Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program
University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center

PRESS RELEASE/CONTACT: Sue Kennedy, R.I. Sea Grant/URI Coastal
Resources Ctr., 874-6107

PUBLIC INVITED TO HURRICANE PREPARATION AND RECOVERY PROGRAM

Talk includes Aquidneck Island hurricane forecast and techniques to
protect and rebuild homes, businesses

AQUIDNECK ISLAND:The public is invited to attend a free presentation,
Community Disaster Resilience: Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery
Challenges and Opportunities. The presentation will feature the latest
Aquidneck Island hurricane forecast from regional and national
experts, techniques to prepare homes and businesses for a hurricane,
and post-storm reconstruction and rebuilding options, all with an eye
towards "Smart Growth," or protecting or maintaining those
recognizable elements of community character which are integral to
island neighborhoods. Experts will present the information and be
available for questions during the program, which will be given two
times on Monday, September 18.

The first presentation is from 3 - 5 p.m. at Middletown Town Hall, 350
East Main Rd., Middletown. The second presentation will take place at
the Common Fence Point Community Hall, Portsmouth, from 7:15 - 9: 15 p.m.

The program experts are David Vallee, a hurricane expert for the
National Weather Service in New England, who will provide the latest
information on hurricane forecasts and explain some of the
opportunities and challenges for communities seeking to become
disaster resilient. William Coulbourne, of Washington, D.C., is an
engineer experienced in hazard-related design and construction of
wind- and hurricane-resistant structures. He served as project manager
and principal author for updating the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's Coastal Construction Manual, and most recently helped
government agencies assess and mitigate the catastrophic damage of
Hurricane Katrina.

Program sponsors are the Prince Charitable Trusts, Rhode Island Sea
Grant/University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center, the
Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, the Common Fence Point
Improvement Association, the National Weather Service, and the
municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth.

Questions: Contact Sue Kennedy at (401) 874-6107 or Pam Rubinoff at
(401) 874-6135.

Sue Kennedy