Thomas Lynn | The Valdosta Daily TimesAshley Tye, Emergency Operations Center director, cautions hurricane preparedness during a briefing.

VALDOSTA — When it comes to hurricanes, size matters, said Mark Wool, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“It really doesn’t matter how many storms there are in a year,” Wool said. “It only takes one.”

Wool spoke to city and county first-responders at an internal hurricane briefing in the Emergency Operation Center Tuesday. He reminded officials what they can expect during hurricane season and the best sources to get preparedness information.

As far as the public is concerned, Wool said the most important thing is for people to be prepared. People in an evacuation zone should have a plan in place before the need arises.

“You need to have a disaster supply kit in your home and enough supplies for 72 hours without rescue,” Wool said. “You’re supposed to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours.”

Ashley Tye, EOC director, said the public can help first-responders by being prepared with emergency plans for their homes. He said residents should be prepared for more than just hurricanes, but for strong storms, as well.

“While we use hurricane season as a time to have these talks, everything we talk about applies year-round to any storm,” Tye said. “That’s our message. We need to be prepared all year-round.”

The meeting at the EOC is an important part of that preparedness, Tye said. It is a chance to bring all of the EOC’s partners together to strengthen relationships, so that when a situation occurs, people know who they need to call.

When a hurricane hits, there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes, he said. A strong relationship between the departments is key to the right resources reaching the right destination.

“We need to call people and say that we’re activating the EOC, and without things like this they might ask us what that means,” Tye said. “It takes a lot of effort to build those relationships, but those relationships are the most critical part. Without it, everything can fall apart.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256