What keeps the safety director of the most vulnerable spot in US up at night before hurricane season
May 23, 2025
No place is more vulnerable to hurricanes in the 50 U.S. states than the Florida Keys. The chain of islands celebrated by singer Jimmy Buffett in his odes to tropical escapism is surrounded by water. The Gulf and Atlantic Ocean are on either side of the islands that jut out 120 miles southwesterly from Florida’s mainland. Making sure that members of the Conch Republic stay safe during hurricane season is Shannon Weiner. She is the director of emergency management for Monroe County, Florida. Hurricane season starts June 1. The county has some new weapons this season, including a brand-new emergency operations center and a new seawater desalination water treatment plant.
