With its grand squares, shady trees, scenic riverwalk and nearby Tybee Island, Savannah, Georgia, lives up to its nickname, the “Hostess City of the South.” But when it comes to hurricanes, locals often call it “Dodge City,” reflecting the areas near misses with major storms. Savannah hasn’t taken a direct hurricane hit in 46 years. Hurricane David struck as a Category 1 in 1979 and more recently, Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding and power outages.
Following Helene, students at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) teamed up with the American Red Cross Community Adaptation Program (CAP) in Chatham County for ten weeks, creating strategic initiatives that will strengthen disaster preparedness and response. The result is a community-based proposal that could help save lives not only in this community, but also across the country.
“This has been more than a project, it has been a mission, a race against the question what if the next big storm isn’t an if but a when,” student Sophia Waters said on a stage at a Savannah College of Art and Design presentation…