With about six weeks left in the hurricane season, Florida has not yet experienced a direct hit from a named storm this year. However, state emergency officials warn that could change at any moment.
Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), told senators Tuesday that the agency remains focused on ongoing recovery efforts from past storms while staying ready for new threats. FDEM is still managing open cases from hurricanes dating back to Irma and Michael, highlighting the long-term challenges of disaster recovery.
“There are still a lot of things that we do that are pen and paper,” Guthrie said. “For example, you heard me testify today that we can process things electronically up to a certain point, then we have to take it out of our system.”
To improve efficiency, FDEM is implementing new systems and technology aimed at streamlining recovery, helping close out storm-related cases faster in the future.
Construction on the new state emergency operations center is also progressing ahead of schedule. Guthrie noted the division could move into the facility by spring or earlier, enhancing Florida’s emergency response capabilities.
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