Alabama Officials Prepare for Hurricane Season

Alabama Governor Bob Riley and state agency leaders huddled this week to review Alabama’s plans for the upcoming hurricane season, which begins June 1.

The state leaders joined officials from FEMA, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Hurricane Center for the “Governor’s Hurricane Workshop” in Montgomery.

This is the second year Governor Riley has brought his Cabinet and other agency leaders together to discuss the steps being taken to prepare for a hurricane and the state’s planned response if Alabama is struck.

“Alabama has been praised for our response to earlier hurricanes, but we can always learn lessons and make improvements to our plans,” Riley said. “We’re bringing all the key leaders together again to make sure our state is as prepared as we possibly can be for what is predicted to be an active hurricane season.”

During the workshop, the leaders will test the state’s emergency plans against a simulated worst case scenario – a category five hurricane making landfall near Bayou La Batre.

In addition to the governor, representatives from the following state agencies will be attending: Alabama Emergency Management Agency, the Alabama National Guard, Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama College System, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Department of Agriculture and Industries, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Department of Education, Department of Environmental Management, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Human Resources, Department of Industrial Relations, Department of Insurance, Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Department of Public Health, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Transportation.

Federal, national or corporate organizations represented at the workshop include Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Weather Service, American Red Cross, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alabama Power Company, Alabama Rural Water Association, and SouthernLINC Wireless.

Source: Office of the Governor of Alabama