FEMA Blog

New Orleans, LA, December 20, 2010 --  Congressman Joseph Cao (third from right) and his District Director Murray Nelson (left) met with senior FEMA and state officials (left to right) Joe Threat, Louisiana Recovery Office acting executive director, Tony Russell, FEMA Region VI administrator, Mark DeBosier, Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness assistant deputy director for disaster recovery, and Andre Cadogan, LRO deputy director of programs. During the meeting, both FEMA and the state renewed their commitment to continue supporting Orleans Parish universities in their ongoing recovery efforts.  Photo by Manuel Broussard/FEMA

Posted by: Tony Russell, FEMA Regional Administrator, Region VI

FEMA’s recovery mission in Louisiana took an important new step recently, as I was honored to meet separately with outgoing Congressman Joseph Cao and representative-elect Cedric Richmond.

Our great partnership with the state was also exhibited, as top managers from the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), also attended the meeting, along with FEMA staff, including Joseph Threat, our Acting Executive Director of the Louisiana Recovery Office.

Before becoming the Regional Administrator for FEMA’s Region VI, I served as the head of FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office, where I got to know Congressman Cao very well. He has been a long time advocated for recovery in Louisiana and placed a strong focus on institutions of higher learning, particularly in Orleans Parish. During our meeting, both FEMA and our state partners renewed our commitment to continue supporting these universities in their ongoing recovery efforts.

Representative Cao is being succeeded by representative-elect Richmond, who took the opportunity to meet with FEMA and the state of Louisiana leadership, to become more familiar with the ongoing recovery work and future plans for Orleans and Jefferson parishes. I look forward to working closely with representative-elect Richmond in the new Congress.

Both meetings generated positive feedback from everyone involved and helped to further strengthen our shared goal of supporting Louisiana’s continued revival.

Posted By: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

We make plans for almost anything.  In a typical day, you might plan for how you’ll make your morning commute, what you will have for lunch, how you will accomplish projects at work, and what meal you will have upon returning home. 

As the New Year approaches, we’re encouraging Americans to take three simple steps to get prepared before a disaster strikes: get a kit, make a plan, and be informed.  Planning for a potential emergency can ease the stress of an emergency situation, and can ultimately save your life, or the life of someone you love.

We hope you will take this opportunity to Resolve to be Ready in 2011 and create your emergency plan today.  Here are a few tips from Ready.gov, FEMA’s preparedness website, to get you started:

• Write down your family’s plan, and store it in a safe place (preferably with your emergency kit).
• Decide on a safe meeting place in your home, in your community, and in a nearby town.  In case your home or community is damaged, family members will know where to go.
• Review (and practice!) your family emergency plan at least two times per year.
• Decide how family members will communicate after a disaster. Text messaging often works despite phone network disruptions, so teach family members how to use text messaging.  
• Subscribe to alert services in your area. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management web site.

What creative ways does your family, or workplace, practice its emergency plan?  Leave a comment and start the discussion.

Posted by: Public Affairs

2010 was a busy and eventful year for emergency management.  Here is a look back at 2010, featuring images from the FEMA Photo Library.

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs




How many New Year’s resolutions have you managed to keep over the years?  If you’re like me, there have been more than a few resolutions that have not withstood the test of time.  Researchers say our resolutions often fail for a number of reasons: our goals were too lofty, we didn’t have a clear plan for success, or we didn’t have someone holding us accountable.

At FEMA, we’re encouraging everyone to Resolve to be Ready in 2011.  As we saw in 2010, disasters can strike anywhere in America, from hurricanes in southern Texas to ice storms in the Northeast, to flooding in the Pacific Northwest.  Being ready before a disaster strikes isn’t difficult – there are three simple steps to being prepared: get a kit, make a plan, and be informed. 

As the New Year approaches, why not take today to make your emergency kit?  It’s a simple step that can go a long way in saving your life, or the life of a loved one.  Having a complete emergency kit in your home, car and workplace will allow you (and your family) to last for up to three days in case local officials and relief workers cannot reach everyone immediately after a disaster. 

