Contact: Bob Chartuk FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/30/97The 1997 hurricane season will soon be upon us and although we do not know for certain what this year will bring, the general trend calls for another active season. To help New Englanders be prepared, Jerry Jarrell, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, will speak at two hurricane forums on Thursday, June 5, the National Weather Service has announced.
The first forum, scheduled from noon to 3 p.m., will be held at the Crossroads Holiday Inn in Warwick, R.I., and is organized by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA). The program will be directed towards local emergency management directors and town officials in Rhode Island. The media should contact Al Scappaticci of RIEMA at 401-946-9996 for details. Interviews with Jerry Jarrell can be arranged.
The second forum, scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., will be held at West Jr. High School in Brockton, Mass., and is sponsored by the City of Brockton (Mayor John Yunits), Eastern Utilities, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, and the National Weather Service. This forum is open to the public. Again, the media is invited and should contact Bob Thompson at 508-823-1900 for details or to set up an interview with Jerry Jarrell.
The hurricane risk for Rhode Island and Massachusetts is real. With the help of the news media, we hope to help citizens effectively prepare for the coming hurricane season and take appropriate action when the next hurricane threatens southern New England.
For more information on these two forums and Jerry Jarrell's visit to New England, please call Bob Chartuk or Bob Thompson, Glenn Field, or Dave Vallee.