Hurricane Irene, which caused extensive flooding and wind damage on the East Coast over the weekend, brought to mind the need for pupil transportation operations to have procedures in place for just such an emergency.

In Florida, the Department of Education's School Transportation Management Section has long had a hurricane outreach plan in place. The plan's stated goal is "minimal disruption of transportation service before, during and after storm event, while ensuring student safety."

The primary focus of the plan is to ensure availability of bus operators and school bus equipment in the school system. It includes sections on hurricane preparation and hurricane recovery.

To download the document, click here.

On Saturday, the School Transportation Supervisors of New Jersey association distributed Florida's outreach plan document to its members to help in responding to Hurricane Irene. The storm cut off electricity for more than 900,000 New Jersey homes and businesses, and flooding and other storm damage shut down nearly 300 roads. Some schools were closed or openings were delayed; some are scheduled to open next week.