Visit Ready.gov, FEMA’s preparedness website, for resources and tips on making your emergency kit.  Be sure to tailor your kit to any special needs you and your family may have.  For example:

• Include waterproof boots or shoes if your local area is vulnerable to flooding
• Include refills of important prescriptions 
• Include children’s games to keep them entertained

As Administrator Craig Fugate often says - “The public is an important part of the team.”  The more that individuals are prepared, the faster our towns and communities will bounce back after a disaster.

Leave a comment and share your ideas on creative and useful items for a comprehensive emergency kit for your home, workplace or vehicle.

- Rachel

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

With severe snow storms making all the headlines, many of you may be wondering where FEMA’s role comes into play?  Here’s an overview of what our role is when winter weather rolls in.

Before a storm
Before a winter storm or extreme cold front, we’re all about preparedness.  If you follow FEMA on Twitter or Facebook, or visit fema.gov on a regular basis, chances are you’ve seen messages on the importance of being prepared before a winter storm.

We obviously can’t stop the forces of Mother Nature, but we can all play a part in limiting the personal effects of severe weather. And as soon as a storm is forecast to hit a certain area, our regional offices and watch centers will begin communicating with our state and local partners -- those who will be the first to handle the response efforts -- to make sure they have everything they need to prepare.

During a storm
If a severe winter storm seems imminent, our regional offices and watch centers will continue to stay in constant contact with other members of the emergency management team (including state and local governments, non-profit and faith-based organizations).

Our partners at the National Weather Service forecast office also play an important role in providing the most up-to-date weather information.

After a storm
After the storm, a state governor can request financial assistance to help with the costs incurred during snow removal.  The process for requesting snow removal reimbursement is the same as a state requesting a major disaster declaration, as specified by the Stafford Act:

• A governor seeks a presidential declaration by submitting a written request to the President
• FEMA reviews the governor’s request for assistance and evaluates it based on several objective standards
• FEMA provides the President with a recommended course of action

With a major disaster declaration, the types of assistance that may be provided in response to a declared snowstorm could include providing grants to individuals with uninsured, disaster-related losses and providing states with at least 75 percent reimbursement for the costs of debris removal and permanent restoration of facilities, as warranted. 

In order to receive reimbursement for snow removal costs, each of the counties included in the Governor’s request for a declaration must have record or near record snowfall within a 48-hour period, and also meet other criteria described in the Snow Assistance Policy.  

This all is just a minimum. There are other ways we offer support to states throughout winter events -- including deploying liaisons and teams on the ground to work closely with state officials. We deploy these liaisons and Incident Management Assistance Teams (or "IMAT" teams) at the request of the states, to help with coordination.  For example, in anticipation of the storms in New England this weekend, we deployed a liaison to the Massachusetts emergency operations center to support in these areas.

But as you all know -- we're just part of the team when it comes to dealing with winter storms and weather.  What role can you play to help your family/community prepare for and respond to winter storms?  Leave a comment and let us know how you can be part of the team.

- Rachel

Other Links
Read FEMA’s complete Snow Assistance Policy.
Prepare for winter storms on Ready.gov.

At the 2010 TEDMED Conference in San Diego, CA, Administrator Craig Fugate spoke about the need to expand the emergency management team and engage all Americans in better preparing our communities before disaster strikes.

He took the opportunity to challenge his fellow attendees to come up with ideas on how we can better prepare communities before disasters strike:

“How can we—as we play our many roles as part of businesses, governments, medical and emergency response fields, community groups, schools and families—make our communities more resilient?”

To further the administrator’s challenge, we’re currently accepting your preparedness ideas on Challenge.gov until January 29, 2011.  Our original deadline was early January, but we are getting some great ideas, and want to give everyone the opportunity to submit their answer to our challenge.

