Preparedness

More than 400 mostly small communities throughout the Northwest are at greater risk of suffering from impacts of wildfires than previously thought when socioeconomic conditions are factored into risk assessments, new research finds.

More than 1 in 5 emergency calls to Columbia and Richland County’s 911 Communications Center ended before an operator answered in 2025. Officials cite staff shortages as the chief reason.

Researchers at Florida International University used the school’s “Wall of Wind” to blow hurricane-force gusts at a manufactured home with the goal of determining whether stricter building codes are needed.

University of Texas at Arlington is working with Rice University and the governor's office on a high-resolution weather modeling and monitoring network to provide faster, more precise flood warnings in the Hill Country.

A unanimous City Council vote formalized letting the city and Jersey County share the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, and send emergency alerts to residents’ cellphones.

Across Michigan, the growing intensity of blizzards and thunderstorms is putting pressure on infrastructure that wasn’t designed for today’s climate. A new crisis playbook aims to help pay for things that FEMA may not cover.

The charge applies to all landlines and cellphones and accounts for the Central Dispatch and 911’s entire operating budget, serving all fire and emergency medical services, law enforcement, and the city of Traverse City.

A partnership with weather technology firm Climavision will give state and local emergency managers visibility into weather conditions in areas that were previously unobservable and vulnerable to unpredictable weather events.

Gov. Jim Pillen has issued a proclamation to put the Nebraska National Guard on active-duty status for wildfire response. Over 827,000 acres in total burned in March wildfires in the central and western parts of the state.

Staffing cuts and changes to balloon launch operations in 2025 at the National Weather Service have raised questions about whether critical information is being missed, impacting alerts for events like the recent Kansas tornadoes.

In a virtual town hall meeting on fire preparedness, California officials said fire mitigation has made progress but will be put to the test this year by anticipated dramatic weather that might exacerbate wildfire risk.

After three people died during an EF3 tornado on March 6, Union City leaders were concerned the existing sirens weren't loud enough. The new system is designed specifically for severe weather alerts.

All Omaha firefighters are certified EMTs but not all are certified paramedics. To make certification easier, a mobile simulation lab, jointly operated by the Omaha Fire Department and Creighton University, is coming to them.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is hosting free webinars this spring for anyone interested in helping rural communities prepare for and respond to disasters such as floods, extreme heat and wildfires.

Coming on the heels of unanswered 911 calls, the improvements are part of a $39.2 million contract that the City Council voted on last year. The work will allow Jersey City to take part in a statewide 911 upgrade.

After a mild winter that left the state with a relatively low snowpack, Gov. Tina Kotek signed an executive order on March 31 declaring drought emergencies in three eastern Oregon counties, months earlier than previous years.

SKYWARN is a public service program that asks volunteers to help keep their local communities safe by providing accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

County and state fire departments, the sheriff’s office, CHP and city officials explained how they collaborate to ensure emergency personnel can do their jobs and notify residents when evacuation is necessary.