Will the Fires Affect the Upcoming SBL in San Diego?

This word just in from the SBL executive director:

We at SBL would like to send our heartfelt good wishes and deepest sympathies to those affected by the fires in southern California.

We have received several calls and emails with concerns about our upcoming Annual Meeting in San Diego. Please know that our staff is working to keep up to date on the latest information and any effect it will have on our meeting. At this point, we have received good news from the San Diego Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. The San Diego Convention Center is open and is not directly impacted by the fires occurring in San Diego County.

Here is some of the pertinent information we have received. In addition, I would encourage everyone to keep updated through the accompanying links:

· The San Diego Convention Center, located in downtown, is open for business and is not threatened or impacted by the fires, smoke, or winds. Any changes to this notice will be posted online at http://www.visitsandiego.com/.

· The San Diego Convention Center is NOT a designated evacuation site.

· The San Diego Airport is open and running regular schedules. Updates are posted at http://www.san.org/.

· Hotels, restaurants, and stores remain open and operating in and around the downtown area. The return of evacuees to their homes has improved the situation and alleviated hotel room supply concerns in the downtown area.

· Fire officials are fully engaged and are expected to have the most of the fires in San Diego County contained within the next 36 hours. The Santa Ana winds that have fed the fires have dropped dramatically, and rain is forecast for the weekend. Updates are available at http://www.sdcountyemergency.com/.
Please direct any questions you may have regarding the 2007 SBL Annual Meeting to AnnualMeeting@sbl-site.org.

Best wishes,
Kent Richards, Executive Director, Professor of Old Testament, Society of Biblical Literature