FEMA Blog

Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs

We’re continuing to monitor the severe weather in the midwest and southern states through our regional offices in Chicago, Ill., Denton, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo., and we’re closely coordinating with our federal partners at the National Weather Service.  As a result of yesterday’s tornado touchdown in Norman, Okla., we proactively deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team to the Oklahoma City state emergency operations center to support the state response efforts if they are needed. 

The National Weather Service is expecting a major tornado outbreak today in the Central and Southern Plains, and NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has projected the worst conditions to hit late Saturday afternoon between Oklahoma City and Salina, Kan., and other areas could see severe storms with baseball-sized hail and winds of up to 70 mph.

As Administrator Fugate said earlier today:

“There are simple steps residents in these areas can take now to be prepared.  It’s vitally important to listen to NOAA Weather Radio and local news to monitor for severe weather updates and warnings and follow the direction provided by local officials.”

In case you weren’t aware, during crises, the NOAA Weather Radio system is used to broadcast timely and important information from the National Weather Service (the only authority on weather forecasting) and emergency personnel offering local situational updates.

As you’re listening to the updates, you should be familiar with the difference between a watch and a warning, and discuss with your family what to do if either one is issued:

• Watch: Meteorologists are monitoring an area or region for the formation of a specific type of threat (e.g. flooding, severe thunderstorms, or tornadoes).
• Warning: Specific life and property threatening conditions are occurring and imminent. Take appropriate safety precautions.

There are a few other important points people should remember:

• Residents of mobile homes should plan in advance and identify safe shelter in a nearby building, because they offer little protection from tornadoes and should be abandoned because a mobile home can overturn very easily even if precautions have been taken to tie down the unit.
• If you are in a sturdy structure, such as a home, school or hospital, go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level, and if there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. You want to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
• If you’re outside, don’t ever try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. You should leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter and watch out for flying debris because they cause the most fatalities and injuries.

If you have children or if you’re an educator, we also have a kids section on ready.gov that has a lot of great information to help children be prepared for disasters.  The site walks them through the different steps: knowing the facts, making a plan, buiding a kit, and then they graduate from Readiness U!

In addition to the kids section, you can find numerous safety tips on www.ready.gov and we also have information available in Spanish and other languages.  You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, including the NOAA (Facebook and Twitter).

And as always, listen to local officials and check on your neighbor.  Stay safe.

Posted by: Beth Freeman, Administrator, FEMA Region VII

As plans take shape for enjoying the weekend ahead, I want to provide an update on the possibility of severe weather impacting our area today, Saturday afternoon and into the early morning hours of Sunday. FEMA is closely monitoring weather conditions that are likely to produce a strong storm system that is predicted to impact the plains and several Midwestern states.

We can’t always anticipate when or where a disaster might strike. This severe weather threat should serve as a reminder to everyone to have a plan for what you and your family will do if there is a disaster, and prepare an emergency supply kit for your home and car to help prepare for power outages or impassable roads.

Growing up in Iowa, we were familiar with severe weather and our family would shelter in the basement under the stairs during tornado alerts. Warning systems and technology are much more accurate today. I want to urge everyone in the region to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio and their local news for updates, and follow the directions provided by their local officials.

Did you know that most NOAA Weather Radios can be programmed to provide warnings and information for specific areas, usually by county? With a bit of time invested in programming your radio, you won’t have to be bothered at all hours with pesky announcements that are not pertinent to your area. If you have questions about how to prepare your family for an emergency, please visit http://www.ready.gov/.

Weather Outlook

This weekend, our friends at NOAA forecast severe weather for parts of the Lower Missouri Valley, Eastern Oklahoma, Western Arkansas, and Northeast Texas. Included in this forecast is a high probability for severe weather – especially in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, where large hail and a few strong tornadoes are possible. Here are some terms you should familiarize yourself with if severe weather watches and warnings are issued for your area:

• Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Tells you when and where severe thunderstorms are likely to occur. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information.

• Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Issued when severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm. 

• Tornado Watch - Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information. 

• Tornado Warning - A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately. 

FEMA urges all individuals in the path of the storms to listen to NOAA Weather Radio and local news for severe weather updates and warnings and follow the direction provided by their local officials.

