Not familiar with the GA coast but SC and NC have been nailed enough in the past several decades that there is very little residential oceanfront construction remaining that is not raised on pilings. Going to wipe out frontal dunes with major beach erosion in many areas, though, and that typically renders oceanfront houses left sitting on the “new” beach un-rebuildable. They can be moved and sometimes are, for instance the house from “Nights In Rodanthe.” That was a major undertaking though, it’s a large, elaborate Hatteras style beach cottage.
Got a double wide in a small subdivision on the mainland behind Holden Beach, NC. If we lean just right we can look over the pond dam and see sailboats going back and forth in the waterway.
We’ve watched the slow nibbling away of the east end of the Island. Every big storm and a couple of more ocean front homes get swallowed up.
The Gulf Stream passes us farther offshore than FL or SC. We get brushed by hurricanes but rarely hit.
About half the county is wetlands. There is a lot of area for any storm surge to spread out in.
Savannah, at the northern end of the Georgia coast, will likely not fare quite so well.
"Ceterum censeo Islam esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
At the moment, Irma appears to be headed inland directly over cities like Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC. Some models show Irma going slightly east or west of Charlotte. So not sure of the impact to Carolinas coasts.
Jacksonville to Savannah rarely take a direct hit because of the way the coast curves in. Someone may correct me, but the last hurricane I recall hitting Jacksonville came across from the Gulf. Same thing for the ones I remember going up through Georgia.