Hello from the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando! The opening session was Wed. afternoon & will be followed by a day of workshops Thu….the closing session will be Fri. morning. Thereafter….I’m hoping for some rest & relaxation!
Today’s session began with some opening comments from former NHC director, Max Mayfield – Chair of this year’s conference. Max was followed by Bill Read, new director of the NHC. Read is taking over after all the upheaval regarding the short yet tumultuous tenure of Bill Proenza. Read did a quick overview of the ’07 hurricane season with the following main points:
8 Sept. storms tied the ’02 record for most Sept. storms
Strong tendency for close-to-land development
Tendency for rapid intensification
Mix of good & bad model forecasts
The next speaker was R. David Paulison, Administrator for FEMA. He began by saying rumors that he was leaving were just that – rumors. Also…
FEMA has greatly expanded its capabilities since ‘05
Federal teams are expected to be on the ground within 12 hrs. of a disaster
Private sector is expected to play a major role in “getting on the ground”
Each mobile home (temp. housing) will be tested for formaldehyde – trailer units will only be deployed & used when absolutely necessary.
Response can only be as good as the planning
Great detail & practice the last couple yrs. in planning for a Cat. 3 or stronger post storm response from Texas to Maine
A transition plan is in the works for the next administration
Next up was Craig Fugate, Fl. Division of Emergency Management – I’ve had the opportunity to interview Craig several times & am always impressed with his presentations & this one was no exception:
Get info. at floridadisaster.org
“Great Miami Hurricane” has been & is the standard for Fl. Preps & post storm relief.
Victim vs. Survivor – those still alive & well after a storm are survivors, NOT victioms.
Mission: In 72 hrs – search, stabilize & secure
If the local Waffle House is open, there’s no need for free food, water or ice!
Survivors of storms can help -- & be a solution
Public takes on responsibility
Following Fugate was Joe Becker of the Red Cross….Joe spoke about some of the recent financial issues surrounding the Red Cross but insisted post disaster relief would not be compromised. Mentioned difficulties regarding what if any info. should be shared with law enforcement regarding individuals in shelters. Joe stressed other organizations need to be included in community response. In summary: “We’re all in this together”.
Next was Lt. General Robert Antwerp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – a captivating & accomplished speaker. He mentioned that he was in the North Ridge earthquake & that ever since he keeps slipper next to his bed (lots of glass on the floor after the quake which cut his feet) – this is actually a good idea for everyone as I’ve heard tornado, hurricane & fire survivors tell me “I didn’t have anything to put on my feet.” Antwerp stressed that the Corps wants to get all the big pieces in place for U.S. disaster protection & follow up by filling in with all the small pieces. Mentioned that New Orleans should have “100-yr. protection” by about 2011.
The last speaker was Dr. Avila, Specialist at the NHC. He talked about “Dean” & “Felix” – 2 rapidly intensifying cat. 5 hurricanes that made landfall – the first time ever that 2 cat. 5’s have made landfall within the same season. One of the most interesting aspects of Avila’s presentation was video of the hurricane hunters inside the P-3 cockpit as the crew penetrated cat. 5 “Felix” – lots of lightning & very bumpy!
And beginning June 1st, the National Hurricane Center will issue an enhanced version of their Experimental Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook. This product was made available to the public for the first time last season. Get the low down on the enhancements by clicking here.
And you can now take a virtual tour of the National Hurricane Center -- click here -- pretty cool!
More on the conference including Dr. Gray's/Klotzbach forecast for '08 + some local weather stuff in Fri.'s post......
