Matagorda County’s third annual Community Hurricane Awareness Conference spotlighting speakers, displays and valuable information on the approaching hurricane season will be from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday (May 10) at the Bay City Civic Center.Featured speaker will be Major Chad Gibson, a hurricane hunter aircraft pilot stationed at Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss.
Major Gibson flew into the eye of Hurricane Rita when the destructive storm was a category 5 storm off the Texas coast and on course at the time to landfall in the Palacios-Matagorda County area. Major Gibson is scheduled to present his program at 11 a.m.
The program of need-to-know information on the coming storm season begins at 10 a.m., with introductions by Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent John P. O’Connell, chairman of the conference’s planning committee; and welcoming by Bay City Mayor Richard Knapik.
County Judge Nate McDonald, Palacios Mayor Joe Morton and Mayor Knapik will alternate with the master of ceremonies duties.
Gene Hafele, warning and coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service at Galveston, will lead-off the speakers at 10:15 p.m. by discussing the 2008 hurricane season forecasts.
At 10:45 a.m., Sheriff James Mitchell and Lt. Alan Spears of the Department of Public Safety will speak on evacuation procedures and routes for Matagorda Countians.
Following Major Gibson at 12-noon, Mike Babin of the Texas Department of Insurance will speak on “Preparing Your Home.”
Exhibitor and vendor booths, located both inside and outside the Civic Center, will open at 9 a.m. Also starting at 9 a.m. all entries in the children’s art contest, in which all Matagorda County students in the eighth grade and below, including home schoolers, will be available for viewing.
In addition to the AgriLife Extension Service, organizers for the countywide conference program have been the Texas Sea Grant College Program, City of Palacios, City of Bay City, Rio Colorado Chapter of the American Red Cross, Matagorda County Hospital District, Matagorda County Emergency Management, Bay City Tribune, Local Emergency Management Committee (which provided the monetary support) and the Matagorda County Environmental Health Department.