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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORD COUNTY.ALL RIGHT, LET ME, LET ME START OUT BY THANKING EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING.
UH, I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TODAY THAT WE, UH, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TALK TO OUR RESIDENTS AND GUEST TO BEAUFORD COUNTY IN THE LOW COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND COASTAL EMPIRE.
JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT POSITION THAT WE FEEL THAT WE'RE IN, EVEN THOUGH IT CHANGES, UH, MAYBE BY THE HOUR.
UH, SO A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS BASED ON PREDICTION.
UH, LET ME START OUT BY SAYING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION WITH ALL OF OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, AS WELL AS OUR STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES AS IT RELATES TO THE DISCUSSIONS OF, UM, WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY AND WHERE, WHERE WE'VE BEEN COMING FROM FOR THE LAST 24, 36 HOURS, AND WHERE WE POSSIBLY COULD BE, UH, IN THE NEXT 36 HOURS.
A LOT OF IT'S, UH, A LITTLE IFFY.
UH, THIS IS KIND OF, I THINK THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
NEIL SAID IT THE BEST YESTERDAY, IS THAT STORMS SUCH AS THIS CREATE THEIR OWN WEATHER AND WE JUST HAVE TO KIND OF GO ALONG WITH IT.
I THINK THE ONLY PERSON THAT'S BEEN THROUGH A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE IN THIS ROOM IS MY GOOD FRIEND, DR.
UH, AND SO HE'S PROBABLY GOT MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ANYONE, UH, THAT AREA.
AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY, UH, IN THE FORM OF NEWS COMING OUT OF, UH, FLORIDA IS, IS, IS UNBELIEVABLE.
AND I, I HOPE, UH, THAT, THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING IN THAT VERY, VERY CLOSELY TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT A, I THINK IT WAS ALMOST A CAT FIVE.
I THINK IT WAS A FEW MILE AN HOUR SHORT OF A CAT FIVE, THE DEVASTATION, UH, THAT IT HAD, UH, ON THE COAST OF FLORIDA AND CONTINUES TO, UM, CREATE HAVOC, UH, AS IT TRAVELS THROUGH FLORIDA AND, AND COMING OUT IN THE ATLANTIC.
UM, OUR COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN ISSUED A STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION ON WEDNESDAY THE 28TH.
YESTERDAY AT 4:00 PM THE STATE DID THEIR DECLARATION, UH, AT THREE O'CLOCK SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE MUNICIPAL HOLIDAYS, UH, FOLLOWED SUIT AND DID THEIRS AROUND FOUR SHORTED THEIR APP.
UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, COUNTY EMERGENCY, UM, SERVICES ARE READY, WILLING, AND ABLE, UH, TO MEET OUR RESIDENTS AND GUEST NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE STORM.
AND WE'RE HOPING THAT DURATION OF THE STORM IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY WILL END, UH, HOPEFULLY SATURDAY MORNING.
UH, THEN WE CAN MAKE THE START SEEING A LITTLE SUNSHINE MAYBE BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
BUT UNTIL WE GET TO THAT POINT, WE HAVE, UH, SOME CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US.
I KIND OF WANNA RECAP A LITTLE BIT, UH, JUST TO KIND OF BRING EVERYBODY UP TO, UM, UH, EXPECTATION.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY, REMEMBER HURRICANE MATTHEW.
A LOT OF PEOPLE REMEMBER A HURRICANE, UH, 2016 TO 2017.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW, WE HAD ONE GUST OF WIND, UH, OF 86 MILES AN HOUR, UH, THAT WAS REGISTERED AT THE HILTON.
THAT AIRPORT, WE HAD ONE GUST OF WIND, UH, THAT WAS REGISTERED AT THE AIR STATION AT 58 MILES PER HOUR.
SO KEEP THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE REMEMBERS WHAT KIND OF TREE DAMAGE, WHAT KIND OF POWER LINE DAMAGE WE HAD IN HURRICANE MATTHEW.
AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE GUST OF 86 AND ONE GUST IN A AIR STATION OF 58 WINDS ARE PREDICTED.
