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The Hurricane Forum and EXPO 2009 begins at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 7 at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa. There is no cost to attend the event, but seating is limited. RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with “hurricane” in the subject line.
This annual event presented by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce is an opportunity for the business community and residents to reevaluate their action plan in the event of a hurricane threat. Hear from the experts about storm predictions and new plans regarding evacuations and recovery.
This year’s Hurricane Forum and EXPO speakers include Jack Williams, former USA Today and USAToday.com weather editor. Williams is a science journalist who has authored USA Today Weather Books and co-authored "Hurricane Watch: Forecasting the Deadliest Storms on Earth" with Dr. Bob Sheets, retired director of the National Hurricane Center. His latest book, "The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate Guide to America’s Weather," is out this spring.
Joining the panel of experts again to review Beaufort County’s storm plans will be William Winn Jr., director of Beaufort County Emergency Management. Winn has served as the director for 30 years and has coordinated five major county evacuations.
Paul Rasch, emergency management coordinator for the town of Hilton Head Island, will present new plans and information regarding hurricane evacuations. Rasch joined the town last summer after nine years as regional coordinator for the Illinois Emergency Management Association. Rasch is also a member of the Emergency Management Accreditation Program, the national group that certifies emergency management agencies
Ross Buchmueller, president and chief executive officer of PURE Insurance, started PURE Risk Management in 2006 after seven years with a group insurance company. Buchmueller will address concerns about insurance for coastal residents and the reasons a number of providers no longer cover the coastal areas.
This year’s presenting sponsor is PURE Insurance and supporting sponsor is BB&T Carswell Insurance Services.
It is estimated that 80 percent of businesses hit by a hurricane never reopen. The chamber encourages a written plan for organizations for both before and after a storm. This conference covers preparedness and recovery issues.
The Colorado State University team, formed by forecasting pioneer William Gray, downgraded predictions for the coming storm season to 12 tropical storms, six of which could become hurricanes. The team does expect at least two "major" hurricanes of Category 3 or higher on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale.
