Preparedness

Following the July 29 tsunami warning that revealed weaknesses in the Aloha State's preparedness, officials are examining how public communication, evacuation orders and siren systems can change going forward.

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency are warning that a similar disaster is on the horizon because of federal policies about the agency.

Designed to be the wildfire version of a tornado shelter, the FORT is a shed-like emergency shelter that can withstand heat and keep out smoke. The structures could go into production this fall and cost around $70,000.

While the city has a dozen warning sirens, officials say residents should not rely on those as their sole means of learning about an emergency. CodeRED and phone notifications are also essential.

While serious cold still remains a pressing problem for Maine residents, emergency officials across the state are already planning for a future where they're responding to temperature spikes as silent natural disasters.

The three primary areas served by the units were the townships of Holland, Park and Georgetown. Holland and Park townships last year developed alternative services.

A predominantly agricultural state, Iowa isn't typically thought of as a high risk for wildfire, but given changing weather patterns, drought and high winds, several areas are now on par with risks in California.

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the Russian coast last week should serve as a wake-up call for the U.S., which is "overdue" for a similarly major earthquake at a time when federal funding for response is in question.

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula was the strongest worldwide since 2011 and triggered tsunami advisories across the Pacific. Four-foot waves were recorded in Hawaii, with smaller waves hitting California.

Rates of ER visits for heat-related illness in Dallas-area kids soared between 2012 and 2023. The findings mirror global trends as temperatures, particularly in the summer, increase.

A five-city tech collaboration led by Virginia Beach, Va., will connect it with four neighbors through computer-aided dispatch. It will replace manual call transfers with real-time emergency data sharing across jurisdictions.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program aimed to distribute billions of federal dollars to state and local governments to protect against climate-related disasters, but the administration now says it was “wasteful and ineffective.”

In light of federal plans to phase out FEMA by the end of 2025, artificial intelligence can help multiply and streamline state and local preparation for, response to and recovery from wildfires, hurricanes and floods.

Though the sheriff's office has employed drones over the past decade, this new model will be remotely launched from a substation to respond to active crimes and emergency incidents over the next year.

As extreme weather like Tropical Storm Barry — which contributed to the devastating flooding in Texas — becomes more frequent, satellite data contributes to giving forecasters the most accurate info.

Following the deadly flash floods in Texas and ahead of a flood watch in Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service and FEMA offer tips on what to do before the water rises and how to stay safe when it does.

Resilient regions and organizations require well thought out disaster plans addressing recovery and mitigation. In creating them, state officials said, collaboration with other governments and communities is essential.

A shared satellite system is at risk for closure due to military cybersecurity concerns, which would delay hurricane forecasts by hours. This is just one of several recent threats to funding for key forecasting tools.