The National Hurricane Conference
By Richard Locklair
The National Hurricane Conference is the “Nation’s leading forum for education
and professional training in hurricane preparedness.” It annually attracts
over 2,500 attendees from across the United States as well as technology,
products, and services vendors. The goal of the conference is to “Improve
hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save
lives in the United States and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific.”
Federal, State and local officials attend to exchange Emergency Management
expertise. The 2007 conference will be held at the Hilton River Side
Hotel in New Orleans on April 2nd through the 5th.
Monday April 2, 2007
7:30 a.m.
Registration
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Training Sessions
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Training Sessions
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Concurrent Training Sessions
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concurrent Rap Sessions
9:30 a.m.
Exhibit Hall Opens
10:30 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.
Opening General Session
Thursday, April 5, 2007
8:30 a.m. – 12:00
Concurrent Workshops
9:30 a.m.
Exhibit Hall Opens
12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.
Awards Banquet
1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
4:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall closes
Friday, April 6, 2007
8:30 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Closing General Session
12:00 Noon
Conference Adjourns
2007 Conference participants include
• American Association for Wind Engineering
• American Radio Relay League
• American Meteorological Society
• American Public Works Association
• American Red Cross
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
• Coastal States Organization
• Federal Coordination for Meteorological Services
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Florida Division of Emergency Management
• Insurance Information Institute
• Institute for Business and Home Safety
• International Association for Emergency Managers
• International Code Council
• LSU Hurricane Center
• National Emergency Management Association
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Weather Service
• Tropical Predication Center
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• USAID/OFDA U.S. State Department
• U.S. Geological Survey/Coastal and Marine Geology Program
2007 Sponsors Include:
• Philips and Jordan Disaster Recovery Group
• Ash Britt Environmental
• Omni Pinnacle
• Storm Reconstructive Services
• Sprint
• OneStorm
• Home Depot
• Arbor Tree and Land Inc.
Conference speakers from prior years:
Assistant Secretary for Aging from the U.S. Administration for Aging.
Mr. Carbonell spoke about the challenges faced by the elderly during and
after a disaster. For these people, normal activities such as getting
groceries, and medicine are almost impossible. He discussed how the
Administration for Aging could provide solutions to these difficulties.
Robert Burpee, Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami
Mr. Burpee spoke about how the nation’s ability to predict the path of a
hurricane has improved steadily at a rate of 1% per year, but coastal population
has grown 3 to 4 percent per year. He showed how more specific and targeted
forecasts are saving millions of dollars in evacuation expenses during hurricanes.