PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Around 400 emergency responders and officials spent this past week bracing for a massive, fictional storm named “Hurricane Bailey” as part of a five-day disaster simulation in Pinellas County.
The exercise, which ran from July 5 to 9, was organized by Pinellas County’s Emergency Management department to test how local, state, and federal agencies handle a major hurricane landfall.
In the simulation’s timeline, the imaginary Category 3 storm hit the area on July 8, bringing winds topping 120 mph and a storm surge between 10 and 15 feet.
Participants joined both in person at the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center in Largo and via virtual networks. Over the five days, the group used emergency communication gear to manage a series of complex disaster scenarios and to test local response plans.
“The response to a hurricane or other real-world emergency requires coordination of dozens of local government and partner agencies across Pinellas County and beyond,” said Cathie Perkins, Pinellas County’s Emergency Management Director. “Exercises like this allow us to strengthen that coordination and fine-tune our emergency procedures so we can be prepared.”
The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and extends through Nov. 30. While the exercise provided practice for officials, county emergency personnel noted that the peak timeframe for tropical activity historically runs from mid-August to mid-October.
Local residents looking to organize their own storm plans can access resources at disaster.pinellas.gov or download the Ready Pinellas mobile application.
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