In one corner, people clutched papers, trying to figure out how to fund disaster relief. In another, a team worked on assigning staff to the makeshift shelters housing hundreds. In yet another, leaders decided what actions to take and how to communicate with all the other teams and the media.
In a flurry of activity and communication, several city leaders from both Anacortes and around the region, met last week to figure out what to do in case of an emergency. This time, it was just a drill.
Their test-case disaster? A hurricane hitting the coast of Florida and sending 50,000 of evacuees to their town of Nederland, Texas.
“Everyone has learned a lot of info and the exercise is to make sure they know what to do,” Anacortes Fire Department Chief Richard Curtis said.