Exercise Overview

The purpose of the series of Hurricane Neighbor Tabletop Exercises was to assess the capabilities of Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP) communities in Florida's Duval, Franklin, Holmes, Leon and Washington Counties during an activation of there plans due to an approaching hurricane.

After the storm struck the region, members of the NEPP came together as part of a unified team of knowledgeable citizens to support community response and recovery activities.

During the exercise NEPP members:

• Established a concept of operations that spans the direction and coordination of the hurricane from initial monitoring through post-disaster response and recovery.

• Established operational goals and objectives for the preparedness, response and recovery phases of the community.

• Established strategies and assumptions for a comprehensive integrated response to the hurricane.

The Hurricane Neighbor Tabletop Exercise was facilitated via an internet based application entitled ON-Line eXercise (ONX) System.

Information on the ONX System can be found at ONXSystem.com.

Exercise Scenario

It is late June and local citizens have been complacent in their hurricane preparedness activities because this year’s hurricane season has not even seen its first tropical storm. Families are making their last minute plans for their summer vacations while local business owners and government agencies are thinking that the hurricane season could be very inconsequential. However weather forecasters are predicting a major change in the atmosphere that could see a sharp increase in the number and severity of hurricanes within the next few weeks.

By early July residents, business owners and government officials begin to follow the projected path of the season’s first tropical storm. Soon the storm strengthens into Hurricane Neighbor as it continues its forward movement.

The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor the storm via satellite and Hurricane Hunter planes as it continues to intensify.

Exercise Conclusion

A total of eight Hurricane Neighbor Tabletop Exercises were facilitated during the months of April and May 2010.

Exercise Photos