We have received a lot of great submissions to date, and recently published a handful to give a sample of some of the ideas.  Here are a few:

• Award boy/girl scouts with a merit badge for preparedness after they take a Community Emergency Response Team class
• Host a “Get Ready Now” weekend in your local community, focusing on individual and family preparedness

We would love to hear your ideas on how to make your family, school, workplace or community more resilient.  Sharing ideas and collaborating are important steps in motivating everyone to think about preparing before a disaster strikes.  To submit your preparedness idea, visit our challenge today. If you wish to submit your idea without using the Challenge.gov site, please email: FEMA-New-Media@dhs.gov.

- Shayne


About the challenge
The submissions will be judged by FEMA leadership and the winning idea will be featured on fema.gov.  Submissions will be judged based on originality, level of community engagement, and ease of implementation.  Challenge submissions are moderated before posting.

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

The current snowstorms blanketing the East Coast are another reminder that its important to take simple steps now to be prepared -- and to Resolve to be Ready for emergencies in 2011.

As we get closer to the New Year, today our Deputy Administrator, Rich Serino, teamed up with the head of Massachusetts Public Safety, Mary Beth Heffernan, to urge everyone to consider making a new year's resolution that could make a real difference in the next snowstorm, flood, or hurricane:

"Nearly half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not make one that is easy to keep and could save your life: Resolve to be ready for disasters. It only takes a few simple steps and it starts with making a family emergency communications plan in advance of a disaster and staying informed.

For example, consider how you would get in touch with your children if their school was locked down. What if you were in a car accident and your cell phone was broken? What if another flood knocked out power for days?

We need you to do your part to become a member of our team, by getting ready now, because when disaster strikes, those of us who should have and could have gotten ready will be competing with our most vulnerable citizens for food, water and the critical resources of our first responders. We all share responsibility."

This message isn't just important for the Massachusetts and East Coast residents digging out from mounds of snow -- it applies to all of us.

So with the countdown to New Year's eve on, join us. Will you Resolve to be Ready in 2011?

- Rachel

(Read the full op-ed in the Boston Herald from Deputy Administrator Serino and Mary Beth Heffrnan)

Posted by: Brad Carroll, Press Secretary


(Photo courtesy of FEMA Photo Library, 2006)


If you’ve turned on the news anytime in the past week, the headlines have been littered with stories of the ongoing severe weather across the U.S.  Last week, a powerful rain and snow storm affected much of the West coast.  Over the weekend, a blizzard moved in along the eastern seaboard.  Airports are closed, major sporting events have been affected, and thousands of residents are without power or sheltering in their homes.

We are in close coordination with our state and local partners, monitoring developments from the National Weather Service forecast office.  There has been no request for federal assistance at this time, but the governors of the following states have declared a state of emergency due to the storm:

• Delaware
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• Rhode Island
• Virginia

By declaring a state of emergency, the Governor makes available state government resources, such as personnel, equipment and facilities, to support and assist disaster response operations.

As the storm moves through, be sure to listen to local officials for safety information in your area.  Keep up with the latest local forecast at weather.gov, or on your smart phone at mobile.weather.gov.  For tips on winter preparedness, check out Ready.gov, or if you’re on the go, visit our mobile site.

- Brad

Posted by: Public Affairs

In this video Administrator Fugate shares a special holiday message on being prepared before a disaster strikes. With New Year's right arond the corner, why not Resolve to be Ready in 2011?

You can start today at Ready.gov with three easy steps: get a kit, make a plan and be informed.  From all of us at FEMA, have a safe and happy holiday!

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

At FEMA, we continue to monitor severe weather on the Hawaii islands and in the western U.S. through our regional offices in Denver and Oakland. Parts of Utah and Nevada are still getting rain, and we remain in close coordination with the Utah and Nevada Departments of Public Safety, as well as the California Emergency Management Agency.

With the powerful storm system forecasted to head east in the coming days, the National Weather Service is calling for a wet holiday weekend for much of the country, whether snow or rain. Follow your latest forecast at weather.gov, or check it on the go at mobile.weather.gov, and make sure you’re prepared for potential flooding or extreme winter weather at Ready.gov.

