NOAA Says Forecast 'Near-Or-Above-Normal'
As the nation's coastal areas
prepare for hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to
November 30, Civil Air Patrol members stay vigilant for whatever
Mother Nature may bring.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate
Prediction Center announced May 22 projected climate conditions
point to a near-normal or above-normal Atlantic hurricane season
this year. According to CAP's interim national commander, Brig.
Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP is prepared.
"Local, state and national emergency service providers depend on
CAP for support, both in the air and on the ground," said Courter.
"Our pilots are almost always first on the scene taking damage
assessment photos. CAP's ground teams complement this effort by
providing whatever assistance is needed, including victim support
and communications connectivity in areas where the infrastructure
has been severely damaged."
In order to maintain a high level of readiness at all times, CAP
members undergo extensive training, which includes participation in
training exercises often conducted in partnership with other
emergency service providers.
CAP's Louisiana and Mississippi wings -- both significant
contributors in the air and on the ground during Hurricane Katrina
-- maintain readiness through preparedness exercises. The Louisiana
Wing will conduct a five-day operations exercise beginning June 18
in which the wing's incident command staff will face unknown
simulated missions, which they will perform as if they were actual
missions. The scenarios include aerial imagery of critical
infrastructure such as bridges and rail lines, aerial and ground
searches, disaster relief and support for state and local
agencies.
"Many of our wing's command staff have the intense experience of
Katrina still in our minds," said Lt. Col. Amos Plante, Louisiana
Wing's chief of staff. "We are seasoned."
The Mississippi Wing participated in a hurricane exercise on the
Mississippi Gulf Coast with the Army National Guard in April. "They
were very pleased with our aerial imaging capabilities," said
Mississippi Wing Commander Col. Tillman Carroll.
Other wings also marked the season's start with hurricane
preparedness exercises. The Florida Wing helped staff Florida's
Emergency Operations Center and did air and ground reconnaissance
as part of a hurricane preparedness exercise on May 28, while the
Georgia Wing surveyed simulated damage and took aerial imagery of
simulated damage and infrastructure at several sites in partnership
with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency on May 28 and 29.
The South Carolina Wing provided aerial imaging of the state's
evacuation routes and logistical and communications support to help
the state assess the effectiveness of its lane-reversal plans on
June 4.
CAP's emergency response during the devastating 2005 hurricane
season – which included hurricanes Katrina, Ophelia, Rita and
Wilma – earned the organization a Summit Award from the
American Society of Association Executives.