Harrison County has new go-to guy for hurricanes. ‘We’re in good hands.’
Harrison County has enjoyed a long run of top-notch directors in its Emergency Management Agency, and the man at the helm for his first tropical weather weekend is no exception.
Matt Stratton is getting a much calmer start than Joe Spraggins did back in August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina rampaged ashore.
Spraggins was preceded by the indefatigable Linda Rouse, who led during 1998’s Hurricane Georges and the busy 2004 hurricane season, and followed the legendary Wade Guice, who shepherded the Mississippi Coast through Category 5 Hurricane Camille and gained a national reputation for his expertise in hurricane preparation, evacuation and recovery.
As emergency director after Spraggins, the ever-vigilant Rupert Lacy dozed fitfully many stormy nights on the couch in his Gulfport courthouse office. Lacy hired Stratton as deputy director in 2017.
Stratton, 46, had volunteered in the office for the previous two years after retiring from the Air Force as a meteorologist.
Stratton learning on the job from Lacy was “a fantastic opportunity.” In the Air Force, bases operated much like small cities, and he was often called on to explain to base commanders and pilots what they could expect from severe weather events.
Stratton credits his team and a larger community with keeping the Coast safe during storms. Government, nonprofit and business leaders, and first responders are all involved in management conferences before, during and after storms.
“They absolutely are the ones who keep this community on track when storms are on the horizon,” Stratton said.
His deputy director, Robert Dambrino, said having a meteorologist in the director’s job has been very beneficial.
“He brings a lot to the table,” Dambrino said. “I’m not a weatherman. I’m not a meteorologist. He can hear what the weather service is saying and convert it into layman’s terms.”
