MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Hurricane Charley left Florida in a state of disarray, and was then supposed to make an appearance along the coastline of South Carolina. With the possibility of evacuation all too real, it missed Parris Island and left behind a surprisingly sunny day. Just because the devastation missed the Depot, it does not mean that residents should be footloose and fancy free now that the storm has passed. Colonel Mark Triplett, assistant chief of staff, Operations and Training, takes a look at what measures the Depot took, and what residents can do now that the close call is but a memory. Q: Hurricane Charley defied all efforts to predict it and wrought incredible damage in Florida. It appears many in Florida seemed to ignore the threat and not take proper precautions. For those Depot personnel and families who have never experienced destructive weather, what lessons should they take away from this experience? A: They have got to prepare the outside of their house. They need to have it all tied down and take things into the house and secure them, that is probably one of the biggest things. Here on the Depot we made a concerted effort on all of the construction sites to get them secure. With the outside areas, anything that you can do to reduce [the risk of] something getting turned into a missile is good.Q: What were the biggest lessons learned from our reaction to this storm?A: Once we saw it make the right turn down by Cuba and start heading toward Florida, we were putting the information out there. We had basically two, two-and-a-half days of telling people it's coming. If there is a possibility that this thing is going to come, then we need to start preparing and getting ready. Q: How can Depot residents better prepare themselves for the possibility of destructive weather?A: They probably ought to have evacuation routes [planned]. Where are they going, how are they getting out of Parris Island and getting to wherever it is that they need to go. A lot of people were planning on heading to Albany or someplace, but that would have put them driving into the storm front. So, you have to be a little bit more aware of it and figure out how you are going to get to where you are trying to get to. Take a look at the hurricane packets that the Depot puts out. There is a lot of good information in there on how to prepare.Q: What message or messages do you want to send to Marines and family members about how the Depot will respond to future storm threats?A: We are getting ready to schedule another town hall meeting in the Depot Theater to pick up the people that have rotated into the Depot since we had the ones back in May and June. We push the information to the units and the units push it to the out to members of their units, but I think that a lot of that word gets passed and the typical service member goes home at night, is tired and they don't have a lot of discussions about the possibilities of hurricanes. So getting the family members involved and inviting them into the town meetings at the theaters is key.Q: What is the best source of information for family members in a destructive weather situation?A: Some of the best sources of information that we had for family members are to watch the weather channel.Also, the Public Affairs Office was very active in keeping the Parris Island Web site updated. We posted a lot of information in preparation for Charley when it was coming and throughout the time that we were in a threat condition from the hurricane. That information was constantly being updated on the Web page. We also have the 1-800 number (1-800-343-0639, then press 3) where they can call and get updated information.Q: How much notice can residents expect to receive if an evacuation of the Depot is ordered?A: Residents can probably expect to receive 12 to 24-hour notification. That is going to be situational dependent, but that is what we are shooting for.