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With less than two weeks until the 2011 hurricane season, the state is testing its response equipment and retraining staff. A mobile system helping to bring food and cash assistance to hurricane victims was tested today to make sure its ready to respond. As Whitney Ray tells us, the system was adopted after Hurricane Wilma. It’s been tested a dozen times, but never used.

In 2005, Hurricane Wilma left thousands of South Florida residents hungry and thirsty. 600-thousand asked for help from the state. During Wilma, applications for cash and food assistance were filled out on paper. It took days, sometimes weeks for assistance to arrive.

Now the Department of Children and Families has a mobile application system. Victims are given debit cards when they apply. Using a satellite the applications can be approved over night and the cards activated.

“The amount of money the card depends on how many people are in your family,” said Terry Durdaller, a spokeswoman with DCF.

DCF tested its Food for Florida Program, Thursday. State workers played hurricane victims with no where else to turn. Some played scam artist.

And of course it was just a drill. In the event of a real disaster the crowd would be hundred times this size and more than fill this entire parking lot.

But that has never happened. The new system has been in place since 2007 and has never been needed. But with just two weeks until hurricane season DCF is testing the equipment and once again hoping they won’t have to use it.

During a disaster, most people affected would qualify for emergency assistance. Excluded are people who already receive cash and food assistance and people who still have a lot of money on hand after the storm.