Written by Maddy May, PRTM undergraduate student.
The third webinar in the Destination Ready series (1) focused on a proactive and optimistic approach to disaster readiness, highlighting how communication and community can shape outcomes when disasters arise. Through the experiences of meteorologists and event leaders, attendees heard real-world examples of how preparation, communication, and community support can help navigate difficult situations.
Things kicked off with Erik Heden, who is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service (2) in Morehead City, North Carolina. Erik shared insight on how weather impacts many aspects of life, including safety, the economy, and the environment, which are all important components of community events. Representing an agency that has operated continuously since 1871, Erik emphasized its mission: protecting life and property while supporting economic stability.
A major challenge with weather forecasting is communication. He encourages everyone to follow forecasts from trusted sources, especially in an era of misinformation. Erik also stressed that preparedness looks different depending on location. Coastal regions may focus on hurricanes, while inland areas often face flooding risks. Erik also highlighted that water is the leading cause of storm-related fatalities, accounting for roughly 85% of hurricane-related deaths. Because of this, understanding the full scope of a storm is essential, rather than focusing solely on categories. For coastal communities like Morehead City, NC,rip current awareness (3) can also help citizens stay better prepared for location-related risks.
Erik also emphasized the importance of the National Weather Service’s relationship with emergency management officials at the county and municipal levels. The NWS works closely with these local partners to share weather information, coordinate responses, and communicate possible risks. For event planners, this highlights the importance of building strong relationships with local emergency management teams, ensuring there are trusted communication channels and support systems already in place when weather-related challenges arise.
He encouraged attendees to use tools like localized forecasts and briefings for better planning. Other programs like the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Program (4) help organizations promote safety and share accurate information within their communities. Resources such as NWS <location specific> Forecasts (5) and Forecast Points(6) offer location-specific weather data that can be especially useful for communities. These tools can be especially useful for event planners, helping them monitor changing weather conditions and make informed decisions related to scheduling, safety measures, and contingency planning for outdoor events. His key takeaway was simple but powerful: build relationships with your weather service now, before you need them.
Image Source: NC Livermush Festival Facebook
Our next speaker, Emily Epley, was the Director of VISIT Cleveland County during Hurricane Helene. She shared her experience with Helene and the NC Livermush Festival (7). Just 22 days before the event’s 40th anniversary, Shelby, North Carolina, was significantly impacted, facing power outages, blocked roads, and widespread disruption.
With over 18,000 attendees expected, Emily and her team had to quickly assess whether the festival could move forward. The decision came down to three major factors: safety, logistics, and capacity. They evaluated everything they could to determine whether the festival would and could happen. One unexpected challenge came just days before the event, when their two primary livermush suppliers were unable to provide product due to impacts from the storm. In response, the team formed last-minute partnerships with two new NC livermush suppliers that ultimately made the consumption and celebration of the festival's namesake possible.
Emily also highlighted the important role of sponsors in supporting the Livermush Festival. While the festival requires ongoing fundraising to operate, sponsors play a key role in helping make the event possible and creating opportunities for businesses to engage with the community. Many sponsors are regional and local partners who not only support the festival financially but also benefit from being part of a shared community experience. Emily emphasized the importance of maintaining strong communication with sponsors, especially when facing uncertainty or the possibility of cancellation, noting that “all those positive relationships we formed can create such a bright spot in such a time of devastation”.
Despite the uncertainty, the festival moved forward successfully, drawing strong attendance and reinforcing the importance of community. Emily emphasized that in moments like these, it’s easy to try to handle everything internally, but real resilience comes from engaging others and being open to support.
Image Credit: Mitchell Alcala; Image Source: MidSouthGravel.com
Closing out the program, Bobby Wintle, who is the race director for the Mid South Endurance Fest(8), an internationally known running and gravel biking event in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Bobby shared a differing perspective from Emily. Bobby, in partnership with local leadership, made the difficult executive decision to cancel his event due to wildfires.
As the second-largest gravel race in the world, The Mid South brings in around 40,000 participants from across the globe and serves as a major community and economic driver. Bobby described event planners as “human connection professionals,” emphasizing the responsibility that comes with bringing people together. A major part of that responsibility, he explained, is having a clear plan in place. The Mid South Safety and Emergency Plan (9) plays a critical role in this, outlining how the team communicates risks, makes decisions, and keeps participants informed in real time.
Following severe wildfire conditions in 2025, which destroyed over 130 homes in the region, the event was ultimately canceled. Bobby described it as both the easiest and hardest decision, clear from a safety standpoint, but emotionally and economically difficult. Despite the cancellation, the community response was remarkable. Attendees still showed up, safely, supported local businesses, and raised $70,000 in just one day. The experience highlighted the strength of community and the importance of having a clear communication plan in place.
Bobby’s message was grounded in realism: while we can’t control nature, we can prepare for it. And sometimes, success isn’t measured by whether an event happens, but by how a community responds when an event may not go according to plan.
Across all three perspectives, one message stood out: preparation, communication, and community are everything. Whether it’s making difficult event decisions or leaning on others in times of need, resilience is a shared effort. Each speaker showed that while disasters and unexpected challenges cannot always be controlled, the way communities prepare and respond can make a significant difference. Building relationships, creating plans, and supporting one another before challenges arise can help communities become stronger.
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