Hurricane workshop, town meeting set for May
A NASA image shows Hurricane Sandy approaching the east coast.
Two events are scheduled at East Carolina University this month in preparation for the annual hurricane season.
Hurricane Workshop, May 22
The Fourth Annual North Carolina Emergency Management/East Carolina University Hurricane Workshop set for May 22 highlighted lessons learned from megastorm Hurricane Sandy.
Linda Sturgis
Commander Linda Sturgis, chief of emergency prevention, Coast Guard Sector, New York, keynoted the event and discussed the impacts of Hurricane Sandy.
Mike Sprayberry, the new director of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, led the event. Panel discussions addressed emergency communication, modeling and planning for storm surge, and the implications of Hurricane Sandy for planning in North Carolina. Speakers included Gary Szatkowski of the National Weather Service, John Dorman, information technology manager for N.C. CrimeControl and Public Safety, and Darlene Johnson, deputy operations chief/EOC manager for N.C. Emergency Management and additional representatives from local, state, and national agencies, and academia.
The workshop was hosted by N.C. Division of Emergency Management and ECU’s Center for Natural Hazards Research, Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, and Department of English. The event was co-sponsored by North Carolina Sea Grant.
For more information, contact Donna Kain at 252-328-6023, kaind@ecu.edu, or Michelle Covi at 252-737-1772, covim@ecu.edu.
Town Hall Meeting, May 28
The focus of a May 28 town hall meeting will be preparations for the upcoming severe weather season. The event is targeted to loacl residents. It is free and open to the public.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Willis Building on 300 East First Street, with topics including hurricane climatology and impacts, forecasts for the 2013 hurricane season, severe weather preparedness at ECU and Pitt County Emergency Management operations.
Tom Pohlman of ECU’s Environmental Health and Safety office will lead the meeting. Also speaking at the event will be John Cole, a warning coordination meteorologist, and Hal Austin, a forecaster, from the Weather Service in Newport. Noel Lee, who is director of Pitt County Emergency Management, will present as well.
Individuals with disabilities requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the Department for Disability Support Services at (252) 328-6799 (V) or (252) 328-0899 (TTY).