Special to the Herald

SPRINGFIELD – Director Clint Hodges and Coordinator Shanna Smith of the Effingham County Emergency Management Agency were guest speakers at the Effingham County Senior Citizens Center June 25.

Hodges and Smith spoke primarily about hurricane preparedness. They addressed evacuation zones, shelter availability, and the Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS).

The public safety officials, who engaged in several one-on-one chats after their presentation, strongly promoted the Hurricane Registry and offered to help members get their names on it. Maintained by the Effingham County Health Department, the registry is for residents with certain healthcare conditions who may need transportation or medical assistance and have no resources such as family members or friends to help them evacuate when a storm is threatening.

The time to apply for the registry is when no storms are approaching. Applications stop being accepted 72 hours prior to the arrival of tropical force winds.

To apply for the hurricane registry, residents should call toll-free, 1-833-CHD-REGISTER (1-833-243-7344). A representative will take some basic information and then the Effingham County Health Department will follow up to complete the process.

The Effingham County Health Department is located at 802 Ga. 119 South, Springfield. Its phone number is (912) 754-6484.

To receive WENS notifications by text or email, sign up at https://bit.ly/4emRrJU. WENS is a mass notification system that broadcasts real-time alerts and information.