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Summer 2009 marks five years since the most destructive hurricane season in Florida history. 
Emergency managers reflect on lessons learned.

Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist:
Well, the 2004 hurricane season was a marathon. We began the season very quietly in June and July and then suddenly within a six or seven week period we had 4 hurricane landfalls in the state

(0:13) GFX Charley- August 13, 2004

(0:15) GFX Frances- September 5, 2004

(0:18)GFX Ivan- September 16, 2004

(0:20) GFX Jeanne- September 26, 2004

Chuck Hagan, State Logistics Chief:
Our planning had been based around one major storm at a time and being able to provide resource and logistics support and personnel to that. The first storm with Hurricane Charley unto itself was a significant challenge, but then when we started to have the second, third and fourth storms coming in we actually had to reallocate resources.

Mike Delorenzo, Former SERT Bureau Chief:
To handle an activation of that magnitude and to keep it going I had to bring in 750 emergency managers from 36 states under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Chuck Hagan:
There were some days when we were running very short of resources and we had to prioritize what the missions were. If a county had requested, let's say, 10 trucks of water we may have only been able to send them 8 for that day.

Mike Delorenzo:
We had many storms come in that year other than the 4 that we got hit that we had to take preparations for. In fact, when Hurricane Charley was coming in many people have forgotten that we were in the response for Tropical Storm Bonnie. 

Ben Nelson:
I think that we have improved the way that we respond to these disasters. We have a much better logistics and resource set up to move quickly into these communities.

Chuck Hagan:
And we located a facility that we now call the State Logistics Response Center in Orlando, Florida, where we keep about 500 truckloads of resources pre-positioned: water, food, medical supplies, cots and bedding.

Dave Halstead, Interim Deputy Director, Div. of Emergency Management:
I think it opened everybody's eyes. I think when we talk about '04 and '05 it is in fact the citizens speak to it a little bit in reverence. They understand what they went through. Many of them survived multiple storms. 

Ben Nelson:
2004 taught us a lesson that winds and storm surge and flooding rains have a big impact on structures and families.

Mike Delorenzo:
It drove home the fact that every Floridian needs to have a plan. 

Chuck Hagan:
So one of the lessons learned is that if we don't have resources pre-positioned in the state or can have contracts in place for resources in the state we can't respond quickly enough to these rapidly developing events.

Ben Nelson:
Well, I'll never forget in Punta Gorda when we were in the response operation Director Craig Fugate had a press conference where he stated that this was now "Charley Command." It was a unified effort with the local, state and federal emergency managers and first responders, and that's the way that we have operated ever since.

Chuck Hagan:
I work very closely with FEMA both at the regional level and the headquarters level to help refine logistics support and management.

Mike Delorenzo:
By the end of that season we had the most experienced staff in the country and maybe even in the world. 

Chuck Hagan:
Since the last 5 years of the '04-'05 hurricane seasons, by collaboration with our commercial partners, our retail partners, our state and federal partners we really have a strong unity of effort, not just in name but in mentality and thought process, regardless of what logos happen to be on our shirts.

Dave Halstead:
Never before had a state sustained four straight hurricanes, so we know we can do it.

Mike Delorenzo:
I think there is a tremendous amount of pride in the staff that worked that event, but also nationally presently go around the country teaching emergency management and when you say you're from the State of Florida that has an effect on how people treat you.

Ben Nelson:
That's a testament to all the experience that we gained during the 2004 season.

Mike Delorenzo:
They know what the state for Florida's reputation is from the 2004 season and they pay attention when you have something to say.

Ben Nelson:
Our overall federal, state and local partnership was solidified in 2004 and all the lessons that we learned from those storms have really helped us in the disasters that have followed.

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FloridaDisaster.org
FEMA.gov