Hurricane preparation and recovery may never be perfect but local officials are working to make the process as streamlined as possible.

Port Neches Fire Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator Stephen Curran updated members of the Port Neches Chamber of Commerce on hurricane prediction methods and lessons learned during a special program at the Wright Building on Wednesday.

Hurricane Ike’s storm surge peaked at 12 1/2 feet at Port Neches Riverfront Park, about seven feet shy of breaching the highest point in the park. Had the water level rose to near 20 feet, water would have inundated the Ridgewood area of the city, Curran said.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale used by meteorologists to measure the strength of a hurricane will be modified, he said. The scale will only measure winds with a different measure used for storm surge.

The change will also reflect storm surge by elevation.

“The Lake Charles weather service for emergency management is constantly relaying information to us as they move towards this new way,” he said. “It will be a little bit confusing at first.”

Further impressing the importance of evacuation and the dangers of the storm surge, Curran explained how tides fit into the equation. The peak of Ike’s storm surge moved across Sabine Pass about 2 a.m. Sept. 13, 2008 but did not reach peak in Beaumont for another 12 hours later.

The fire chief reiterated the fact that once a mandatory evacuation is called, locals should heed the warning. During the height of a hurricane and directly afterwards, emergency officials will not be able to make calls.

He also added for citizens not to return to soon.

“If you don’t leave under mandatory evacuation, we don’t have the resources to make you leave,” he said. “But remember, you will be without electricity, gas and water.”

Curran told chamber members that even emergency management officials may eventually evacuate should a major storm threaten the area and a plan is already in place.

All local emergency officials including industry’s essential employees, police and fire, will set up shop at Lumberton High School. A total of 871 people are scheduled to stay at the school, he said, and bring an estimated 756 vehicles.

Once a storm has passed, Port Neches essential employees will set up an Emergency Operations Center, he said. During Ike the EOC was set up in the courtroom at the police station.

The city also has pre-plans made for generators, fuel and debris removal, he added.

The program was presented by the Port Neches Chamber of Commerce.