“We just need to be prepared” - Valdosta braces for more severe weather

• Severe weather is possible across South Georgia Thursday night and Friday as a wave of severe storms moves through the area.
• Valdosta has seen at least four major weather events in the last nine months.
• Watch the video to hear how neighbors are preparing and staying safe.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT

It's been barely six weeks since hurricane-force winds damaged parts of Valdosta, and now neighbors are taking cover for yet another storm.

"You never really prepare for a hurricane to happen because you never expect it to happen."

I'm Malia Thomas, your neighborhood reporter in Valdosta, and I'm tracking how neighbors are preparing to stay safe.

Dr. Michael Noll has lived through rounds of severe weather over the last several months.

"The biggest challenge that homeowners have to face, and this is a new one for me, is dealing with insurance companies as well as."

With more storms rolling through South Georgia, he tells me he's not going to let anxiety over possibility of more damage get the best of him.

"Once it happens, the only thing you can do is you pick up your pieces, you help your neighbors or neighbors may help you and roll up your sleeves and get to work. And that's all there is to it."

Storms or not...

Lowndes County leaders say...

"If you stay prepared, you won't have to get prepared."

Their main focus is keeping the Azalea City informed about weather threats.

In less than a year, this community has had a lot to clean up.

Thousands of downed trees during Hurricane Idalia last fall.

A tornado in February.

Hurricane force winds in March, and several rounds of flooding.

It's all taught Dr. Noll this lesson.

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself. We just need to be prepared, which is the important part.

FEMA and its federal partners have provided more than $820 million to help with disaster recovery from Hurricane Idalia in the Big Bend and South Georgia. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.