As the countdown to New Year’s Eve continues, FEMA is doing our part to encourage all of you out there still looking for a New Year’s resolution to Resolve to be Ready in 2011.  Last week, we highlighted op-eds written by Nancy Ward, our Region 9 Administrator, and Ken Murphy, our Region 10 Administrator, in the LA Daily News and the Oregonian. Yesterday, our Administrator Craig Fugate continued this drumbeat, partnering with Jim Bassham, the director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, on an op-ed published in the Tennessean:

“This was a challenging year for families across Middle and West Tennessee. No one will soon forget the historic floods that stretched from Nashville to Memphis and numerous towns in between. Throughout the disaster response and the longer-term recovery, Tennesseans have truly stepped up to help each other out. That’s why, as families and friends come together to celebrate the holidays and close the book on 2010, we’re asking you, if you haven’t already, to get prepared now, before the next disaster strikes.”

You can read their full op-ed here. As they note, FEMA and TEMA were proud to team up to help residents and communities across Tennessee during this recovery, and we’re proud that we were able to team up again to remind everyone of the importance of being prepared. So especially with severe winter storms hitting many of us across the country, take a few minutes to sit down with your family and follow our basic steps for getting prepared. Join Craig and Jim and Resolve to be Ready in 2011.

- Rachel

(Image courtesy of the National Weather Service)

Ongoing severe weather
As we mentioned yesterday, we’re continuing to monitor the severe weather in the western U.S. through our regional offices in Oakland, Seattle and Denver.  Last night, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in six California counties due to extreme weather and storm conditions. By declaring a state of emergency, the Governor makes available state government resources, such as personnel, equipment and facilities, to support and assist disaster response operations.

Heavy rain is also hitting portions of Utah and Nevada, and we are in close coordination with the Utah and Nevada Departments of Public Safety.

There has been no request for federal assistance at this time, but our regional watch teams are in constant contact with our federal and state partners, along with the National Weather Service forecast offices.

With the powerful storm system forecasted to head east in the coming days, the NWS is calling for a wet holiday weekend for much of the country, whether snow or rain.  Follow your latest forecast at weather.gov, or check it on the go at mobile.weather.gov.  And make sure you’re prepared for potential flooding or extreme winter weather at Ready.gov.

Travel Tips
The Transportation Security Administration blog has some great resources for holiday travelers.  If you plan on taking to the skies to visit family/friends, be sure to check these out:

• One-page guide on helpful hints for holiday travelers (PDF)
• For a complete rundown of air travel tips, read What to Know Before You Go

Holiday Fire Safety
If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, we’ve had quite a few posts related to fire safety leading up to the holidays.  This is the time of year when lighting a cozy fire and a few candles can bring in the holiday spirit unlike anything else.  Unfortunately, those simple joys increase the risk of a home fire.

So whether you decorate your home for the holidays, plan to use lighted candles, or are fixing to cook an unforgettable holiday feast, keep these fire safety tips in mind from the United States Fire Administration (USFA).  Also be sure to see the USFA’s collection of videos on fire safety.

Posted by: Brad Carroll, Press Secretary

For a lot of folks across the country, winter has already come in like a lion.  There’s been snow in the mid-Atlantic, Mid-West and Nevada is currently getting dumped on with feet of snow in some areas.  The Metrodome collapsed and California and Hawaii are currently experiencing some serious severe weather.

But, as your local meteorologist will probably point out on your evening newscast today, December 21st, is actually the first official day of winter.  Which means, if you haven’t already, now is a great time to get ready for winter.

Winter storms can bring high winds, heavy snow, and rain, causing power outages and hazardous travel.

That’s why we urge families to maintain an emergency supply kit at home and in the car.  An emergency kit should include food and water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and extra flashlights and batteries.  And if you haven’t yet, make sure to update your kit for winter by including:

• Rock salt to melt ice on walkways;
• Sand to improve traction;
• Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment;
• And adequate clothing and blankets to help keep you warm.

