KUA to stage mock disaster ahead of hurricane season

KISSIMMEE — Kissimmee Utility Authority staff members will take part in a mock disaster drill on Tuesday, April 12, to test the readiness of the utility for this year’s hurricane season.

The four-hour drill will involve a wide range of activities, including both live-action training and table top exercises. Activities will include pre- and post-hurricane scenarios and other threats that will be handled with the same intensity as real-life incidents.

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

“Disaster drills 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. “With heightened cybersecurity concerns across the nation, this training also presents a great opportunity to test our data backup procedures and identify any potential shortfalls and address them prior to hurricane season.”

The drill will not impact normal utility operations.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30. Weather forecasters are predicting an above-average hurricane season with 19 storms, and approximately nine hurricanes.

Founded in 1901, KUA is Florida’s sixth largest community-owned utility powering 90,000 customers in Osceola County, Florida. For more information, visit www.kua.com.

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