AND POTENTIAL, UH, THAT WE COULD HAVE WINDS ON FRIDAY, UH, THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING, UH, POSSIBLY BETWEEN 58 AND 73 MILES PER HOUR.
UH, AND WE COULD ALSO SEE PROBABLY A CATEGORY ONE, UH, WIND CHALLENGE, UH, WHICH IS ANYTHING OVER 75 MILES PER HOUR.
UH, AND THAT WOULD BE, UH, FRIDAY, UH, THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.
AT THE WORST POINT, RAIN IS EXPECTED.
IT COULD, WE'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
I'M GONNA STICK WITH FOUR TO SIX INCHES.
UH, WE'VE HEARD FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES.
WE'VE HEARD POSSIBLY LOCAL, UH, IN DIFFERENT AREAS, UH, AS MUCH AS 12 INCHES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN FAIRLY, UM, COMFORTABLE OVER PAST WEEK AND A HALF WITH NOT HAVING THE INUNDATION OF RAIN AS WE HAD IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER.
SO IT'S DRIED OUT A LITTLE BIT.
UH, BUT WE'RE STILL CONCERNED WITH, UH, TREE TREES THAT ARE COMPROMISED
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NOT ONLY CAUSE OF WHAT WE WENT THROUGH THROUGH THE MONTH OF AUGUST, BUT UH, WE, WE STILL GOT SOME TREES THAT ARE COMPROMISED SINCE 2016.SO WHEN WE START LOOKING AT, UH, THE WINDS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND, WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH RAIN, UH, COULD FALL.
NOT ONLY COAST, BUT INWARD AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT STORM SURGE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE, UH, DEALT WITH DURING HURRICANE IMA, WHICH IS FOUR TO SIX FEET.
AND THAT FOUR TO SIX FEET IS ABOVE DRY GROUND.
UH, YOU CAN SEE A SURGE OF FOUR TO SIX FEET ABOVE THAT.
SO, AND, AND THAT COUPLED WITH YOU TAKE THE RAIN, YOU TAKE THE, YOU TAKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL WINDS AND YOU LOOK AT THE STORM SURGE, UM, AND YOU LOOK AT OUR HIGH TIDES, AND IF YOU JUST USE A NORM, A NORMAL, UM, EVOLUTION OF TIME, HIGH TIDES WILL BE, UH, EITHER AT MIDNIGHT OR MIDDAY, UH, TODAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WATER THAT WE'RE GOING DEAL WITH.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE GET, WE GET THE WINDS THAT WE, THAT WE POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE, IT'S GONNA HOLD A LOW TIDE.
IT'S GOING, IT'S GONNA HOLD A HIGH TIDE GOING OUT IN THE DIFFERENT PERIOD THAT TIDE EVERYONE OUT.
SO ALL OF THAT WATER'S GONNA COME BACK IN A LOT QUICKER.
SO WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE VERY, VERY AWARE THAT, UH, THAT THAT POTENTIAL IS THERE.
UH, AND I'M GONNA TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS THAT I WANT PEOPLE TO TRY TO REMEMBER OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS.
UM, LET'S GET OUR ERRANDS RUN TO DATE.
LET'S TRY TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
IF YOU NEED TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, GO TO WALMART, GO TO HOME DEPOT, LOWE'S, UH, CV OR ANY OF THE OTHER OUT WHICH YOU NEED TO GO TO, WE NEED TO TRY TO GET THAT DONE AND TRY TO GET IT DONE BEFORE NIGHT FALL.
UM, CAUSE NIGHT FALL, WE EXPECT RAIN.
WE EXPECT MORE WIND, UH, TROPICAL FORCE, UH, TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS, COULD BE EARLY EVENING, UH, WITH DIFFICULTY ON THAT, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, SOME POTENTIAL WATER ISSUES AND, AND, AND WHAT WIND WE'LL HAVE.
WE'VE KIND OF NEED TO GET THOSE ERRANDS RUN AS AS SOON AS WE CAN.
UH, LET'S PLEASE REFRAIN AND WE'LL, AND WE'LL SEND THIS OUT THROUGH NOT ONLY A NICKEL, BUT SOME OTHER, UM, POSSIBILITIES.
