The city of Savannah will close River Street public parking lots beginning at 5 p.m. today and lasting through the weekend as a precaution in anticipation of high river levels caused by increased releases into the Savannah River from dams upstream combined with a full moon high tide.
City and Savannah-Chatham police crews will be on-hand throughout the weekend to monitor conditions on the waterfront, and restrict access to Rousakis Plaza if necessary.
While emergency crews do not expect businesses to be impacted, River Street could experience flooding in the low-lying parking lots, as well as flood water coming onto some low-lying portions of the plaza, with the potential increasing during high tides on Sunday and Monday.
Anson Calmes, an emergency specialist for Chatham Emergency Management Agency, said the county remains on standby in the event flooding overtakes U.S. 80.
He said if access to Tybee Island becomes impeded metro police, in cooperation with the city of Tybee, will establish barricades to prevent traffic from trying to navigate that particular section of highway.
He also said that, if needed, ambulances will be dispatched to Tybee Island to assist with any potential medical emergencies and that medical air-transportation will also be alerted if the road becomes impassible for emergency vehicles.