Hurricane Conference

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY SET FOR MAY 25th

Florida Keys - National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read is slated to kick off an annual Hurricane Preparedness Workshop for the Tourism & Business Industry 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 25th.

Read, who is entering his fourth hurricane season at the nation's top hurricane warning official, is to deliver an engaging presentation on hurricane preparedness. He also plans to touch on the hurricane center's forecast for the 2011 Atlantic basin

The half-day conference is to conclude with a panel discussion featuring Monroe County officials involved in the decision-making process regarding visitor and resident evacuations for the county.

"The biggest question I always hear is how and why are the time frames for the tourist and resident hurricane evacuation decisions are made for the County," said Jodi Weinhofer, President of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, the conference’s organizing body. "We should have all who are responsible for those decisions tell us how they are accomplished."

Cost for the conference is $10 per person and reservations can be made by calling the Lodging Association at (305) 296-4959 or email executiveoffice@keyslodging.org. Although the conference is geared to tourism-related businesses in the Keys, it is open to the business community and anyone can register.