Northeast Florida LEPC Prepares for Hurricane Season
In preparation for the 2019 Hurricane Season, the federal government rolled out a new web-based platform for HURREVAC; an operational decision support tool of the National Hurricane Program. HURREVAC is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Hurricane Center. This web-based system gives emergency managers new tools, allowing them to make better and more informed decisions.
During the training seminars for HURREVAC the Northeast Florida Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) recognized how to upload 'Points of Interest' and how to apply that tool for hazardous materials facilities. As a result, the LEPC was able to pull the Extremely Hazardous Substance (EHS) hazardous materials facility locations for each county in Northeast Florida from the state reporting system,
E-Plan, and arrange the data so it can be uploaded to HURREVAC as points of interest. This gives emergency managers in Northeast Florida the ability to see all facilities storing EHSs, along with the hurricane forecast and information, in one system. Additionally, the LEPC has been working with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to make this data accessible statewide.