By Allison Morgan
William “Billy” Wagner Jr.’s outstanding contributions and accomplishments in hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation at the local, state and national level recently earned him the state’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is handed out to one emergency management person a year statewide.
Known to many as “Mr. Hurricane,” Billy was recognized during the 39th annual Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference in West Palm Beach on May 15. His sons, William Wagner III and Karl Wagner, accepted the award on his behalf.
“I’m incredibly proud and humbled — though I wish he could have been there in person to receive it,” said William III. “He just celebrated his 90th birthday and is currently resting comfortably, surrounded by family.
“A heartfelt thank you to Bill Massey for the nomination, and to Max Mayfield for attending the ceremony in support. Special thanks to all of my father’s colleagues and professional partners across the National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, FEMA, and the broader emergency management community. Your support and collaboration throughout his career have meant so much to him — and to all of us.”
Tracking and responding to storms was in Billy’s blood for as long as his sons can remember. He had a weather station in his home for many years before becoming the emergency management director for Monroe County, a role he served in for 25 years.
His 40-year career was marked by multiple leadership positions in emergency management, public safety and hurricane preparedness, serving as a firefighter and fire chief in addition to the county’s top emergency post. His expertise and leadership significantly shaped disaster response strategies at both the state and national levels.
In the early ’80s, he worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA to develop a regional hurricane evacuation study and evacuation plan for southeast Florida, including the Keys — one of the first of its kind in the country.
“He understood the significance and importance of the Keys being an island chain during weather events,” said Karl. “He was always bridging the gap between emergency management and weather, long before anyone else was thinking of it. The thing he instilled in us was community involvement and how important that was.”
Karl said his father’s motto was always “be hurricane prepared.” Billy directed and coordinated responses to numerous tropical cyclone events until his retirement in 2006, including six tropical storms, 12 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. According to William III, one of the biggest events that changed emergency operations and federal assistance in Florida during his father’s career was Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
“FEMA began really helping communities and providing robust support,” he said. Throughout his career, Billy went to bat to ensure Monroe County received necessary resources and services for emergency response in the island chain.
“At one point, Congress tried to shut down some weather services in Monroe County and make them automated,” said William III. “He testified that it would segregate services, and he saved a lot of offices from being closed.”
For more than 35 years, Billy worked closely with Massey, the FEMA Region 4 hurricane program manager for over 20 years and the director of hurricanes and emergency management at Dewberry Engineers for 21 years, on national hurricane preparedness initiatives.
“I can personally attest to his extraordinary expertise, unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership in the field of emergency management and disaster resilience,” Massey wrote in his nomination submission for Billy. “His leadership in disaster response has been instrumental in enhancing emergency preparedness, response coordination and recovery efforts throughout Florida and the nation.”