LET'S PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DRIVING ON ANY OF OUR ROADS FRIDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PREFER THAT YOU STAY HOME, UH, TOMORROW AND THROUGHOUT TOMORROW EVENING.
UH, LESS TRAFFIC WE HAVE OUT ON THESE ROADS TO MORE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN PATROL THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
UH, ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE 24 7.
UH, OUR, OUR COUNTY EMS, UH, FIRE AND RESCUE WILL BUILT NET BLUFF AND FIRE.
UH, AND ALL OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS, WE ARE, WE ARE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WHAT WILL BE, UH, UH, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, READY, WILLING, ENABLE, HANDLE WHATEVER NEEDS ARE.
BUT IF WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, IT WOULD BE, UH, A WHOLE LOT, UH, EASIER FOR US TO DO OUR JOB, AND IT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT SAFER FOR YOU.
I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE AS WELL, WE TALK ABOUT COMPROMISED TREES, UH, BUT WHEN YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT TOMORROW AND TOMORROW EVENING, EVEN AT HOME, YOU'VE GOTTA BE VERY, VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT BEING OUTSIDE THAT WIND.
UH, AND, AND SOME OF THE WATER WILL HAVE, YOU WILL HAVE TREE LIMBS THAT, UH, THAT ARE GONNA BE VERY, VERY, UH, DANGEROUS.
UH, MAYBE TREE ISSUES, POWER LINE ISSUES, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH.
UH, STAY INDOORS AGAIN, IF YOU CAN, FRIDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING.
UH, AND IF WE HAVE FLOODING, WHICH WE EXPECT IN CERTAIN AREAS, PLEASE DON'T TRY TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOOD WATER, UH, BECAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY, YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT'S UNDERNEATH THOSE FLOOD WATERS AND THERE MAY NOT BE ANYTHING THERE.
UH, SO, UH, JUST BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
SO THAT'S WHY WE PREFER TO KIND STAY HOME AND STAY OFF THE ROAD.
DO YOU WANNA TOUCH ON ANYTHING THAT WAS DEVELOPED TODAY THAT YOU CAN ASK, SIR? A GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OP OUTCOMES, WE ARE AT OPCON TOO.
WE WILL HAVE THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ON A LIMITED ACTIVATION STARTING AT, UH, SIX O'CLOCK THIS EVENING.
OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND EMS HAVE APPROPRIATE, UH, AUGMENTATION OF THEIR STAFFING BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON, THIS EVENING, THROUGH THE REST OF THE STORM.
UH, THE SHERIFF JUST TOUCHED ON NOT DRIVING THROUGH THE FLOODED ROADWAYS.
IF WE EXPERIENCE FLOODING THAT, UH, IS BEING FORECAST, WE WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO WALK THROUGH
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THIS WATER.THIS WATER PICKS UP A LOT OF, UH, TRASH, A LOT OF NASTY STUFF THAT, UH, IT COULD VERY EASILY CAUSE YOU SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS WITHIN THE FUTURE.
SO STAY OUT OF THE SHERIFF SAID, STAY HOME.
STAY INDOORS, RIDE THIS THING OUT, AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH WHATEVER HAPPENS AFTERWARDS.
THE SHELTER IN JASPER COUNTY AT THE JASPER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL OF GRAS HIGHWAY IN RIDGELAND WILL BE OPEN AT FIVE O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON.
SHOULD ANYONE, UH, DECIDE THEY WOULD, UH, PREFER TO SEEK SHELTER, UH, AWAY FROM BUFORD COUNTY, AWAY FROM THE, UH, THE WATERWAYS AND THE LOWLINE AREA IS BEFORD COUNTY.
THAT SHELTER, AGAIN, WILL BE OPEN AND IT IS PET FRIENDLY, AND IT WILL STAY AFTER THE DURATION OF THE EVENT, AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE IT APPROPRIATELY AFTER THE EVENTS OVER WITH.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I NEED.
I THINK THE COUNTY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB TO UPDATE CITIZENS AND WHAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO ADD IS THE TOWN FORT ROYAL IS READY, AND IT HAS BEEN VERY, UM, PLEASURABLE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DURING THIS.
AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN TRANS BEEN, UH, COMMUNICATED BACK AND FORTH, HAS ALLOWED US ALL TO GET PREPARED VERY EARLY AND TO BE READY FOR THIS STORM.
AND WE'RE READY TO DEAL WITH THINGS THAT HAVE STARTING TOMORROW AND SATURDAY AS THEY PASS.
UH, JUST WANNA REITERATE A COUPLE THINGS THAT SHERIFF SAID.
NOW'S THE TIME TO BE FINISHING YOUR HURRICANE PREPARATIONS.
I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL LAY LOW AFTER, AFTER TONIGHT, AND NOT BE OUT ON THE ROADS ON FRIDAY.
UM, WE ARE EXPECTING SIMILAR FLOOD INTO WHAT WE HAD AT HURRICANE IRMA.
JUST WANNA REMIND YOU, CARTER RED STREET HAD OVER A FOOT OF WATER.
UH, IT DIDN'T AFFECT A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES, BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE OUT DRIVING THROUGH THAT FLOOD WATER, IT THREW AWAKE AND DAMAGED A NUMBER OF FOLKS, FOLKS, BUSINESSES.
SO PLEASE BE COGNIZANT OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR IMPACTS DO DUE TO OTHERS.
UM, FROM THE CITY OF BUFORD'S PERSPECTIVE, OUR FOLKS HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS.
WERE OUT THIS MORNING AT, UH, OH 400, UH, MAKING SURE POND WERE PUMPED DOWN, DITCHES WERE CLEAN.
UH, WE REMOVED THE FLOATS ON OUR FLAT GATES AT MASIO.
SO I THINK WE'RE IN THE BEST POSITION THAT WE, WE CAN BE.
AND OUR POLICE PUBLIC WORKS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE STANDING BY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.
BUT JUST WANT TO SAY AGAIN, IF YOU'RE OUT IN THE STREETS, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT AND YOU GET IN TROUBLE, YOU ARE PUTTING OTHER FOLKS LIVES AT RISK.
YOU'RE PUTTING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS LIVES AT RISK, UH, UNNECESSARILY.
PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED.
THIS IS MY FIRST HURRICANE AS MAYOR.
UH, BUT HAVE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH, UH, SHERIFF TANNER, UH, COLONEL BAXLEY AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM.
UH, WE'RE ALL COORDINATING, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS THING VERY SOON.
UM, BUT I WILL ASK ALL OF YOU, ESPECIALLY IN THE BLOCKED IN AREA, IN AND OUT OF THE TOWN LIMITS, YOU'VE SEEN THE RAIN, AS SHERIFF SAID ABOUT A MONTH AGO ON WHERE ALL THE STANDING WATER WAS.
UM, TRUST ME, DURING IRMA, YOU COULDN'T DRIVE THROUGH THE ROADWAY, SO ADD SIX INCHES HIGHER, UM, AND MEMORIES, RIGHT? AND ALL JOY.
PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY WRITING DOWN THIS AND CAUSING THE WEIGHT, BUT WHAT IT DID IS CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE TO HOMES THAT WERE ALREADY REALLY THREATENED, UM, FOR THE STORM.
SO MY PRAYERS GO TO FLORIDA, UM, I AM WATCHING SHERIFF, IT'S WHAT WE COULD LIVE AND WILL LIVE ONE DAY, AND THEN WE CAN'T BE IN DENIAL OF THAT.
SO WE HAVE GREAT STAFF, WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS, WE HAVE GREAT COOPERATION.
UM, AND WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS ONE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS OPERATING TODAY, IN TOMORROW AS AN E-LEARNING DAY.
THAT DECISION WAS MADE, UH, FOR SEVERAL REASONS, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE INFORMATION AND DATA COMING IN YESTERDAY, AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION TODAY THAT CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVES OUR BUSES, UH, SIMPLY CANNOT RUN ON HIGHWAY WITH W HIGH WIND GUSTS, UH, OR HIGH SUSTAINED WINDS.
AND SO WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.
