Winter weather continues

March may be right around the corner, but winter weather is still taking center stage.  We continue to closely monitor the impacts of the severe winter storm that’s affected much of the Central and Southern Plains for the last few days.  As the storm system moves further east, forecasts from the National Weather Service are calling for snow, sleet, and rain to impact much of the East Coast this weekend.  If you are in the path of the storm, make sure to stay up to date on your latest forecast at weather.gov or at mobile.weather.gov on your phone, and visit Ready.gov for tips on getting prepared.

CAPTION: Current severe weather watches and warnings, courtesy of the National Weather Service.  This image updates automatically from weather.gov.

And if you or someone you know will be spending today or much of the weekend digging out from snow, remember to do so safely.  Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow and wear lots of warm layers of clothing!  Ready.gov/winter-weather has lots more winter safety tips for before, during, and after “Old Man Winter” blows your way.

Our favorite blog post of the week…

Comes from our friends at the Corporation for National and Community Service.  It’s a story about how FEMA Corps team leader Cassie Murray was able to help Hurricane Sandy survivors learn about disaster assistance by making time to listen.  Here’s a section of the blog post on Serve.gov:

Murray and her team were sent to New Jersey's Long Beach Island as part of the FEMA Community Relations team soon after the area reopened to residents. As she walked up to one home on the island, the resident saw her FEMA gear and declared, “I don't want you here, FEMA. I don't want to talk to you,” believing the agency had denied his assistance claim.

She convinced the man to show her a letter he received from FEMA and explained that it wasn't a rejection but a request for more information before the process could continue. At that point he told Murray that she needed to explain this to his neighbors, too.

Before she was done, Murray spent two hours explaining what the letters meant to a group of community residents and how they could get help. When she finished, one of the men listening put his hands on her shoulders and said, “I had no idea when I woke up today that an angel was going to walk through my door.”

The experience showed Murray the power of active listening and how important information is to people recovering from a disaster.

And if you’re not familiar with FEMA Corps, it’s a program run in cooperation with CNCS for young people between the ages of 18-24.  They serve a one-year term working directly to support those impacted by disasters.  (More on FEMA Corps)

Video of the week

A Mantoloking, N.J., homeowner took precautions 30 years ago and decided to build his home on pilings. Those measures helped his home withstand the surge from Hurricane Sandy.

Photos of the week

Oak Grove, Miss., Feb. 20, 2013 -- Oak Grove resident Erving Carr, sits in the remains of his home, thankful to have survived the EF-4 tornado. Mr. Carr and his wife survived without serious injury by hiding under the mattress in the bedroom. FEMA representatives are going door to door in these rural areas, offering assistance and information to help restore lives. Photo by Marilee Caliendo/FEMA

Petal, Miss., Feb. 18, 2013 -- Karrie Beardall, Disaster Recovery Center Manager, talks with an applicant and brings her a degree of comfort. FEMA's mission in a Recovery Center is not only to answer questions concerning applications, but to give survivors a place to talk with staff that cares and understands their stress. Photo by Marilee Caliendo/FEMA

Pledge to be ready for severe weather

We’re getting ready for National Severe Weather Preparedness Week - coming up on March 3-9.  Much of the emergency management community will be getting the word out about staying safe from the kinds of severe weather that impact their communities, whether the threats are tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, or wildfires.  You can also play an important role in spreading the message by taking the pledge to prepare at Ready.gov/pledge.  And if you’re looking for resources to use when reaching out those in your community about getting prepared, there is a great toolkit on Ready.gov/severe-weather under the “Talk About Severe Weather” tab with everything you’ll need.

New disaster-related data

Finally, I wanted to let you know about two new sources of information about FEMA’s response and recovery activity.  As part of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013, we are providing regular updates about:

• Mission assignment activity – FEMA uses mission assignments to task and reimburse other federal departments and agencies to provide direct assistance during emergencies and disasters.
• Daily Public Assistance grant awards activity – The President can make Public Assistance available through FEMA to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations (on a cost-sharing basis).

For more about our other data sources, visit fema.gov/data-feeds.

