Hurricane Drills Begin in Baton Rouge

2theadvocate.com | News | Hurricane drills begin — Baton Rouge, LA:

It all started with a tropical depression forming 300 miles southeast of the Bahamas on Aug. 23.

By that afternoon, the storm has a name — Tropical Storm Mike. Days later, Mike develops into a hurricane and smashes into the coast of Louisiana.

In truth, Hurricane Mike doesn’t exist.

But on Thursday, this pretend storm was a test for more than 200 people who spent the day at the Baton Rouge River Center working through how they would respond during a real emergency.

Mayor-President Kip Holden emphasized the importance of this kind of training.

“I can tell you this from the experience of Hurricane Katrina, you have to be prepared,” Holden said. “You are going to have to make some tough decisions.”

The Thursday hurricane planning exercise took a regional approach and included representatives from East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston and Pointe Coupee parishes.

Mark Olson, Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services spokesman, said the exercise gives people from all over the region a chance to meet and discuss plans. He said a growing number of people are participating in the planning exercises each year.

“We have so much experience that came out of the hurricane (Katrina) that it’s much more real to us,” Olson said of the exercise. “There’s not much guesswork.”

It’s preparation that’s needed because hurricane forecasters are predicting an above-average hurricane season this year because of warm ocean temperatures and other factors.

“We never like to see the eastern Atlantic as warm as it is right now,” said Jay Grymes, LSU climatologist and WAFB-TV meteorologist.

But even without the conditions that seem good for hurricane formation this year, Louisiana should be wary of storms every season.

In any given year, there’s a two in three chance of Louisiana getting hit by a named storm and a one in three chance that Louisiana will get hit by a hurricane, Grymes said.

On average, about one in three storms either forms in the Gulf of Mexico or ends up there, he said. That’s important because a storm in the Gulf of Mexico triggers many of the emergency response plans, he said.

During the exercise Thursday, responders including Louisiana National Guard, local law enforcement, Louisiana State Police, local officials and groups such as the American Red Cross worked through how they would handle unexpected situations during a storm.

• By AMY WOLD
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: May 30, 2008 - Page: 4B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.