Habersham County now not only has three new weather warning sirens, it has back most of the money it paid for them.
The Habersham County Emergency Management Agency recently received $62,210 for the purchase and installation of the sirens. The county was reimbursed through federal grant money administered by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA/HS).
The new sirens are located in Clarkesville, Mt. Airy and Tallulah Falls.
“These sirens are an early warning tool,” says Habersham EMA Director Lynne Smith. “We test the sirens every Wednesday at noon, weather permitting. We pray that we never have to use them for a real event, but it is a great feeling to know that we have them for the community.”
Money for the grant came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funds to state agencies and local governments.
Smith and staff worked with FEMA and GEMA/HS for two years to secure the funds.
“Preparing in advance for potential disasters makes the whole community safer,” says GEMA/HS Director Homer Bryson. “Sirens facilitate timely notification and allow local communities to focus on being ready to respond to a severe weather event.”
The county picked up 15% of the cost of the early warning system.
This article has been updated to reflect Habersham County’s portion of the cost
