They spoke of an integrated approach, of tying together the loose ends - from informing the public of approaching storms, to preparing much needed shelter space, to improving escape roads and more. And time and again, they stressed the importance of warning residents and visitors alike to see the big picture - as in just how big and deadly a hurricane can be.
People look at a forecasting map and see the projected path for a hurricane.
It doesn't just affect that skinny line. Officials from around the state, country and globe trekked to Tampa this week to find some of that focus before the annual, six-month hurricane season kicks off June 1. A key first step in the race to ready for the storms will come on the home front, Gov. Jeb Bush said, when each family, each household in Florida, has to develop or update a personal plan of response for when the storms approach. And the storms will approach, he said, despite years of repeated near-misses. Residents and visitors should know before that strike whether they live in an area likely to flood during heavy rains or tidal surges the storms bring, said Steve Seibert, secretary of the state's Department of Community Affairs, a key agency in hurricane preparation.