(ATLANTA) – The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is conducting its biennial hurricane exercise (HURREX) which simulates the landfall of a catastrophic hurricane along the Georgia coast.

More than 400 personnel from state, local and volunteer organizations and the private sector are taking part in the drill which will simulate pre-landfall, post-landfall and demobilization activities associated with the simulated hurricane. The exercise incorporates the role of all 15 emergency support functions (ESFs) which range from transportation to mass care to public health to law enforcement.

“Georgia is highly vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms, and we could face an unusually active season,” says GEMA Director Charley English. “This exercise is critical to our ability to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a tropical weather disaster.”

GEMA’s State Operations Center (SOC) in southeast Atlanta is activated for the drill, and parts of the exercise are also being conduced at four sites in Savannah, Forsyth and Dublin.

The “Hurricane Soffie” exercise is a three-day program that runs June 28-30, and simulates a Category 4 storm making landfall near St. Mary’s in Camden County.

The purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate the state’s ability to simultaneously set up, staff and operate SOC functions in Atlantaand support services at the logistics staging area in Forsyth, the processing center in Dublin, and the base-of-operations and aviation support operations center in Savannah.

GEMA planners will draft an “after action” report to evaluate the exercise and determine the strengths and weakness of the state’s disaster response capabilities.

In addition to GEMA, other agencies participating include: Georgia State Patrol, Georgia State University, Civil Air Patrol, Department of Community Health, Department of Juvenile Justice, Red Cross, City of Atlanta Department of Aviation, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Department of Human Services, Georgia Technology Authority, Georgia Mutual Aid Group, Department of Natural Resources, Georgia National Guard, Georgia State Defense Force, Georgia Forestry Commission, Amateur Radio Emergency Services, Department of Administrative Services, Georgia Transmission Corp., Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Savannah Fire Department, Chatham County, Laurens County, Banks County and Habersham County Emergency Management Agencies, multi-agency Georgia Search and Rescue (GSAR) teams, and several private businesses.

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Post Office Box 18055 - Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
Phone (404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia 1-800-TRY-GEMA - Fax (404)635-7205
www.gema.ga.gov
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www.georgia911.org