With the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season three weeks away, thousands of emergency management officials, first responders and volunteer agencies from all across the state will be in Orlando this week for the 29th annual Governor's Hurricane Conference.

The conference, held at Rosen Shingle Creek, is where officials can learn from one another, sharing their mistakes and successes dealing with hurricanes. 

"It's a great place to go and spend time with other emergency managers, take lessons from what they've learned so you don't have to experience those bad things for yourself," said Kimberly Prosser, director of Brevard County Emergency Management.

Emergency crews want to be ready. Tropical Storm Ana, which made landfall over the weekend in the Carolinas, is a proof that it's never too early to start preparing for storm season.

"You should never stop preparing," said Dave Freeman, director of Orange County Emergency Management. "Just because we think of hurricane season just at a specific time of year, but we can have severe weather any time. So, you really need to have a plan no matter what the disaster potential is."

It's been more than 10 years since the last major storm, Hurricane Charley, slammed into Florida's coast, leaving a trail of damage throughout Central Florida. The hurricane blasted into Punta Gorda, crossed the state and exited through Volusia County. Charley drained Volusia County's resources, leaving a $40 million deficit that took a decade for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace.

Hurricane Andrew, a ferocious Category 5 storm, hit South Florida in 1992. The hurricane was responsible for about two dozen deaths and more than $26 billion in damage. The storm wiped out entire communities.  

In Hurricane Andrew's aftermath, building codes were changed, and the government learned how to better prepare for hurricanes of such magnitude.

These are the types of discussions that will be happening at this week's conference, which runs until May 15.