ROBERTSDALE, Alabama -- The Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, the Baldwin County Commission and the Baldwin County Board of Education held a joint press conference on Wednesday at the Emergency Operations Center in Robertsdale to discuss damage and emergency operations surrounding Hurricane Alex.

Alex made landfall on the Alabama-Mississippi border early Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, causing damage to the Eastern Shore of Baldwin County, extending to the Highway 59 corridor.

“We are still in the process of assessing the damage,” said EMA Director Mitchell Sims. “We are urging everyone to continue to stay inside at this time and not go out wherever possible. As we get reports in we will pass them along to you.”

The Baldwin County Commission declared a local state of emergency at 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning and by the time of the press conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday, which included Baldwin County Commission Chairman Tucker Dorsey and Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee, the storm had moved through the area and been downgraded to a Category 1.

Road closures were reported on Highway 59 south of Robertsdale; I-10 west of mile marker 53; the Spanish Fort and Loxley areas of I-10; U.S. Highway 98 in Fairhope; Highway 104; County Road 4 west access to Plash Island; and County Road 6 to Plash Island.

Four shelters are currently open in Baldwin County housing 673 residents, including the Baldwin County Coliseum, Foley Satellite Courthouse, Baldwin County High School and the Level II shelter in Bay Minette.

Points of distribution areas with water and MRE’s are being set up at the Tanger Outlet in Foley, Volanta Park in Fairhope, the Daphne Civic Center, Gulf Shores Sportsplex and Orange Beach Community/Recreation Center.

As of the 2 p.m. press conference, ice had been ordered for the distribution areas, but had not yet arrived.

Of course, these events did not actually occur, but were part of an activation exercise conducted as part of the Alabama National Guard’s annual Hurrex (short for hurricane exercise).

The simulation is conducted statewide each year in the weeks leading up to Hurricane Season, but this is the first time Baldwin County EMA has been “invited to play,” said Sims.

“We are glad to get the opportunity to test the efficiency of our Emergency Operations Center,” Sims said.

The simulation, which included emergency first responders, local government officials and agencies, law enforcement and transportation officials, among others, began at 12:30 on Wednesday and by 2 p.m., Sims said, they had already found ways to make the system more efficient.

“Communication is always the key in these situations,” he said, “and when you’re dealing with an emergency event you have people coming in who are not familiar with our system. We learned very quickly that a quick tutorial in how to use the telephone system more efficiently made a huge difference in being able to help the public. Little things like that can make a big difference.”

Wednesday’s simulation took officials through a mock event, which began Monday and continued through Thursday morning.

Paula Tillman, public information coordinator with the Baldwin County Commission, said the exercise included volunteers set up by the National Guard, who would call in with mock scenarios.

The EMA’s call center would have to quickly decide where the call should be routed in case of emergency.

“It’s important for people to know that just as we are getting prepared, now is the time for the general public to also be prepared, especially this close to the upcoming hurricane season,” she said.

While it is important to be prepared for the upcoming hurricane season, Mitchell said, it is also important for officials and the general public to be prepared for a disaster event year-round.

“Disasters can come in many forms,” he said. “Right now is the biggest time of year for tornadoes in Alabama during April and May. Disasters can come in other forms as well, such as a train derailment or an explosion. It’s always important to be prepared.”