Manatee County Leaders Prepare for Hurricane Season
MANATEE COUNTY, FL – Emergency Management personnel and Manatee County leaders were able to survive a Category 3 Hurricane simulation earlier this week at the county’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). It was only a drill!
The table-top exercise focused on the preparation, landfall, recovery – and long-term recovery — from a worst-case scenario storm making landfall along the Manatee County Coastline. A brief video highlighting the exercise can be found here:
“I love the focus on the recovery period,” said Manatee County Administrator Dr. Scott Hopes – addressing 113 first responders, municipal leaders, trainers and mission-critical personnel.
Split into functional groups, exercise participants learned of the catastrophic effects from a fictional storm, “Hurricane Braden.” They focused on initial efforts to dig out from debris with thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed, and the long-term recovery – including continuation of community services. The exercise offers opportunities to improve communication and coordination, so that when there is real emergency, the team is ready to perform at a high level.
“That’s why this is important,” said Hopes, praising the preparedness drill. “We’re going to have some 420,000 people that are going to need all of us.”
Many of those residents and visitors may be new to Hurricane Season here in Florida – or Manatee County. The season begins June 1 and runs through November. MyManatee.org/
Manatee County Emergency Management – whose leadership hosted today’s exercise – is also hosting the 2022 Hurricane Expo, May 17 from 4-7 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.
