Chatham County has three evacuation zones. CEMA runs evacuations: 912-201-4500. No car? Free CAT buses run to Enmarket Arena for inland shelters.

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Facts come from the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), the City of Savannah’s hurricane page and the National Weather Service. Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30.

Chatham County is on the Georgia coast, and CEMA leads the county’s response to hurricanes and tropical storms; the City of Savannah follows CEMA’s lead. The most important things to know before a storm: your evacuation zone, how you will leave and where your official updates come from.

Who to call

Know your zone

After Hurricane Matthew, the county drew three evacuation zones using landmarks people already know, according to CEMA:

  1. Areas east of the Truman Parkway and the Vernon River
  2. Areas west of the Truman Parkway but east of I-95
  3. Areas west of I-95

Look up any address on the interactive evacuation zone map.

CEMA uses two kinds of order. An evacuation order encourages people in the named area to leave. A mandatory evacuation order requires everyone in the area, residents, visitors and businesses, to leave; personal discretion is not an option.

If you have no way to leave

CEMA’s Evacuation Assembly Area is at Enmarket Arena. During an evacuation:

  • Chatham Area Transit buses carry residents there free.
  • You register at the arena, alone or as a family, and board a bus to an inland public shelter.
  • Pets are allowed. They are registered and ride a separate bus to a shelter in the same city or county as you, and you will be taken to visit them.
  • Bring only one or two hand-carry bags each, plus supplies for your pet.
  • There is no parking near the arena. If you drive there, do not expect to board a bus; the buses are a last resort for people with no other way out.

The Hurricane Registry

Residents with functional, access or medical needs who have no family, neighbors or friends to help them leave can apply to the Hurricane Registry, kept by the Coastal Health District. Call 1-833-243-7344 to apply. Applications close 72 hours before tropical storm-force winds arrive, so apply now. People who live in a nursing home, assisted living or personal care home are not eligible and follow their facility’s plan.

Sandbags

The city hands out sandbags when a storm threatens and posts the sites and hours on its hurricane page. When Tropical Storm Imelda threatened in late September 2025, the city gave out more than 900 bags at the Enmarket Arena parking lot, 630 Stiles Ave., and Savannah Fire Station 7, 6902 Sallie Mood Drive. The limit was five bags per household, and residents brought their own shovels.

The city also keeps a flood-prone areas map built from crowdsourced reports, city water data and computer modeling.

Watch, warning and what to do

From CEMA’s preparedness guide:

  • Hurricane watch: hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours. Fill the car with gas, check supplies, bring in or tie down outdoor items, set the refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings and store drinking water.
  • Hurricane warning: winds of 74 mph or more, or dangerous high water, are expected in 36 hours or less. Put papers and valuables in a waterproof container, stay away from windows and keep flashlights handy.
  • If you evacuate: leave as soon as possible, avoid flooded roads, tell someone outside the storm area where you are going and take your emergency supplies.

Alerts and sirens

Coming home

After an evacuation, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency runs re-entry in five phases. Residents and property owners return in Phase 4, which may be limited to parts of the county; the general public returns in Phase 5.

Sales tax holiday

Georgia’s Department of Revenue lists no sales tax holiday for storm supplies on its sales and use tax pages for 2026.

What this means for you

  • Look up your zone today; it decides when you leave.
  • No car? Plan on the free CAT bus to Enmarket Arena, and bring your pet.
  • If someone in your home needs help to evacuate, apply to the registry before a storm forms.

Related: power outages and getting around Savannah.

Frequently asked questions

What hurricane evacuation zone am I in in Chatham County?

Type your address into CEMA’s interactive evacuation zone map at public.sagis.org/evaczones. The three zones are east of the Truman Parkway and Vernon River, between the Truman Parkway and I-95, and west of I-95.

Where do I go if I cannot drive out of Savannah for a hurricane?

During an evacuation, Chatham Area Transit buses carry residents free to the Evacuation Assembly Area at Enmarket Arena, where they register and board buses to an inland public shelter. Pets are allowed and travel on a separate bus.

Where can I get sandbags in Savannah?

The City of Savannah hands out sandbags when a storm threatens and announces sites on savannahga.gov/hurricane. During Tropical Storm Imelda in 2025 it used the Enmarket Arena lot, 630 Stiles Ave., and Fire Station 7, 6902 Sallie Mood Drive, five bags per household.

What is the Chatham County Hurricane Registry?

A list kept by the Coastal Health District of residents with functional, access or medical needs who have no other way to evacuate. Apply by calling 1-833-243-7344; applications close 72 hours before tropical storm winds arrive.

When are the warning sirens tested in Chatham County?

At noon on the first Wednesday of each month, unless the weather is bad. The 61 sirens sound for tornado warnings.