Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler was among a team of experts called to testify at a hearing for hurricane preparedness in Beaufort. The hearings are aimed at keeping you and your family safe from storms.

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint conducted the hearing at the Marine Corps Air Station to study the impact of a severe hurricane on Beaufort. John Jones, deputy director of the National Weather Service says, "A land form category five hurricane could have a surge of water 20-feet high in Beaufort, and could devastate everything in it's path."

The hearing was also held to find out what plans are in place to make sure people are informed and ready to evacuate if necessary. William Winn, the director of Beaufort County Emergency Management Division says, "Beaufort county and the state of South Carolina are committed to residents and visitors, and have developed an in-depth evacuation plan."

One after the other, Senator DeMint, who is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction, listened to testimony from a panel of experts. Col. Robert Lanham, the Air Station commanding officer says, "We're currently completing formalizing flight evacuations at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in the area to make sure we get critical patients evacuated through the Air Station in the most expeditious way we can."

Storm Team-2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler was also chosen to testify at the hearing. He says, "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. It is going to happen again. That's why we've formulated a very close relationship with the National Weather Service. We know we will need their help in the future, and we know we the media will be needed as well."

DeMint says, it's all an effort to keep you and your family safe during hurricane season. He says, "We're here in Beaufort, a part of the Lowcountry to find out what we can do on the federal level to get people prepared, to do a better job predicting, and make sure the evacuation plans are in order." The hearing is now a part of congressional record, a record that DeMint hopes will help calm fears before and after storms. Meteorologist Rob Fowler says, "Hearings like this gets the word out. It's important for him to hear from the grass roots level what's going on. He has an ear on things, but having him here listening to the folks that testified, I think that goes a long way to getting things done in Washington."...