If severe weather is expected in your area, keep in mind these safety tips:

• Continue to monitor your battery-powered radio or television for emergency information. 
• Injury may result from the direct impact of a tornado or it may occur afterward when people walk among debris and enter damaged buildings. Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves and gloves when handling or walking on or near debris. 
• Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report downed power lines and electrical hazards to the police and the utility company. 
• After a tornado, be aware of possible structural, electrical or gas-leak hazards in your home. Contact your local city or county building inspectors for information on structural safety codes and standards. They may also offer suggestions on finding a qualified contractor to do work for you.

Visit www.ready.gov for more tips on what to do if severe weather is expected in your area.

High winds are expected for Southeast Wyoming, Eastern Colorado, Western Nebraska, the Southern High Plains, Southeast New Mexico, West Texas, and parts of the Northeast. Below Normal temperatures are expected for part of the Northern and Central Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley, and Upper Great Lakes. In contrast, above normal temperatures are forecasted for parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Heavy rain and snow is forecasted for parts of the North-Central Plains, Southeast Wyoming and Northern Colorado. Heavy rain is expected for the Midwest, Lower Mississippi Valley, and East Texas. Due to heavy rain, flooding is likely to occur across parts of Northern Idaho. Visit www.ready.gov/floods for tips on what to do to if flooding occurs in your area.

Additionally, severe drought conditions are expected to continue throughout part so the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southern Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley, Southwest, and portions of California and the Central Great Basin.

Weather conditions can rapidly change, so we encourage everyone to monitor your area's local forecast by visiting weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your mobile device.

Upcoming Events

President Obama has declared next week, April 15 - April 21 National Volunteer Week. Every year, millions of people donate their time and services to volunteer in schools, shelters, hospitals and faith-based and community-groups. At FEMA we work closely with many faith based and community organizations to help individuals affected by disasters. Visit www.serve.gov for volunteer opportunities in your area and to read about the great work millions of people do every day.

The following week, we’re partnering with NOAA for Severe Weather Preparedness Week. All week long, we’ll provide you with tips and information on the importance of preparing for severe weather before it strikes. Tune in April 22 - April 28 for important information on how you and your family can prepare for severe weather.

Posted by: Andrew Velasquez III, Regional Administrator, Region 5

On March 27, FEMA, the HHS Office of Minority Health and the National Council of La Raza co-hosted a webinar that highlighted the tools and resources available to help emergency management agencies strengthen relationships with the Latino Community.

The emergency manager’s tool kit for Latino communities was one resource that was highlighted and discussed during the webinar. This tool kit is part of a collaborative partnership between the National Council of La Raza, the HHS Office of Minority Health and additional partners. It is designed to:

• Improve responsiveness not only to Latinos, but the whole community in disaster planning, relief, and recovery efforts
• Provide effective practices for overcoming some of the largest barriers to full inclusion of diverse communities

We also covered additional effective practices from a regional and local perspective, from our Voluntary Agency Liaison Unit and two local emergency managers: Freddy Zelaya of the City of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Steve Pollio of Coconut Creek, FL.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to meet with leaders from across the country at the 2nd annual Latino Leadership Summit. During the Summit, we discussed how cooperation and collaboration between FEMA and the Latino community can help ensure that the needs of Latinos are recognized and addressed. We also discussed how leaders of the Latino community can play a vital role in bolstering disaster response and recovery capabilities.

FEMA is committed to strengthening relationships not just with the Latino Community, but with the whole community, a community that includes the elderly, people with access and functional needs, children and non-English speaking populations, to name a few. And we recognize that in order to do this effectively, we need to better understand how to reach diverse communities; we need to adapt to the needs of our communities; and most importantly, we need to speak the language of our communities. As such, I’d like to share some additional resources that focus on a whole community approach to emergency preparedness.

• The Citizen Corps Resource Catalogue has a page full of resources on how to speak preparedness in every language 
• Our Community Emergency Response Team training materials are available in Spanish 
• Our Independent Study course titled Preparedness Activities for Communities Everywhere has program guides that are available in English and Spanish

I encourage you to view and share the webinar with your colleagues and use the tools and resources provided. It’s important to continue the conversation for how we can work with the whole community to effectively prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against any disaster. You can do so by posting your comments and ideas on our FEMA Think Tank.