UH, THE E-LEARNING DAYS PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
IT'S NOT A DECISION WE MAKE LIGHTLY, BUT IT IS THE IMPORTANT DECISION TO MAKE, AND IT OFFERS OUR EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS FLEXIBILITY IN THAT LEARNING PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, I WANT TO THANK OUR TEACHERS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR SUPPORT STAFF, UH, EVERYONE WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO'S WORKED HARD TO MAKE THESE ELEARNING DAYS, UH, A POSSIBILITY.
UM, IF UTILITIES, UH, WERE TO GO OUT, UH, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF ELEARNING DAYS IS THAT THERE IS THAT FLEXIBILITY.
STUDENTS RECEIVED SOME WORK YESTERDAY, THEY RECEIVED WORK TODAY.
SO EVEN IF CONNECTIVITY IS NOT POSSIBLE, THAT WORK IS PART OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND SO, UH, THAT COVERS THE ELEARNING DAYS, SAVES THE MAKEUP DAYS OF DECEMBER 20TH AND 21, WHICH I'M SURE NOBODY, UH, HAD ANY INTEREST IN.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR TEACHERS, THANK YOU TO SUPPORT STAFF, UH,
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THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATORS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT DURING THESE E-LEARNING DAYS.IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPECTATION OF AN EVACUATION RECOMMENDATION OR ORDER, THERE IS NO EVACUATION ORDER.
I MEAN, IT'S AS CLEAN AS I CAN.
I KNOW SIMILARLY, LIKE NOT IN FLORIDA AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SURVEY AGENCIES WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY MENTIONED STAY OFF THE ROADWAYS AND WE SHOULD.
BUT ARE, ARE WE AT A SITUATION WHERE IF THE WINDS REACH A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT YOU SAY YOU CAN CALL 9 1 1, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME OUT AND, AND BECAUSE OF THE DANGEROUS FOR THEM.
AND SECONDLY, AFTER THE STORM, IS THERE, UH, AGENCIES ALREADY PRE-STAGE SUCH AS, UH, POWER, UTILITY, TRUTH AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT THEY DIDN'T GET RIGHT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY? RESTORING POWER AFTER STORM HAS PAST, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ONE TO RETREAT, UH, THE GUYS AND GALS, UH, AT SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT BEAUFORD COUNTY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WORK IN TOUGH CONDITIONS ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WORK IN HURRICANES EVERY DAY AND WE DON'T DO IT EVERY WEEK, THANK GOODNESS.
BUT WE WORK IN TOUGH CONDITIONS ALL THE TIME, AND WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF WORKING IN ANY KIND OF CONDITIONS.
SO IF SOMEONE NEEDS OUR HELP IN BUFORD COUNTY, WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR VERY, VERY BEST TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE THAT HELP.
AND IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT, IT'S GONNA BE DONE.
WE HAVE SOME HIGH WATER VEHICLES THAT WE USE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
I MEAN THE BLUFFTON, BUFORD, AND, AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
WE ALL HAVE HIGH WATER VEHICLES.
AND IF WE CAN GET TO YOU, WE'RE COMING TO YOU.
NOW, THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT DRIVES, FOR THE MOST PART, THE LOW PROFILE VEHICLES.
WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE HELICOPTER IF THE, IF THE WEATHER'S AVAILABLE, UH, FOR IT.
WE HAVE MANY WAYS TO GET AROUND THE COUNTER.
UH, BUT WHEN WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS, IF WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS WITH OUR AMBULANCE SERVICE, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TOP HEAVY, VERY TOP HEAVY VEHICLES, UH, AND THERE ARE LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE, ESPECIALLY ON OPEN AREA, OPEN TERRAIN, ESPECIALLY CAUSEWAYS BRIDGES AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS.
SO WE'VE GOTTA BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THOSE.
FIRE TRUCKS HAVE A LITTLE EASIER BECAUSE THEY'RE SO HEAVY AND, AND THE MOBILITY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THE WEIGHT OF A FIRE TRUCK OFFERS A WHOLE DIFFERENT CHALLENGE AS WELL.
SO I, WE WANT PEOPLE TO USE, OF COURSE, USE 9 1 1 OR NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER.
