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its National Weather Service in May forecast "above-normal" hurricane activity. Actually, this is a hedged bet with probabilities assigned to different ranges of storm activity. The forecasters inferred a 60% probability of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. "Normal" is a 30-year average.

Forecasters expect 13 to 19 total named storms (winds 39 mph or higher) to appear in the Atlantic this season, with six to 10 of those storms likely to become hurricanes (winds 74 mph or higher), including three to five major hurricanes, meaning Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes. A Category 3 brings winds of 111 mph or higher. After last year's predictions of 17–25 named storms with around 13 expected to be hurricanes and 4–7 major hurricanes, this year's predictions are slightly lower. (By the time the 2025 season ended, there had in fact been 18 named storms, 11 of which became hurricanes and five, major hurricanes).

But wind speeds aren't the only factor in storm damage. Last year's Debby, a Category 1 hurricane at one point, was barely a tropical storm wind-wise when in passed the Statesboro area, but its rains flooded homes in low-lying neighborhoods and along the river and creeks and caused extensive damage to roads. Hurricane Helene, once a Category 4 storm, was only Category 1–2 when it passed near this part of Georgia, but it wrought serious wind damage here, especially to trees and older structures, before its flash flooding and tornadoes caused more than 100 deaths in western North Carolina.

"Some of the lessons learned for Bulloch County are, we're not immune, and flooding is a real threat," Kemp said in an early-June 2025 interview.

"We need to be prepared for hurricane season, after Helene, as that storm highlighted how vulnerable inland communities like Bulloch can be, even if they aren't on the coast," he wrote in his talking points for first responders and the public.

Debby - 'wakeup call'
A dog waits on the front porch on Aug. 7, 2024, for his owner to return after homes on Allen Circle near Mill Creek on Highway 301 North were evacuated overnight due to rising waters caused by rains from Tropical Storm Debby. (SCOTT BRYANT/Herald file)

5 'wakeup' points

Kemp listed five points for why Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby serve as a wakeup call:

1. Helene proved that inland areas are not immune.

2. Flooding was a real threat. "Citizens witnessed firsthand how a few inches of heavy rain in a short time can shut down infrastructure and endanger lives," he wrote.

3. Response time matters. "During Helene, some residents may have waited too long to prepare, complicating efforts for emergency services to assist," Kemp said. "Being ready in advance allows people time to act safely, before it's too late."

4. Lessons learned should lead to action. "After Helene, it became clear that more preparation is needed, more communication is vital, more personal responsibility is crucial," he wrote. 

5. Future storms could be worse. This is the frightening one to think about. As he notes, "Helene may not have been the worst-case scenario. The next storm could bring stronger winds, more rain."

Prepare at home

Kemp advises area residents to have a storm plan and storm kit ready at home. A source of ideas for what to put in your kit can be found here. The list calls for one gallon of water per person per day, enough to last several days for drinking and keeping clean; at least a several-day supply of nonperishable food; a battery-powered or crank radio with NOAA weather radio capability and tone alert; a flashlight, a first-aid kit, extra batteries … a manual can opener, a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery. …

Medications, pet food and baby items are other considerations for various people, and sleeping bags, blankets, books and games for children, and other things are on the list, as is cash.

Helene - 'wakeup call'
Bricks and debris ripped from the north wall of the Goodwill Service Center next to Lowe's on Highway 80 East are strewn across the parking lot the morning of Sept. 27, 2024, after Hurricane Helene swept through the area. (JIM HEALY/Herald file)

When shelters are opened in Bulloch County, they are mainly for local residents, such as those who would then be advised to evacuate flood-prone areas and mobile homes, or after a storm for residents whose homes have been damaged.

"If you live in a manufactured home, if there's a pretty bad storm coming, please do not stay in the mobile home; please go to a hotel," Kemp said last year before either of the storms. "If you live in flood-prone areas, go ahead and leave. Otherwise, pack for an additional week if you want to stay home. We know certain parts of Bulloch County flood."

Now, as he pointed out, more people realize it.

Connect for alerts

The county staff posts advisories and information such as shelter locations on the "Bulloch County Public Safety and EMA" Facebook page and sends out alerts via CodeRED. Kemp advises downloading the CodeRED app and also iNWS to your cellphone now, as part of your preparations for future storms.

CodeRed is an emergency alert system to which Bulloch County and the city of Statesboro subscribe. To sign up, click here.

And iNWS is "Interactive NWS," a text message and e-mail alerts system provided by the National Weather Service. Go here to sign up.

Water rescue boat

Bulloch County Public Safety has a new water rescue boat, and is planning a water rescue class June 29 for county first responders.

The EMA obtained the boat with some the county's previous grant funding, and the Bulloch County Fire Department will operate it, Kemp said. The Sheriff's Office already had a boat, and the Statesboro Fire Department called in private boats for use in some rescues last year.

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