El 27 de marzo de 2012, FEMA, la Oficina de Salud de Minorías del Departamento de Salud y Recursos Humanos y el Consejo Nacional de la Raza organizaron un seminario por Internet que resaltando las herramientas y recursos disponibles para ayudar a las agencias de manejo de emergencias fortaleciendo la relación con la comunidad latina.

Uno de los recursos y tema que fue destacado durante el seminario fue la preparación del Equipo de Emergencias del Gerente para las Comunidades Latinas. Este equipo de emergencias es un parte una colaboración de la asociación entre el Consulado Nacional de la Raza, la Oficina de Salud de Minorías y asociados adicionales. Esta diseñado para:

• Mejorar la capacidad de respuesta no solamente de los latinos pero de toda la comunidad en planificación de desastres, ayuda humanitaria y esfuerzos de recuperación. 
• Proporcionar las prácticas efectivas para lidiar con las barreras más grandes que ocurren en las comunidades diversas.

También hablamos de prácticas efectivas adicionales desde la perspectiva regional, de nuestra Unidad de Enlace de Agencias Voluntarias y dos gerentes de emergencias locales, Freddy Zelaya de la Ciudad de Fort Lauderdale, Florida y Steve Pollio de Coconut Creek, Florida.

El otoño pasado, tuve la oportunidad de reunirme con los líderes de todo el país en la 2a Cumbre de Anual de Liderazgo Latino. Durante la cumbre hablamos de cómo la cooperación y colaboración entre FEMA y la comunidad latina puede ayudar a garantizar que las necesidades de los latinos sean reconocidas y atendidas. También hablamos de cómo los líderes de la comunidad latina tienen un papel importante en el fortalecimiento de las capacidades de respuesta y recuperación de desastres.

FEMA esta comprometido en fortalecer las relaciones no solo con la comunidad latine sino con toda la comunidad, la cual incluye ancianos, personas con necesidades funcionales y de acceso, niños y el público que no habla ingles por mencionar algunas. Para poder ser efectivos reconocemos esto y tenemos que entender como alcanzar las comunidades diversas; tenemos que adaptarnos a las necesidades de nuestra comunidades; y lo mas importante, tenemos que hablar el idioma de nuestras comunidades. Por esto, me gustaría compartir estos recursos adicionales que están enfocados en el acercamiento a toda la comunidad para la preparación de emergencias.

• El Catalogo de Recursos del Cuerpo de Ciudadanos tiene una pagina de recursos en cómo hablar sobre preparación en todos los idiomas. 
•  Nuestros materiales de adiestramiento para el Equipo de Comunidad de Respuesta de Emergencias esta disponible en español. 
• Nuestros cursos independientes titulados Actividades de preparación para todas las comunidades tiene las guías del programa disponibles en inglés y español.

Le exhorto a que ver y compartir los seminarios con sus compañeros y utilice las herramientas y recursos provistos. Es importante el continuar con las conversaciones sobre como podemos trabajar efectivamente con toda la comunidad para la preparación, protección, respuesta, recuperación y mitigación en contra de cualquier desastre. Usted puede compartir sus ideas en el Foro de Compartir Ideas de FEMA.

I’ve been following the progress of the upcoming Great Utah ShakeOut and I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen to date. Perhaps what’s most impressive is the number of participants, which continues to climb daily.

With less than one week to go, the Great Utah ShakeOut has already enlisted a record number of Utahns for what promises to be the largest such exercise in state history. The number of participants – 840,000 and counting – represents a full third of the state’s population. I wonder if any state has achieved such a high percentage of participation in their ShakeOut drill.

The level of participation may not come as a big surprise to Utahns, who have traditionally embraced a culture of preparedness and who pride themselves in being able to take care of themselves and their neighbors when disaster strikes. That’s really what we mean when we talk about a culture of preparedness—broad buy-in from the whole community, beginning at the individual level, to the point at which being prepared becomes a behavioral norm, like buckling your seat belt.

