The scenario: Hurricane Kima, a Category 4 storm, is barreling toward the west coast of Florida. The hurricane is expected to hit Anna Maria Island with rain and 130-156 mph winds.
The outcome: 33,772 displaced residents, zero hospital beds available, 2,041,204 tons of debris clogging streets and waterways. Communications are down. Potable water is gone. There’s a fuel shortage. The world is watching.
What do you do?
Representatives from Manatee County and municipality law enforcement agencies, public works departments, volunteer organizations, the U.S. military and others took part May 20 in an annual exercise to tweak, test and find holes in an emergency evacuation and recovery mission in response to a fictional hurricane.
“We’re trying to test the waters and plan for things that could occur,” Manatee County Emergency Management Chief Don Hermey said.
The scenario of Hurricane Kima was based on the 2004 real-world Hurricane Charley when it stormed into the west coast of Florida.
“The way we do things now are a lot different than how we’d handle it in 2004,” Manatee County Emergency Management officer Sherilyn Burris said. “Now we have social media, cellphones, drones and a lot of other toys to play with that we didn’t have then.”
In the scenario, the county has a few days notice of Kima coming up from the south. Five days later, it makes landfall on Anna Maria Island. Then storm surges of 15- to 17-foot-high waves cover the island, wiping away homes, filling the roads with sand and debris before heading across the state and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Then recovery begins.
Bradenton Beach public works director Tom Woodard said his first objective is clearing the roads.
“My people would be out there pushing back trees and other debris to make ready for the real equipment and county officials to come in and start getting everything clear,” Woodard said. “We’re the first push to making sure emergency vehicles can start helping people.”
Woodard, along with Bradenton Beach Police Lt. John Cosby, Manatee County Sheriff’s-Anna Maria Substation Sgt. Russell Schnering, Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon, the Rev. Ed Moss of CrossPointe Fellowship and Longboat Key utilities division manager Dave Greene represented the barrier islands at the mock event.
“It’s all about networking, too,” Woodard said. “When we go to the (state hurricane) conference, we get a chance to meet face to face with the people we’ll be working with and depending on.”
Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon, who attended as a liaison for other island officials, said he doesn’t worry about what could happen. He said the expertise of the emergency management division was impressive.
According to CNN, the Tropical Meteorology Project predicts 13 named storms and six hurricanes this season.
“I think we’re better prepared than most communities,” Shearon said. “But I always hope nothing will happen.”