Preparedness and Communications

This small town of 5,600 holds a large county fair annually and garnered a $15,000 FEMA Homeland Security Grant to stage a full-scale mass-casualty drill where a suspected gas leak turns into a massive, chaotic accident.

The gliders' deployment in Hurricane Florence found that subsurface temperatures were about 25 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the ocean modeling predicted without their input. Another glider helped define the Gulf Stream.

Two named storms have formed so far this year, and the peak months of the hurricane season, August-October, are underway. NOAA expects 10 to 17 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater) — five to nine will become hurricanes.

The Alert Wildfire network has halted scores of fires including the Lilac Fire in San Diego County, which could have been disastrous if not knocked down by alert crews that were aided by the camera network.

The seed of an idea to be part of a neighborhood better prepared for wildfires was planted by a longtime Paradise resident in late 2017. Her father was displaced after that city’s devastating Camp Fire in November.

“This awareness of the combination of high river and surge — what is the appropriate modeling, the appropriate communication? Having been through Hurricane Barry, it's part of our discourse now, and we’ve got to prepare for it.”

While most public safety operations in an EOC are guided by time-tested principles, digital response before, during and after a disaster is surprisingly uncharted territory.

The county received an award for a preparedness plan to partner with the community to distribute medicine and supplies from the state and federal governments to first responders and vulnerable populations.

Failing to get the mandatory permits could jeopardize a property owner's future participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. Noncompliance with federal regulations also could put the entire county at risk.

The Cape just experienced the hottest July on record, which followed the warmest June on record globally and the global temperature has been above average for 414 months, according to NOAA data that goes back to 1881.

Items that should be part of an emergency kit include at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and hygiene, extra water for pets, and three days’ worth of non-perishable food for each person and pet.

In coming months, the City Council will discuss whether to facilitate St. Pete’s development boom by changing rules that prevent housing density from increasing in areas considered to be most at risk for flood damage.

National Night Out is an annual effort in August to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement, while bringing back a true sense of community, according to the National Night Out website.

The roadmap outlines investment in whole community preparedness and how those investments can help get the nonprofit, faith-based, public and private sectors to collaborate better to develop resilient communities.

Acting FEMA administrator Peter Gaynor has a wealth of experience on which to draw and shares his knowledge about the future of emergency management and the nation’s ability to develop resilience.