The City of Valdosta’s Traffic Management department repaired several traffic signals following Tropical Storm Debby. Damage from Hurricane Idalia in August 2023 and TS Debby in August 2024 set the stage for the havoc wrought by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. As the 2025 hurricane season begins, the City of Valdosta is taking actions to be better prepared for severe weather.

VALDOSTA — Hurricane season has officially begun, and amidst the fears following the last hurricane season, Valdosta has begun to hold its breath and brace for impact.

June 1 was the start of hurricane season, and Valdosta is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene in 2024. 

To call Helene “disastrous” would be an understatement; 250 people died (according to the National Hurricane Center) and the storm cost the U.S. nearly $80 billion in damages. Valdosta got hit especially hard, with the city losing hundreds of buildings, cars and livelihoods.

The storm was made more dangerous by the fact that it was not the first one to pass through the area recently. Lowndes County was still trying to deal with the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia a year earlier, and just before Helene came Hurricane Debby. Helene was already dangerous, but the damage from Idalia and the recent flooding from Debby made the situation more desperate.

Now, as hurricane season 2025 gets underway, Valdosta is working to prepare the city, armed with the knowledge gained from three major storms in two years.

Valdosta’s city council recently approved six separate projects related to sewers and watersheds around the city, including a $1.13 million grant from F.E.M.A. to repair stormwater systems. Southland Contractors is also working on a project that would replace an outdated pipe system underneath Oakdale Drive and Sherwood Drive, the first update in 50 years.

These efforts are part of a larger project by the city to ensure a safer hurricane season and to make it easier for the city to recover from future storms. 

F.E.M.A. has already spent nearly $550 million on Georgia’s state recovery from Hurricane Helene, which included reimbursement for victims who lost necessities to the storm, resources for those who needed to rebuild, assistance to those whose homes were damaged and a resource fair on May 16 and 17 in order to provide information to survivors.

“We want survivors to know we are here for them and want to see the best outcome, which is moving into safe, sanitary and functioning housing,” Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Wallace said. “We will walk them through their options to ensure they are aware of the resources that are available to fit their need.”

According to NOAA, this hurricane season has a 60% chance of above-average storm activity, due to myriad factors. The 2025 storms have already been named by NOAA, which has also released information regarding their Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System. This system underwent a significant upgrade in order to better predict, track and inform the public about upcoming storms.