Have a safe weekend!

There has been some wacky weather in our neighborhood lately! One day it is cold and snowy, and the next day the weather is warm and stormy!   If you have seen our other blogs, you already know we’ve learned a lot about getting prepared for emergencies since coming to FEMA. Because the weather has been so unpredictable lately, we wanted to share some of the things we’ve done to get ready. 

Don’t forget, winter is only half over, and it will continue to be cold for a while.  We keep some winter things around at home and in the trunk of the car during these cold months – things like gloves, a hat & scarf, a flashlight, salt (to melt ice on walkways), an extra blanket, and extra water.

And whether your neighborhood resembles the chilly north pole or a warm and sunny Florida Beach, having a nifty weather radio is handy for any emergency.  Here is Stella with her radio – it can be powered by batteries, sunlight, and even by turning the crank around and around. A radio like this can be very useful if the power goes out, so be sure to have extra batteries ready for it -- just in case!

One thing we have been learning recently is that, as the outside temperatures increase, so do the chances for storms and tornadoes happening.  Those storms can be scary, but there are ways that every family can be better prepared if your areas has a stormy spring.  Think about what you and your family might need – even things for your pets like extra water, food, and medicines!

And if you are like us, you like playing games.  If the power is out, having some games around helps keep us kids busy with something we enjoy.  So double check that your favorite games are part of your family’s emergency kit, too.  Maybe you have a few of these!

Finally, we want you to know there are a lot of resources to help get ready for emergencies before they happen.  One of our favorite sites is Ready.gov/kids – there, you can find games, activities, and quizzes that will let you show what you know!  

And for parents, we recommend going to Ready.gov or m.fema.gov on your cell phone or tablet.  Here’s what m.fema.gov looks like, in case you haven’t been there, yet!

Stay safe!

Severe winter weather

As we head into the weekend, we continue to monitor the impacts of the winter storm affecting millions along the northeast and east coast of the U.S.  FEMA’s regional offices in Boston and New York City are working closely with state emergency management counterparts and have staff working alongside the states at each of their emergency operations centers.

We will continue to hold operational briefings with our regional and federal partners as the severe weather advances and as impacts are felt through the overnight hours into Saturday.  While FEMA stands ready to support its federal, state, local, and tribal partners, we want to make sure you, your family, and your business are taking the right steps to stay safe if you’re impacted by this serious winter storm.  A few reminders:

• Follow the direction of local officials – if they advise against traveling, please stay off the roads unless driving is absolutely necessary.  That way you’re staying safe while keeping the roads clear for snow plows, emergency crews, and first responders.  If you do need to travel, remember to pack some basic emergency supplies in your car, such as extra blankets, gloves, ice scraper, water, and a portable radio.
• Keep up with local conditions – the National Weather Service is how FEMA gets its information on severe weather conditions, and you can too. From your computer, visit weather.gov, or go to mobile.weather.gov from your phone. If you have a NOAA weather radio, tune in for the latest updates on severe weather in your area.  And finally, local radio and TV are normally good places to find information on what’s happening in your area.
• Have a plan in case the power goes out – in addition to heavy snowfall, National Weather Service forecasts are calling for high winds over a large area, which may cause power outages.  Make sure you have a plan to stay warm should the power go out.  Have extra blankets on hand, have an alternative place to go, and use the “buddy system” so you and your neighbors check on one another.  
• Check on friends, family, and neighbors – Even if you’re not in the path of this winter storm, you may know someone who is.  If so, send them a quick text, e-mail, or phone call to make sure they are OK and staying safe.

For more safety tips on staying safe during and after winter storms, visit Ready.gov from your computer or m.fema.gov from your mobile device.  

Photo of the week

CAPTION: Breezy Point, N.Y., Feb. 5, 2013 -- Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, Ms. Polly Trottenberg, visits the Disaster Recovery Center at Fort Tilden and gets a demonstration on assistive communications equipment. Several FEMA partners, including the Small Business Administration, Housing & Urban Development, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the US Post Office are stationed at Fort Tilden to provide one-stop assistance to residents affected by Hurricane Sandy and the fires at Breezy Point.

