ByMariah Congedo|May 14, 2020 at 3:50 PM EDT - Updated May 14 at 8:36 PM
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - During Thursday night’s meeting, Tybee Island City Council canceled this year’s Fourth of July fireworks.
In the last few years, Tybee fireworks are set off on the same night as Savannah to help minimize the massive crowds on the island.
Tybee City Manager Shawn Gillen says the Fourth of July is a high traffic day, often bringing in 40,000 to 50,000 people. Gillen said Tybee could have ended up having the only show in the area, which he says wouldn’t be manageable for the city due to a higher volume of people.
"One side of the issue is the people are going to be here anyway, so the social distancing issues and the crowds is really going to be something we’re going to have to contend with regardless of fireworks,” Gillen said.
Gillen said they needed to make the decision quickly because they would need to start the process of getting proper permits for the fireworks and the vendor needed to know if they should proceed.
Photo: Getty Images