Preparedness

One congressman is seeking to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program for several years, as opposed to the series of short-term extensions Congress has enacted since 2017.

After making initial landfall, Hurricane Helene moved north and dumped an enormous amount of rainfall onto the mountainous regions of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s app provides GIS-powered evacuation zone details via an interactive map, letting residents and visitors pinpoint locations and evaluate their hurricane risk.

Anticipating high winds due to Hurricane Helene that could make bus travel unsafe, Beaufort County Schools in Florida will use remote learning to avoid missing instructional days that would have to be made up later.

Tropical Storm Helene is anticipated to become a Category 3 hurricane when it hits Florida Thursday. Georgia anticipates flooding and severe winds as it moves through the Peach State.

Pasco County, near Tampa Bay, has deployed CentralSquare software to help public works better fix damage from natural disasters and cyber attacks. It’s the latest example of using gov tech for disaster management.

Gov. Ron DeSsantis has declared a state of emergency in 61 of Florida's 67 counties as Tropical Storm Helene is anticipated to develop into a major hurricane Thursday.

The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority has developed a "dynamic risk scoring" system that documents fire hazards on properties and runs them through a simulation. The properties are given a score and re-inspected as needed.

The storm currently called Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is anticipated to hit the Florida coast as Hurricane Helene later this week. Experts think 2024 will be one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record.

Legislation introduced in Congress aims to help homeowners better understand the rising costs of premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program, part of FEMA's newly implemented Risk Rating 2.0 initiative.

The Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program provides $1,000 in cost sharing to help homeowners in designated high-risk areas better prepare ahead of fires. The city plans to devote up to $380,000 to the program this year.

The storm is anticipated to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane and then weaken quickly after landfall. Hurricane warnings are in effect for some parts of the Louisiana coast, while other areas are under watch.

The storm is anticipated to develop into a hurricane by the time it arrives on the Gulf Coast. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is readying a 24-hour operations center and other additional resources.

September is National Preparedness Month, and particularly in light of worsening storms, fires and extreme heat, the American Red Cross encourages everyone to take this opportunity to be ready for future disasters.

The Tahoe Basin Wildfire Analysis, released in August, found that in the event of a sudden wildfire, evacuations for residents in some areas could take eight to nine hours, or as long as 14.

Given the unpredictable nature of earthquakes, California's Office of Emergency Services urges residents to download the state's free MyShake App, which can give critical early warnings of a destructive quake.

A New Hampshire program for eliminating "forever chemicals" used in firefighting foam, free to agencies, aims to keep thousands of gallons of foam from contaminating water, soil and air.

Two conservation groups in Montana have brought lawsuits against logging projects and prescribed burns, claiming that they hurt wildlife, but some say the complaints have made it more difficult to fight wildfires.