And this year as you gather with family and friends and talk about making resolutions for the New Year, why not resolve to be ready?

You can start small.  Why not find your local emergency management office and see if they offer alerts or other ways to stay informed? Why not sit down with your family and develop a family communications plan?

These small steps can make a big difference for you and your family.

Be safe this holiday season and be prepared.

Posted by: Public Affairs

Through our regional offices in Oakland and Seattle, we are continuing to monitor the severe weather across Hawaii, California, and into the northwest that is forecasted to affect the area through mid-week, at least.  We remain in close contact and coordination with California Emergency Management Agency, Nevada Division of Emergency Management, Hawaii State Civil Defense and other possibly affected states. 

During severe weather, it’s important to follow the instructions of state and local officials, and listen to local radio or TV stations for updated disaster response and evacuation information. We urge all individuals in the affected areas to listen to NOAA Weather Radio and their local news for updates and directions provided by their local emergency management officials.

Flash flooding can take only a few minutes to a few hours to develop, and it’s important to be informed and ready.  And remember, when you come across a flooded roadway, Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

On the web:

National Weather Service

CA Emergency Management Agency

HI State Civil Defense

NV Dept of Public Safety

UT Dept of Public Safety

Ready Flood Preparedness

On twitter:

@CalEMA - California Emergency Management Agency

@LAFDtalk - Los Angeles Fire Dept

@HNL_Info - City and County of Honolulu Information Officer

@utdpspio - Utah Dept of Public Safety

#larain
#sfrain

And for those interested in emergency management social media (#SMEM), a crowd sourced event map for the severe storms in California.

Posted by: Public Affairs

After a fire swept downtown Baltimore, MD, earlier this month, 2,000 workers were displaced as businesses in the area were impacted. While this event made the news, it got us thinking about the countless common issues that can shut you down for precious hours, days or even longer: power outages, computer viruses and cyber attacks, burst pipes,  and the flu - just to name a few.

The fact is that we live in a world of constant disruption – both the unplanned and intentional kind.  For businesses and employees, business interruptions mean loss of income, services and potentially customers.

How you bounce back depends largely on how you prepare.  At FEMA, we typically see the more widespread disasters requiring federal assistance. But any business operation can experience an interruption. Not even the federal government is immune.  Just look at the historic snowstorm that shut down Washington, DC, for several days last winter.

The good news is that no matter the scale of an emergency, there are basic precautions everyone can take.  Visit www.Ready.gov (or Ready Business) for practical, low- or no-cost steps that will help safeguard cash flow, reputation, and peace of mind.  Also, consider telework policies to ensure continuity of business, no matter where the work is being done.

Share how your business, organization, and family is preparing for a new year of potential disruptions. As members of the team, it’s up all of us to ensure we’re prepared to bounce back stronger than ever.

Going into the weekend, here’s what’s on our radar screen:

Potential severe weather
Our friends at the National Weather Service (NWS) are calling for one to three inches of rain for much of the California coast up into Oregon. In the mountainous areas of the region, heavy snow is expected. For the southeast portion of the U.S., forecasters are calling for weekend rain along the north Gulf Coast region. Winter weather is expected to continue for the east coast, and some portions of the region may see snow later this weekend.

Make sure you’re prepared for any severe weather that could come your way this weekend. For more detailed forecasts in your local area, visit the NWS website (or bookmark it on your mobile phone).

A cartoonist's take on Twitter & earthquake notification
For the social media users among us, check out this comic on Twitter users and earthquake notification. Whether it’s true or not, it shows the power of social media in notifying emergency managers of emergency situations.

Last minute holiday shopping
The holiday shopping season is in full gear, and if you’re like us, you still need to find gifts for the hard-to-please. One of the best gifts you can give is the gift of emergency preparedness. It gives people peace of mind, and can ultimately save their life. So if you’re looking for gift ideas, here are some ideas to get you started.