For more photos, visit our photo library.

Job openings

There are several job vacancies at FEMA, but I’d like to highlight the openings for our Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) pilot program.  IMATs are critical to the FEMA disaster workforce, capable of being on scene within hours of a disaster in support of our local, tribal, territorial, and state partners. The pilot program will create three new IMATs – two national teams in Sacramento, Ca. and Washington, D.C. and one new regional team in Oakland, Ca.  Openings are currently available in a variety of fields, including:  Operations Section Chief, Attorney Advisor, Situation Unit Leader, Documentation Unit Leader, External Affairs Officer, Disability Integration Manager, and Logistics Section Chief. 

Video of the week

A Connecticut homeowner discovers the installation of "engineered openings" or "engineered flood vents" saved his home from severe foundation damage during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy.  For more information about protecting your home against flood damage, check out this guide.

Have a safe weekend!

CAPTION: “Punxsutawney Phil” the groundhog with his official “handlers,” the residents of Punxsutawney who care for him year-round. (Photo courtesy of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Inc.)

It’s funny how a groundhog can make people think about being prepared for weather.

Here in Pennsylvania, where FEMA continues to partner with our Commonwealth and local partners on Hurricane Sandy recovery, a beloved American tradition will take place this weekend. On February 2, just a few minutes before 7:30 a.m., the world’s most famous groundhog, “Punxsutawney Phil,” will make his annual prognosis for spring. 

The belief is that if it is sunny when Phil emerges, he will see his shadow and retreat back to his hay bale. Supposedly, winter will last for six more weeks. If it is cloudy and Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive sooner.

This will be Phil’s 127^th celebrated appearance from the burrow where he lives at the peak of Gobbler’s Knob, a hilly patch of land located in the countryside about two miles east of Punxsutawney. Some believe that Phil is the same groundhog that has appeared there every year since fans made the first trek up the hill to watch for him in 1887. That would make Phil the world’s oldest groundhog. 

Regardless of who subscribes to the legend of Phil, weather watchers around the globe look to him for his perennial prediction. Thousands of enthusiasts are expected to travel to Punxsutawney, where a variety of Groundhog Day activities are planned.  Groundhog Day folklore reminds us to be ready for weather changes not just on Feb. 2, but all year. Whoever you turn to for your weather forecast, it is important to monitor upcoming changes closely.  

Preparedness information is available online at www.Ready.gov. Ideas and reminders posted to the Ready website include:   

• Learn how to send updates via text and Internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available;
• Store your important documents, such as personal and financial records, in a secure and remote area, or put them on a flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere; and
• Download the Emergency Family Readiness Plan to create an “Emergency Information Document.”

Additionally, PEMA and FEMA also provide helpful preparedness information online.

This year, Groundhog Day occurs at the end of two full weeks of Hurricane Sandy Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation applicant briefings in Pennsylvania. At the briefings, applicants met with specialists from FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) to determine which recovery expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the Public Assistance program.

To be eligible for federal Public Assistance, applicants must show that their project is required as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy during the period from October 26 to November 8, 2012. Public Assistance funding may cover costs incurred to return elements of the infrastructure as close to their pre-disaster condition as possible. Expenses may include costs for work such as debris removal and repair or replacement of damaged roads, bridges and other public components. Applicants typically include such organizations as school districts; volunteer fire fighter organizations; sewer authorities; emergency management offices; and regional police departments.

CAPTION: Middletown Township, Penn. -- FEMA Public Assistance Specialist Jim Teats (left); PEMA Public Assistance Specialist Rick Weiberg (center); and Middletown Township Fire Marshall Jim McGuire assess Hurricane Sandy damage in Dauphin County on Nov. 7, 2012. Photo by George Armstrong/FEMA

PEMA and FEMA have been partnering on Hurricane Sandy-related activity since October 29, which is when President Obama signed a major emergency declaration for the Commonwealth.

I look forward to sharing more information in the coming months as we continue to work on Hurricane Sandy recovery here in Pennsylvania.