City of Mobile, SBP Conduct Unified Emergency Exercise Ahead of Hurricane Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MOBILE, Ala. (June 3, 2025) —  In a proactive effort to strengthen local disaster preparedness, the City of Mobile, in partnership with SBP’s Resilience and Recovery Fellows Program, recently hosted a unified emergency tabletop exercise ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.

Held May 28 at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf, the event brought together key city departments, first responders, and community partners to simulate a real-life hurricane scenario and walk through Mobile’s Emergency Action Plan.

The exercise tested and refined coordinated response strategies, underscoring the importance of whole-community preparedness. As the Gulf Coast continues to face heightened climate and weather-related threats, early collaboration among public agencies, nonprofits, and residents is critical to ensuring safety and resilience.

“Thanks to the guidance and support of SBP and other vital partners, we have developed a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan that strengthens Mobile’s preparedness and response capabilities,” said Mayor Sandy Stimpson. “I’m very proud of the hard work our team members across every department have put into this effort, and I’m confident that this type of collaboration is making Mobile a safer and more resilient community.”

During the May 28 exercise, city leaders ran through a detailed scenario involving a major hurricane approaching Mobile. Participants walked through their roles and responsibilities, including evacuation procedures, shelter activation, emergency communications, and long-term recovery plans.

The event also highlighted the ongoing work of the City of Mobile’s Office of Resilience, which has partnered with SBP for over a year. As part of this partnership, the City has hosted SBP Resilience and Recovery Fellow Madeleine Dotson since early 2024. Dotson has played a central role in refining and consolidating the city’s existing Emergency Action Plans and has also been instrumental in coordinating interagency preparedness initiatives.

“SBP’s Fellows Program exists to support communities, such as the City of Mobile, in planning better and recovering more quickly from disasters.” said Hannah Trautwein, Director of SBP’s Resilience and Recovery Fellows Program. “By investing in preparedness and collaboration now, the City is protecting lives, minimizing damage, and building long-term resilience.”

As hurricane season begins on June 1, officials in Mobile continue to urge residents, businesses, and local organizations to review their own emergency plans, stay informed, and prepare now for potential storms.

SBP is a national disaster and resilience nonprofit dedicated to helping communities shrink the time between disaster and recovery by rebuilding homes, increasing resilience, and improving systems to better serve the needs of all survivors. Through its Resilience and Recovery Fellows Program, SBP places trained professionals in local governments and nonprofit organizations to expand capacity and enhance emergency planning, coordination, and long-term recovery efforts. 

Over the course of their two-year fellowship, Fellows help communities access and secure critical resources for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and resilience. The program currently supports more than 30 communities across eight states, working to strengthen local infrastructure both before and after disasters strike.