Savannah Mayor Van Johnson says city was prepared for Ian, will help those impacted

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - As Savannah was spared from serious impacts from Ian last week, Mayor Van Johnson says he’s grateful the city was equipped for the storm.

Better safe than sorry is the point Mayor Van Johnson wanted to drive home as he says Savannah was well prepared for if Ian did hit our area. Because Ian took another path, the Mayor says Savannah is a blessed city.

“We plan for this all the time.”

Recognizing Chatham Emergency Management Agency or CEMA’s efforts to prepare and keep people informed, Mayor Johnson says the city did everything right.

He said he’s proud of how the city handled the storm that was threatening our area and that he stands by the decisions local governments made to keep citizens safe.

“We should not have evacuated. We should’ve stayed in place and as a result, that and divine intervention, our community is okay. We’re safe.”

While he is relieved the storm didn’t affect our area, some lost their homes and lives in surrounding states. He says the city will be helping people devastated by Ian.

“We’ll talk about how we can connect with our cities down in Florida and South Carolina about how we can be of help.”

While this storm has passed, he warns people not to be complacent.

“We know that some people were not as prepared as they should’ve been. We want people to be vigilant and we want them to be prepared. If you need insurance, get insurance.”

He says we’re not out of the woods yet. It’s important to stay prepared as the hurricane season isn’t over yet.

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