I really enjoyed one of the articles posted on the ShakeOut website and on a local newspaper. It was written by Joe Dougherty, who is a Public Information Officer for the Utah Department of Emergency Management, and it uses coach speak to advise participants to “practice how you will play.” We know that nothing we do can begin to approximate what would happen if the Wasatch Fault earthquake should occur – especially when estimates predict a temblor in the 7.0 range. But we do know that people who have actually practiced drop, cover, and hold on drills, prepared a disaster kit and made a communications plan will come through the event in much better shape than the unprepared.

Disaster experts tell us that after any traumatic event, the initial stages of shock and denial is followed by the impulse to action—or inaction. Those who have already practiced in a simulation are far more likely to choose actions that will not only increase their chance of survival but also make them more resilient, so they can recover faster.

I like to remind folks that we need to quit practicing for the disaster that just happened, and instead take a harder look at how we’re going to deal with the really big ones that will happen sooner or later. That’s why I like ShakeOuts.

Way to go, Utah. Keep up the good work.

And if you haven’t already registered for the ShakeOut on April 17 at 10:15 a.m. MDT, visit the Great Utah ShakeOut website and sign up today!

He estado siguiendo el progreso del Gran ShakeOut de Utah. Estoy muy satisfecho con lo que he visto hasta el momento. Lo más impresionante es la cantidad de participantes que tenemos y continúa en aumento diariamente.

A menos de una semana del Gran ShakeOut de Utah, ya se han inscrito un número sin precedentes de habitantes de Utah para lo que promete ser el mayor ejercicio en la historia del estado. El número de participantes es de 840,000 y continúan, lo cual representa un tercio de la población del estado. Me pregunto si algún otro estado ha alcanzado este porciento de participación en su ejercicio de ShakeOut.

Este nivel de participación no es una sorpresa para los habitantes de Utah, ya que estos tradicionalmente han adoptado una cultura de preparación y se enorgullecen de ser capaces de cuidar de si mismos y sus vecindarios cuando un desastre ocurre. A esto nos referimos cuando hablamos de una cultura de preparación, una aceptación amplia de toda la comunidad, comenzando al nivel individual hasta el punto donde estar preparado es parte de la conducta normal, como ponerse el cinturón de seguridad en el auto.

Disfruté mucho de los artículos que fueron publicados en el sitio de Internet de ShakeOut y los periódicos locales. Joe Dougherty escribió el artículo y es el Oficial de Información Pública del Departamento de Manejo de Emergencias de Utah y utiliza un entrenador para asesorar a los participantes a como “practicar lo que pueden hacer”. Sabemos que nada se puede acercar a lo que puede pasar si un terremoto ocurre, especialmente cuando las predicciones de temblores son de 7.0 de magnitud. Pero sabemos que las personas que practican, agacharse, cubrirse y esperar en los ejercicios, preparan un equipo de desastre y hacen un plan de comunicación familiar enfrentan un desastre en mejores condiciones que los que no están preparados.

Los expertos en desastres nos indican que después de un evento traumático las personas reaccionan por etapas, primero la impresión y después la negación, seguido por el impulso de actuar o de no hacer nada. Las personas que han practicado en ejercicios están más propensas a elegir la acción, lo cual aumenta sus posibilidades de sobrevivencia, más resistentes y hace que se recuperen más rápido.

Me gusta recordar a las personas que tenemos que dejar de practicar sobre los desastres que ya pasaron, sino que debemos mirar atentamente a cómo vamos a lidiar cuando un desastre grande ocurra y puede ocurrir tarde o temprano. Es por esto que me gusta el ShakeOut.

Así se hace, Utah. Continúen con su buen trabajo.

Si no se ha inscrito todavía para el ShakeOut del 17 de abril a las 10:15 am (hora del pacífico), visite el sitio del Gran ShakeOut de Utah e ¡inscríbase hoy!

Posted by: Tony Robinson, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 6

Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment teams, consisting of local, state, FEMA and Small Business Administration representatives are continuing to survey tornado damage in Tarrant County, Texas today. We’re standing shoulder to shoulder with our state partners and will continue to do so until all affected locations requested by the state have been assessed.

Texas, April 6, 2012 -- Preliminary Damage Assessment teams fanned out across the Dallas Fort Worth area in the aftermath of the Tuesday tornadoes. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, (r) is Joined John Nelson, of FEMA (L) and Ruby Dailey (c) of Texas Department of Emergency Management.

