Readout of the President's Meeting Regarding Preparations for the Upcoming Hurricane Season

Today, on the start of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, President Obama was briefed on federal preparations for the upcoming hurricane season and FEMA's "Whole Community" approach to disaster management by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco and National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read.

As part of the Administration's ongoing efforts to engage our entire nation in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, the briefing also featured input from state, local, non-profit, faith-based, as well as private sector partners.

Participants included North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue and members of her emergency management team, American Red Cross President Gail McGovern, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) Chair Reverend Mickey Caison, and Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead.

Last year, at the end of August, as Hurricane Earl was approaching the shores of North Carolina and threatened almost the entire east coast, at the President's direction, FEMA responded by working with all the entities represented at today's briefing, to support Governor Perdue and her emergency management team.

The President stressed the importance of this team approach and engaging the entire nation in emergency preparedness. He also directed Secretary Napolitano and Administrator Fugate to continue building on this model and to be in close contact and coordination with the Governors, congressional delegations, and emergency managers in hurricane-prone states to ensure that they have the tools and resources needed to prepare for, respond to, and recover from any potential hurricanes this season.

For a picture of the briefing, please click HERE.

For a White House blog post by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate on hurricane preparedness, please click HERE.

Below is a list of attendees at today's meeting:

Janet Napolitano, Secretary for Homeland Security

Beverly Perdue, North Carolina Governor

Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor

Alyssa Mastromonaco, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations

Nancy-Ann DeParle, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director, Domestic Policy Council

Betsy Markey, Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs

Heidi Avery, Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security

Tony Blinken, Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President

Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator

Richard Serino, FEMA Deputy Administrator

Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator

Richard Reed, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Continuity Policy

Jamie Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary

Gail McGovern, CEO American Red Cross

Dan Mead, CEO, President, Verizon Wireless

Bill Read, Director, National Hurricane Center (SVTC)

Reuben Young, Secretary of the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety

Doug Hoell , NC State Emergency Manager

Warren Lee , NC Local Emergency Manager

Mickey Caison, Chairman, National Voluntary Organization Active in Disasters

Dab Kern, Senior Director for Response

Ahsha Tribble, Director, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Policy

Nick Shapiro, Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

Xavier Briggs, Associate Director for General Government Programs