Experts set to talk hurricane preparedness with Sarasota

Experts from national, state and local agencies will speak about hurricane preparedness on Thursday evening in a Community Conversations event organized by Sarasota County.

Seven speakers will be on the dais beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Riverview High auditorium,1 Ram Way. The two-hour session will conclude in a Q&A session with Richard Collins, the director of Sarasota County Emergency Services.

On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene, a category 4 storm, roared past the coast. More than 100 miles offshore, at its closest to the Sarasota area, the hurricane still swamped beaches here with around 6 feet of storm surge, causing widespread damage. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton landed on Siesta Key Beach as a Category 3 with 115 mph winds ripping off roofs, downing trees and causing power outages throughout the area.

Speakers on Thursday will address such topics as where recovery from those storms stands, and building toward a culture of preparedness.

The scheduled speakers are:

• County administrator Jonathan Lewis, who will team up with Collins to deliver opening remarks.
• Jennifer Hubbard, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service;
• Sandra Tapfumaneyi, Sarasota County’s chief of Emergency Management;
• Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management;
• John Brogan, federal coordinating officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
• Ileana Alamo Garay, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Community Conversations event is free, registration in advance is encouraged. Participants can submit questions in advance here.