These “PDA teams” aren’t just looking at the numbers of damaged and destroyed homes, but we’re also gathering information on the impact to these communities as a whole. In a past blog post, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate mentioned that our states have developed robust capabilities to respond to these events. With those capabilities in mind, our partners and teammates at the federal, state, tribal, and local level, as well as voluntary agencies and the private sector bring many types of aid with them to assist in times of need. So we are also looking at whether or not there are enough resources within the state and communities, along with insurance to meet the needs of those that have been impacted.

Throughout much of the day, teams will be walking through tornado-ravaged cities and towns, knocking on doors, and talking to as many residents as possible.


Lancaster, Texas, April 6, 2012 -- Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins (r) leads state and federal team members through a tornado stricken neighborhood as part of the damage assessment process. Joint preliminary damage assessments are ongoing following the tornadoes that struck the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Obviously, the teams won’t be able to talk to every single survivor. So if you’ve been impacted and you don’t see one of our teams, make sure to report your damages to local or state officials. These reports will be shared with the PDA team and cross-referenced with the street report, then all of the information will be considered for the assessments.

While assessments are ongoing, you should clean up as needed and be sure to contact your insurance company as soon as possible and file a claim.

As the teams speak with disaster survivors, they will be asking about whether the damage to homes will be covered by insurance. Often, levels of insurance can be a major consideration when determining whether a state should request a FEMA declaration. Ultimately FEMA cannot duplicate benefits like insurance.

As Administrator Fugate has mentioned before, insurance is often the first and best way of protecting your family and property from disaster. Depending on the coverage limits, disaster survivors may be made far more whole by their insurance policy than they would from supplemental federal disaster assistance.

In any event, it’s always a good idea for survivors to keep receipts of any disaster-related expenses such as lodging, medical, repair and cleaning supplies, etc. You may also want to make a list of the major items that have been damaged such as utilities, appliances, furniture, and personal property.

If you have immediate needs such as shelter, food, water, clothing, etc., you should seek help from the local voluntary and faith-based groups in your area.

The PDA teams are working as quickly and as safely as possible to complete the assessments, so that next steps can be taken by local and state officials.

Los equipos conjuntos de Evaluaciones Preliminares de Daños (PDA, por sus siglas en inglés), el cual esta compuesto de gobierno local, estatal, FEMA y representantes de la Administración de Pequeños Negocios continúan investigando los daños debido al tornado en el condado de Tarrant, Texas. Estamos trabajando hombro a hombro con nuestros asociados estatales y continuaremos en comunicación hasta que todos los lugares que han sido afectados sean investigados.

Lancaster, Texas, 6 de abril de 2012 – Los equipos de evaluación preliminares de daños se desplazaron por toda el area de Dallas Fort Worth después de los tornados del martes. El juez de condado de Dallas, Clay Jenkins (derecha) John Nelson de FEMA (izquierda) y Ruby Daily (al centro) del Departamento de Manejo de Emergencias de Texas.

Estos “equipos de PDA” no solo buscan la cantidad de casas dañadas o destruidas, también recogen información del impacto sufrido en toda la comunidad. En el último mensaje de blog, el Administrador de FEMA Craig Fugate, dijo que los estados han desarrollado sólidas capacidades para responder a estos eventos. Con estas capacidades en mente, nuestros asociados y compañeros del equipo al nivel federal, estatal, tribal y local, así como las organizaciones voluntarias y sector privado proporcionan muchos tipos de ayudas en los tiempos de necesidad. Por lo tanto, estamos observando si se tienen los recursos suficientes en el estado y la comunidad en conjunto con los seguros para cubrir las necesidades de los que fueron afectados por los tornados.

Gran parte del día, los equipos caminan por las áreas afectadas por los tornados tales como las ciudades, pueblos, tocan puerta a puerta y hablan con los residentes, mientras sea posible.


Lancaster, Texas, 6 de abril de 2012 – El juez del condado de Dallas,Clay Jenkins (derecha) dirige a los equipos federales y estatales por el vecindario que fue impactado como parte de los PDA’s.

