Interview with WISN tv Ch. 12 regard Huricanne Irene & Martin Luther King Memorial Dedication
Channel: Latitudes Travel - Wisconsin, USA
Date: 2011-08-31

Hurricane Irene Could Delay MLK Jr. Memorial Dedication
Milwaukee-Area Travel Agent Traveling To Washington

POSTED: 4:37 pm CDT August 24, 2011
UPDATED: 8:38 am CDT August 25, 2011
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MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee-area woman is heading to the East Coast for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall, but there's concern that Hurricane Irene might force a delay in the dedication.

Holly Robertson is a travel agent who won a contest to be part of a history-making celebration. She's flying to Washington ahead of the hurricane's potential arrival.

"I am so excited to be part of, part of this history-making event," Robertson said. "I can roll with the punches. We've been told we can't bring umbrellas in the actual dedication area so we have our rain ponchos packed. We'll just see what happens," Robertson said.

What happens will be up to Hurricane Irene.

"Airline and tour operators have put out alerts just to let us know, to let our clients know that their safety is always first," Robertson said.

Airlines could cancel or delay flights. The hurricane is already forcing cruise lines to change routes and schedules. The situation could be much more dire for residents along the East Coast.

"I can tell you that there are a few things that FEMA has already done. They have pre-deployed incident response teams to both Virginia and North Carolina. And they actually have some stores of commodities in Atlanta, bottled water, food rations," White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

The hurricane's eventual impact could force changes to the MLK schedule in Washington, D.C. The dedication ceremony for the King statue is supposed to be Sunday, when Irene could be in the neighborhood.

"If it's canceled, it is. Then we'll just come home and be a little disappointed, but we'll still be a part of that whole atmosphere," Robertson said.

President Barack Obama is supposed to be the keynote speaker at Sunday's dedication ceremony, and Robertson is very excited about the chance to be with the president and other celebrities.

Unfortunately, one of them might be a troublemaker named Irene.

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