GIVE US AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN ABOUT ANY TYPE OF CONDITION OR SITUATION WE'RE DEALING WITH, AND WE'LL DO OUR VERY, VERY BEST TO GET TO YOU REGARDLESS OF WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
WE CAN'T BE OF HELP TO ANYONE IF WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE INJURED OURSELF IN THE PROCESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS CASE BY CASE QUESTIONS.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT, UM, YOU SAID OPCON TWO WAS, WOULD THAT INDICATES? WELL, IT'S A READINESS, IT'S, IT'S FOR US TO GET ALL, ALL OF OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ENGAGED AND WE ARE ALL COMMUNICATING, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IF WE GET, WE GO TO ANOTHER LEVEL THAT WE'RE READY TO RESPOND TO THAT NEXT LEVEL.
SO IT KIND OF PUTS EVERYBODY ON NOTICE.
AND THAT NEXT LEVEL WOULD BE TRIGGERED WHEN YOU KNOW, IT, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON, ON, ON WHAT TYPE OF CHALLENGE WE'RE GETTING FROM THE STORM NOW.
WE'LL, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING, OUR EOC WILL, WE'LL START UP ABOUT SIX TONIGHT.
YEAH, WE'LL START UP ABOUT SIX TONIGHT WITH A LIGHT CREW.
AND THAT LIGHT CREW IS GOING, WE'LL HAVE D O T, UH, AVAILABLE.
WE'LL HAVE FIRE, EMS, UH, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COUNTY, UM, WHAT COUNTY DEPARTMENT KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
SO WE'LL HAVE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS, SO IT'LL BE A LIGHT THING.
IF WE NEED TO INCREASE OVERNIGHT, WE, IT'S NOT A PROBLEM IN DOING IT.
SO IF WE SEE THE STORM IS GONNA BE MORE OF A CHALLENGE HOUR BY HOUR, BY HOUR, THEN WE'LL MAKE THOSE INCREASES BASED ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, UH, IT'S LIKE THE WEATHER CHANNEL SAYS A STORM CREATES ITS OWN WEATHER, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO REACT TO IT.
BUT, UH, I THINK, UH, IN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, I MEAN, THEY, THEY DO A, A WONDERFUL JOB.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT JOB THAT THEY DO.
THE PREDICTIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING, UH, ARE, ARE VERY CLOSE TO, TO, TO WHAT THE REALITY ENDS UP BEING BASED ON THE STORM, THE SCIENTIFIC METHODS THEY USE TO CALCULATE AND PREDICT PRETTY GOOD.
SO, AND IT'S GETTING BETTER AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND IT REALLY HELPS US A LOT TO TRY TO PREDICT, UH, AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, COULD BE, UH, FOR A COUNTY, A COASTAL COUNTY LIKE HERE.
UH, AND THAT WAY IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF PLAN AHEAD.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE PLANNING AHEAD.
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FOR THE MOMENT, AND THAT'S KIND WHAT WE DO.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ANYONE THAT'S HERE? LINDSEY? YES, SIR.
THIS IS WHERE YOU COME INTO PLAY.
I REALLY, AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL MAKING THE TRIP TODAY.
AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU CAME FROM, I THINK FROM SPINE AND OTHER PARTS.
I, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TO YOU TOMORROW IF WE DON'T NEED TO.
IF, IF WE NEED TO DO ANOTHER PRESS FUNCTION TOMORROW, WE'LL DO IT.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS WITHOUT HAVING YOU DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO VIEW, UH, TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT.
UH, WE WANT TO USE IT AND WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO USE IT TO BENEFIT EVERYONE, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION THAT ALL OF YOU ARE SHARING WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND GUESTS, AND IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS.
SO IF WE GET INTO A SITUATION TOMORROW, WHAT PLATFORMS DO WE HAVE AND HOW CAN WE SHARE BY DOING A VERY SMALL, UH, PRESS RELEASE THAT EVERYONE CAN GET, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT.
WELL, OF COURSE EVERYBODY CAN SIGN UP FOR OUR NICKEL ALERTS, AND I KNOW MOST OF THE MEDIA HERE IS SIGNED UP FOR THOSE.
