KUA to Stage Mock Disaster Ahead of 2025 Hurricane Season

Kissimmee Utility Authority staff members will take part in a mock disaster drill on Thursday, April 10 to test the readiness of the utility for this year’s hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30.

The four-hour drill will involve a wide range of activities, including both live-action training and tabletop exercises. Activities will include pre- and post-hurricane scenarios and other threats that are handled with the same intensity as real-life incidents. The drill also exposes employees to other non-hurricane related emergency situations, such as cybersecurity threats and equipment malfunctions. The drill will not impact normal utility operations.

A team of observers will evaluate the drill to identify potential vulnerabilities and make recommendations for improvements. These observations will be shared with utility management in a drill debriefing.

“As cybersecurity schemes become more common across the globe, disaster drills and emergency preparedness practice scenarios play a vital role in the overall development and testing of an emergency plan,” said Jef Gray, KUA’s Vice President of Information Technology and the utility’s Drill Coordinator. “As we head into the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season which is expected to be above-average, this training presents a great opportunity to test our hurricane response procedures across multiple departments.”