Los equipos no tienen la capacidad de hablar con cada uno de los sobrevivientes. Así que, si usted ha sido sufrido daños y no ha visto a nuestro equipo, asegúrese de informar sobre los daños sufridos en la ofician local o estatal. Estos informes se comparten con el equipo de PDA y se unen al informe de la calle, para que toda la información pueda ser considerada en las evaluaciones.

Mientras las evaluaciones están en proceso, usted debe limpiar como sea necesario y asegurarse de informar los daños ocurridos a su compañía de seguro lo antes posible y haga un reclamo.

A medida que los equipos hablan con los sobrevivientes de desastres, estos pueden preguntarle si los daños de las casas pueden ser cubiertos por la compañía de seguro. Frecuentemente, los niveles de seguranzas pueden ser una gran consideración al determinar si el estado hace el pedido de declaración de desastre a FEMA. FEMA no puede duplicar los beneficios como el seguro.

El Administrador Fugate a mencionado anteriormente que los seguros son con frecuencia la primera y mejor forma de proteger a su familia y propiedad de un desastre. Dependiendo de los límites de la cobertura del seguro los sobrevivientes de desastres pueden hacer más con el seguro que con la ayuda federal suplementaria de desastres.

En un evento, es buena idea el mantener los recibos de los gastos relacionados al desastre tales como, vivienda, suministros médicos, reparaciones y equipo de limpieza, entre otros. Los sobrevivientes también pueden hacer una lista de daños tales como servicios públicos, electrodomésticos, muebles y propiedad personal.

Si usted tiene necesidades inmediatas tales como refugio, comida, agua, ropa, entre otros, puede buscar la ayuda de las organizaciones voluntarias locales y grupos basados en la fe de su área.

Los equipos de PDA están trabajando lo más rápido y seguro posible para completar las evaluaciones para que los próximos pasos puedan ser tomados por los funcionarios locales y estatales.

Weather Outlook 
It appears the weather this weekend will be relatively nice and everyone can enjoy the holiday weekend according to our friends at NOAA. As of today, there are no significant weather threats expected across the U.S.

Severe drought conditions are expected to continue throughout parts of the Southeast, Central and Southern Great Plains, Southwest, and Upper Mississippi Valley. Additionally, some flooding is forecasted in Southeast Texas.

Since weather conditions can quickly change, we encourage everyone to monitor your area's local forecast by visiting weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your mobile device.

Highlighting Preparedness
We wanted to share an article about the great work our disability integration specialists are doing to help ensure everyone is prepared for an emergency. As Deputy Administrator Serino discussed during last month’s FEMA Think Tank call, it’s important for everyone to be involved in emergency planning, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. And it’s equally important to ensure everyone has access to resources that will help them be more prepared in the face of an emergency.

Here’s an excerpt from a local ABC news affiliate featuring Disability Integration Specialist Jessica Mitchell discussing how her work in Region V is ensuring that the preparedness needs of residents with access and functional needs are met.

"I definitely think people should prepare in advance, think about what type of disasters are likely to happen in your area and how you would respond to them," said Jessica Mitchell, FEMA's Region V disability integration specialist. "Think about how you would know if a disaster is going on."

Mitchell said her role is to make sure people disabilities know what do during an emergency and how state and local emergency managers can make their programs more accessible.

For many years, FEMA has had information on emergency plans for people with disabilities.

We've really been updating our information to take into account new technologies that people with disabilities use and really try to make more of a concerted effort to get the information out to people with disabilities," Mitchell said. "We do offer training for emergency managers and local planners. We have the functional needs, support services and general population shelters where we teach people who plan out how emergency shelters will work, the different things they can do to make sure it's accessible with all types of disabilities, from mobility disabilities, to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, to people who are blind or have low vision or have cognitive or intellectual disabilities."

Read the full article and watch the interview.

And here is a list of our blog posts from this past week in case you missed any of them:

• Flat Stanley Visits FEMA Headquarters and Learns How to Get Prepared 
• Susanna Marking: From the Office to the Field, Every FEMA Employee is an Emergency Manager 
• An Important Update on Our Recoupment Process – Part Three
• Understanding Our Risk: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201: Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 
• An Inside View of Bio Training for First Responders 
• Monitoring the Tornadoes and Standing By to Support the State of Texas

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!