ALSO, WE HAVE, UM, THE MEDIA RELEASES THAT WE SEND OUT.
FACEBOOK IS A GREAT, GREAT WAY TO FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, WITH US, ESPECIALLY TOMORROW AS YOU KNOW, STORM PROGRESSES AND TO WHERE YOU CAN CHECK OUT PHOTOS AND VIDEO, ET CETERA.
IF WE CAN REACH BACK AND FORTH, I CAN SEND YOU VIDEO SOUND, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN UTILIZE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THE TRIP AND TRAVEL AND YOU CAN STAY SAFE AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT? WHEN I, WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY, I ALWAYS GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
I THINK IT'S GREAT, BUT COUNTY CHANNEL, I MEAN Y'ALL, YOU'VE GOT FEED, YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH ANYONE AT ANY TIME.
SO I MEAN, WE JUST, THERE'S ALWAYS WAYS TO DO IT.
IF Y'ALL NEED ANYTHING AT ANY TIME DURING, DURING THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF DAYS OR WHATEVER, JUST TO LET US KNOW.
LINDSEY AND ANGELO ALWAYS AVAILABLE, ANGELA STANDING OUR P THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WE CAN HELP IN ANY WAY.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HELPING US PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO OUR, OUR RESIDENTS AND GUESTS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY CAN, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
WHEN YOU LOOK UP AT THE NIGHT, SKY, JUST ABOUT EVERY POINT OF LIGHT YOU SEE ARE STARS LOCATED IN OUR WAY.
GALAXY A GIANT SPIRAL DISC, 100,000 LIGHT YEARS ACROSS THERE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 200 BILLION STARS IN THE MILKY WAY, ALL ROTATING AROUND A SUPER MASSIVE BLACK HOLE AT THE CENTER.
BUT WHAT BINDS ALL THESE STARS TOGETHER, WHAT KEEPS THEM FROM SLINGSHOTTING OUT INTO SPACE? IT'S THE SAME FORCE THAT KEEPS THE EARTH IN ORBIT AROUND THE SUN, THE MOON, IN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH, AND CAUSES THIS APPLE TO FALL TO THE GROUND GRAVITY.
IN THE LATE 1600, SIR ISAAC NEWTON DISCOVERED AND DESCRIBED GRAVITY.
HE DEVELOPS THE LAW OF GRAVITATION TO EXPLAIN THE FORCE OF ATTRACTION BETWEEN TWO OBJECTS.
HE FOUND THAT THE CLOSER TWO OBJECTS ARE THE MORE FORCE THEY EXERT ON ONE ANOTHER, AND THE MORE MASSIVE AN OBJECT IS, THE MORE FORCE IT HAS.
HE CREATED A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA TO DESCRIBE THIS FORCE OF ATTRACTION AND SHOWED THAT THE SAME GRAVITY THAT PULLED THE APPLE TO THE GROUND WAS WHAT HELD THE MOON AND ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH.
GRAVITY IS THE FORCE THAT ORGANIZES ALL OF THE MATTER IN THE UNIVERSE.
EACH OF THESE STUDENTS REPRESENTS A CLUMP OF MATTER IN SPACE.
THEIR SIZE OR THEIR MASS IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF LETTERS IN THEIR NAME.
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THEY HAVE IN THEIR NAME, THE HIGHER THE FORCE THEY EXERT ON THEIR NEIGHBORS.NOTICE THAT OVER TIME, THE MATTER COLLIDES AND CLUMPS TOGETHER.
NEWTON'S LAW OF GRAVITATION WAS SO SUCCESSFUL AT DESCRIBING THE MOTIONS OF CELESTIAL BODIES THAT IT HELD UP FOR NEARLY 230 YEARS.
USING NEWTON'S MATH ASTRONOMERS WERE ABLE TO ACCURATELY PREDICT THE ORBITS OF ALL THE PLANETS, INCLUDING THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE EXCEPT FOR MERCURY.
MERCURY SEEMED TO BE ZOOMING AROUND THE SUN SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN EXPECTED.
ENTER ALBERT EINSTEIN IN 1915.