Posted by: Nancy Ward, FEMA Regional Administrator Region IX

We received great and positive feedback on Tuesday’s kickoff of the Southern California Catastrophic Earthquake Response Plan (CATPLAN) from press and participants.  The plan specifies that federal and state agencies will work closely together in preparing for a potential large scale earthquake in Southern California.  Unfortunately, a major earthquake in Southern California is overdue and is a “when”, not an “if”, event.

And while the new CATPLAN is a step in the right direction, it’s vital that the entire community works together to plan for such an event.   Each year, FEMA participates in the “The Great California Shakeout”, a state-wide earthquake preparedness drill.  There were over 7.9 million participants in this year’s event, a great sign that California residents are taking earthquake preparedness seriously.

I'd be interested in hearing what you are doing to plan for a large-scale disaster. In California, the “Shakeout” is a great initiative to engage the entire community in preparedness.  Share what your state, city, town, or family is doing to show others you’re prepared.

- Nancy

Other Links
California Emergency Management Blog - post on the CATPLAN signing
Ready.gov - information on preparing for earthquakes

Whether its summer, fall, winter or spring, disasters are not limited to just one season -- and neither is our need to prepare for them. At FEMA, preparedness is always a top priority, and we are constantly encouraging the public to get ready for emergencies.

One of our favorite things about the holiday season are the traditions we create with our families,  neighbors and  communities. At FEMA, our holiday tradition is our annual "Resolve to be Ready" campaign during which we encourage Americans to give the gift of  preparedness - whether to a loved one or themselves.

If you're scrambling to find last minute gifts, basic essentials like flashlights, batteries and even NOAA weather radios make for great - and practical - stocking stuffers. And if you're still looking for a New Year's resolution, why not consider resolving to be ready in 2011? It's a resolution that is fairly easy to keep and could save your life, or the life of a loved one. Click here for preparedness gift ideas or simple steps you can take to resolve to be ready.

Throughout this holiday season, our FEMA leaders from across the country have been getting this message out in their communities. Last week, Ken Murphy, our Region 10 Administrator, made the case to readers of the Oregonian. And earlier this week, Nancy Ward, our Region 9 Administrator, highlighted how Californians are doing their part to get ready for earthquakes and other hazards in the LA Daily News.

No matter which part of the country you live in, tis another season to be ready. And for those of you that already have taken steps to be prepared, share the success stories from your family or business.

- Rachel

Posted by: Administrator Craig Fugate

Today, President Obama convened the White House Tribal Nations Summit, inviting the leaders of all 565 federally recognized tribes to Washington DC to meet with him and his Administration’s top officials. I was honored to hear the President speak this morning and then to participate in a conversation with tribal leaders from all over the country. 



FEMA is committed to working with American Indians and Alaska Natives and looks to their sovereign leadership for guidance on how we can best support them in building more resilient and better prepared communities.  In order to better support them before, during and after disaster strikes, FEMA is placing a tribal liaison in each of our Regional Offices.  This will allow us to more closely coordinate with tribes, and make sure they have the support they need while responding to and recovering from disasters.

Today’s conference shows how serious this Administration is about building stronger relationships with tribal nations.  Tribal leadership is an essential part of the emergency management team in planning for the whole of community.  We’re grateful to all of those who traveled to Washington today to represent their communities.

- Craig

Posted by: Tim Manning, Deputy Administrator, Protection and National Preparedness


(Image courtesy of United States Geological Survey)

It’s the stuff legends are made of.  On this day 199 years ago, the first in a series of catastrophic earthquakes rocked the Midwest along the New Madrid seismic zone.  Although the epicenter of the December 16th quake was in northeast Arkansas, the magnitude of the quake reportedly caused church bells to ring along the East coast.

As the graphic above shows, an major earthquake in the New Madrid zone (of magnitude 6.0 or more) would severely affect Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Several other states would be affected, ranging from Minnesota to Florida.

