Valdosta City Council Nick Harden organized an informative meeting that he called a Community Preparedness Townhall, also known as a Disaster Recovery Meeting. Hurricane Helene featured, and also the flash flood last November.

A cavalcade of Valdosta City, Lowndes County, and Georgia state officials spoke, as well as people from private nonprofits.

They attempted to answer all the citizen questions.

Collage @ Community Preparedness Townhall, 26 August 2025

Below are links to LAKE videos of most of the speakers, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

Hosted and Facilitated by Councilman Nick Harden

Alert Lowndes

• Nick Harden
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/Aun3LcGER8Q

  Valdosta Disaster Recovery Resources Meeting – 2025-08-27

  
  Videos by Gretchen for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

• Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/Hn5ciJBBne0

  
  

• Nick Hardin – Alert Lowndes
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/f7yWXG4x9fU

  
  

• Representative Dexter Sharper
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/DNlewTeCo74

  
  

• Nick Harden
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/zuR6VqAyehY

  
  

• Franklin Richards
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/feEHne3cF0k

  
  

• Nick Harden
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/CA35vdfUVJA

  
  

• Jackie Shoemaker – Red Cross
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/snf_pn0-o2s

  
  

• Michael Smith – United Way
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/TLxuhQz_qBs

  
  

• Kristin Goen – Georgia Recover Project – 988
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/gERj4Gt0Y6o

  
  

• Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/SkCLKUf9yv4

  
  

• Question and Answer – part 1
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/DI-D0uwVR-Y

  
  

• Question and Answer – part 2
  

  Video:
  https://youtu.be/QrM6g-kgHwo

  
  

Here is the LAKE video playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshUv86fYkiEemQtl_hnPcrNOr6wvn0OD

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