HE PUBLISHED HIS GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY, WHICH IMPROVED UPON THE LIMITATIONS OF NEWTON'S WORK.
EINSTEIN'S THEORY BROUGHT SPACE AND TIME TOGETHER INTO AN ENTITY NOW CALLED SPACE TIME.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSE AND ANYTHING THAT HAS MASS DISTORTED SPACE TIME.
SO WE'RE GONNA USE THIS STRETCHY FABRIC TO REPRESENT SPACE TIME, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT MATTER CURVES SPACE TIME.
WHEN YOU HAVE A MORE MASSIVE OBJECT SPACE, TIME IS CURVED MORE SO THE LARGER OBJECT HAS A LARGER GRAVITATIONAL FORCE, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE CLOSER YOU GET TO THE OBJECT, THE MORE CURVED SPACE TIME IS.
WE CAN DEMONSTRATE HOW THE MORE MASSIVE OBJECT HAS A STRONGER GRAVITATIONAL FORCE BY THE RATE AT WHICH THE MARBLE FALLS INTO IT.
OBJECTS ARE NOT ALWAYS FALLING IN, SOMETIMES THEY'RE ORBITING IN SPACE.
JUST LIKE PLANETS ORBIT AROUND STARS, THEY'RE MOVING FAST ENOUGH NOT TO FALL INTO THE STAR, BUT SLOW ENOUGH THAT THEY DON'T ESCAPE OUT INTO OUTER SPACE.
NOW IN OUR DEMONSTRATION, THE MARBLES ARE EVENTUALLY FALLING INTO OUR STAR, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S FRICTION IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE.
THERE'S NO FRICTION TO SLOW THEM DOWN, AND THEY JUST BASICALLY ORBIT INDEFINITELY.
WE CAN ALSO SEE THAT AS THE PLANETS GET CLOSER TO THE STAR, THEY ORBIT MORE QUICKLY BECAUSE SPACE TIME IS MORE STRETCHED THERE.
AND IF WE HAVE A REALLY MASSIVE PLANET GOING AROUND THE STAR, IT ACTUALLY CAUSES THE STAR TO WOBBLE.
AND THAT'S HOW ASTRONOMERS LOOK FOR PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS.
EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF RELATIVITY ALSO SUCCESSFULLY PREDICTED GRAVITATIONAL WAVES ANY OBJECT MOVING THROUGH SPACE TIME CREATES SMALL RIPPLES IN THE FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSE.
DETECTING GRAVITATIONAL WAVES WOULD PROVIDE FURTHER EVIDENCE CONFIRMING EINSTEIN'S THEORY, AS WELL AS GIVE US DETAILS ABOUT MAJOR ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS.
THE PROBLEM IS ONLY MASSIVE EVENTS SUCH AS THE COLLISION BETWEEN TWO BLACK HOLES WOULD CREATE WAVES LARGE ENOUGH TO BE DETECTED, AND EVEN THEN WOULD ONLY CAUSE A DISTORTION, 1% OF THE DIAMETER OF AN ATOM, BUT A TIME IT REACHED EARTH.
AMAZINGLY, GRAVITATIONAL WAVES WERE DETECTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2016 IN AN EXPERIMENT CALLED LIGO, WHERE THE LASER INTERFEROMETER GRAVITATIONAL WAVE OBSERVATORY GRAVITATIONAL WAVES MIGHT HELP US UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE, SUCH AS DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY, WHICH MAKE UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE UNIVERSE, BUT HAVE NOT YET BEEN OBSERVED DIRECTLY.
THERE IS STILL MUCH TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT GRAVITY.
SCIENTISTS HAVE YET TO DEVELOP A THEORY THAT COMBINES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GRAVITY WITH THE QUANTUM WORLD AT THE VERY SMALLEST SCALE.
BUT THE NEXT TIME YOU LOOK UP AT THE STARS, THINK ABOUT THE INVISIBLE FORCE ACCELERATING YOUR FEET INTO THE GROUND, THE EARTH AROUND THE SUN, AND ALL THE STARS IN OUR GALAXY AROUND THE SUPER MASSIVE BLACK HOLE AT ITS CORE.