It’s hard to imagine a natural disaster on that scale today. For this reason, FEMA is leading a national-level exercise in May of 2011 (NLE 2011) simulating a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault.  We’re bringing all the relevant team members to the table to make the exercise as realistic as possible – federal/state/local governments, the private sector, non-profit and faith-based groups, the public, and even the international community.  FEMA leaders will provide more details on NLE 2011 as it approaches, so watch the blog for more details.

(For the emergency management types, check out an overview of Illinois’s planning for NLE 2011.)

If the 199th anniversary of New Madrid serves a purpose today, it’s that individuals and communities need to plan for what we call a “maximum of maximums” event -- a large-scale, catastrophic event.  It may be gloomy to think about, but it’s necessary to plan for the unexpected, so whether you live along the New Madrid fault line or in the Pacific Northwest, take a few minutes today to be informed about the possible disasters in your community.

We sincerely hope America never has to respond to a major earthquake in the New Madrid zone, but we need to be prepared.  Visit Ready.gov for earthquake preparedness tips and other ways you can get prepared.

We want to use this blog to share ideas and continue the conversation, so leave a comment about how your family / organization / company is preparing for a “maximum of maximums” event.

- Tim

Yesterday, I spoke at the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Shared Strategies conference in Denver, CO.  Events like the UASI conference are a great way to get members of the team working together.  Whether you’re a business owner, member of your Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), local government official, or a parent looking out for your family, you can help the nation prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Here's a quick video I recorded at the conference:



So what is the UASI? It’s a program designed to improve emergency preparedness in major metropolitan areas.  Cities from San Francisco to Miami have benefited from the program, making their region more resilient.

The Denver conference was all about “Shared Strategies”, or looking at how members of the emergency management team can work together to accomplish common objectives.  Since coming to FEMA, Administrator Fugate and I have stressed the importance of everyone doing their part.  We are all part of our nation’s emergency management team, and it truly takes the whole community, working together, to make sure we are meeting the needs of everyone during an emergency.

It’s my sincere hope that you will take three easy steps to get prepared: get a kit, make a plan and be informed.  If you prepare today, you’ll help your communities and families be more resilient tomorrow.

Tell us how the emergency management team in your community is helping prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.  We're working hard to get our team members prepared, so tell us what you've been up to.

- Rich

Posted by: Public Affairs

Much of the U.S. has been hit with winter weather in the past week, from several feet of snow in parts of Minnesota to freeze warnings in Florida, and more snow and freezing rain is forecasted across large areas of the country today.  When the weather outside gets frightful, staying safe (and warm) is of primary importance.  So in light of the recent extreme weather, here are some simple reminders to keep you safe this winter season:

Be informed
NOAA weather radios, local TV and radio stations are great places to find severe weather updates.  For more detailed forecasts of your area, visit www.weather.gov or http://mobile.weather.gov on your smart phone.  And if you’re still looking for a gift for that special someone, consider a NOAA weather radio.

Get an emergency kit in your car and workplace
Snow storms and “whiteouts” can happen very quickly, so plan ahead by having an emergency kit in your car and workplace.  At first thought it might sound over-the-top, but recently some drivers in Wisconsin were stranded on the highway for hours during a heavy snow storm.  Having a blanket, hand warmers, and non-perishable food items on hand are invaluable in the event of such an emergency. 

Make a plan for safe snow removal
If you’re in an area that experiences heavy snowfall, removing snow can be a tough task.  Here are a few reminders as you rid your driveway and sidewalk of the fluffy white stuff:

• Whether you use a shovel or a plow attached to an all-terrain-vehicle, make sure you’re removing snow legally.  Check with your city officials before placing excess snow in roadways or sidewalks, to ensure you’re following their guidelines.
  
• Moving snow can be hard work.  Take breaks and make sure to give your body a rest.  Overworking yourself in cold weather can put extra strain on your heart.

Other Links

• Ready.gov has a great section on being prepared for winter and extreme cold 
• The Center for Disease Control has tips working safely outdoors during winter weather

Leave a comment and share how you’re preparing for or dealing with the colder weather.