If you're thinking, "I don't remember hearing about 'Hurricane Noah'," that's because it was just a drill.
St. Johns County Emergency Management hosted its annual hurricane preparedness event near St. Augustine on Thursday, June 7, bringing together local, county and state agencies.
The practice exercise utilized a fictional storm named “Hurricane Noah,” which simulated the effects of a passing hurricane which caused tropical force winds in the county.
The problems caused by flooding were placed at the forefront of this exercise, as Hurricane Matthew and Irma drastically affected the levels of water in areas of St. Johns County.
Related: Local Weather And FloridaStorms.org
“We are working through some issues with bridges, sheltering issues, transportation and debris. We’re bringing all those to the forefront during the exercise for us to work through those as a team, in a no fault environment,” said St. Johns County Director of Emergency Management Linda Stoughton.
Agencies that took part in the exercise included the National Guard, St. Johns County Fire and Rescue Department, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, St Augustine Police Department, the City of St Augustine and others.
John Cangialosi, a Hurricane Specialist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, opened the event.
Although the exercise only lasted a day, "Hurricane Noah" simulated a four day span and the problems that come with a major storm.
