On Tuesday, Captiva Hurricane Preparation and Response Committee member Doris Holzheimer updated the Captiva Community Panel on the Committee’s tentative plans for the 2011 hurricane season.

“If you haven’t yet breathed a sigh of relief for having made it through hurricane season, this would be a good time to do it,” Holzheimer said. “We were lucky.”

On March 2, Daniel Noah of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will present a SkyWarn training session.

“Even if you’ve already done it, I would encourage you to come again. It’s always different and Daniel is really good. You’ll learn a lot about weather and how to look for it,” Holzheimer said.

“On May 12, we’re also having a general education program on hurricane preparedness,” she continued. “I appreciate all of you that have done work on hurricane preparedness — I know it takes time and effort, but I can’t say I’m sorry you didn’t get to use it, because I’m not! We’re all glad a hurricane didn’t come, but part of living on a barrier island is being prepared.”

Times are currently unavailable, but both programs will take place at South Seas Island Resort.

“If you have a hurricane pass from two years ago, it’s still going to be good for the upcoming season. You need one to get back onto Sanibel in the event of an evacuation. If you don’t have one, you can get it by going on the Committee’s website or by going to the Sanibel Police Department,” Holzheimer said.

“We also need volunteers for the Structural Safety Inspection (SSI) team,” Holzheimer said. “If you are interested in being a volunteer, we provide training. More information is available on the website.”

The SSI team is made up of local volunteers who, in the event of an evacuation after a storm, return to the island and quickly assess the damage to island properties.

The Captiva Hurricane Preparation and Response Committee will meet Monday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. to further discuss plans for the upcoming 2011 hurricane season.

For more information, go to www.MyCaptiva.info.