WASHINGTON, D.C.-Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) today called on the Administration to move more quickly and develop a federal, coordinated hurricane preparedness and recovery plan in the event that a possible tropical storm or hurricane reaches the Gulf of Mexico, exacerbating the effects of the oil spill and significantly disrupting ongoing clean-up efforts.

In a letter to the President , Boyd also signaled his intent to host on Monday, June 14, 2010, a Joint Oil Spill-Hurricane Planning Conference at the 1st Air Force’s facilities at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), which led the coordinated military response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in order to discuss and establish a federal hurricane plan.

“We are already two days into the 2010 hurricane season and just eight weeks from the height of the season – the need for a federal, coordinated hurricane plan is immediate and critical, and the Administration must make this a top priority,” Boyd said. “Our local communities, fishing and tourism industries, and fisheries have already felt a significant impact from the oil spill in the Gulf, and we must do everything we can to plan for a hurricane and not make this devastating situation worse.”

Boyd continued, “While we are dealing with a lot of unknowns concerning the oil spill if a hurricane was to reach the Gulf this summer, we need to put a hurricane plan in place that will establish a military and civilian command and control structure to coordinate what actions need to be taken before, during, and after a possible storm.”

Boyd’s letter to the President also outlines his objective to give the military, including the National Guard and North Florida military bases, a significant role in the development and implementation of a comprehensive hurricane plan. Both the 601st Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) at Tyndall AFB and the Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) system at Naval Support Activity Panama City have the unique ability to organize, conduct, and assist with hurricane preparedness and recovery efforts. The 601st AOC was the headquarters for recovery planning and execution in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, while the DJC2 at the Navy base has a portable command and control function that could support local command and control requirements

“As Senator Bill Nelson stated earlier this week, we must have an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to deal with the oil spill and this includes integrating our military and civilian organizations at the national and local levels,” Boyd stated. “We are in uncharted territory, and the federal government must be proactive in our steps to prepare for the unknown impact a hurricane would have on the oil spill. It is my plan for the Joint Oil Spill-Hurricane Planning Conference on June 14 to do just that and to prepare North Florida and our region for whatever may result if a storm collides with the oil spill.”

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Read Congressman Allen Boyd’s letter sent to the President on June 3, 2010.