Hurricane Dorian's impact on Georgia was minimal. Despite high storm surge predictions, Tybee Island's mayor said water on the roads was from rain, not storm surge flooding.

Hurricane Dorian's impact on Georgia was minimal. Despite high storm surge predictions, Tybee Island's mayor said water on the roads was from rain, not storm surge flooding. / GPB News

The evacuation order for Georgia’s coast has been lifted. Evacuees can now return home. The state largely escaped damage from the storm.

 

The storm surge was not as high as predicted, and the damage to the coast was minimal. The high tide at Fort Pulaski, near Tybee Island, hit 8.01 feet overnight.

 

Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman said he was concerned this could make people less likely to evacuate for future storms.

 

“If that’s our biggest issue, is convincing people to leave in the future, you know, we don’t have homes that are flooded, we don’t have property that’s destroyed, we don’t have a beach that’s completely gone, we don’t have people’s lives turned upside down for the third time in four years, then that’s fine with me,” he said.

 

The storm did knock down some trees, blow debris, and cause power outages. Officials are urging people to be careful as they return home.

 

Schools and local governments Thursday began to announce when they would reopen and resume services.

 

Residents who stayed in town were out surveying the minimal damage.

 

Steve, who asked us not to use his last name, took the opportunity to walk his dog Otter at Tybee’s North Beach.

 

“It’s the one day of the year we can sneak him down to the beach and we’re not gonna get in trouble for it,” he joked.