FEMA Blog

At the end of each week, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend. 
 
Courtesy of the National Weather Service. The colors on this map displays active watch, warnings, advisories and short term forecasts in the lower 48 US states. This map is automatically refreshed by the National Weather Service. 

Wildfires, warmer temperatures, and droughts
We are closely monitoring the ongoing wildfires in several Rocky Mountain and southwest states, working with our state, local and tribal partners to ensure they have the support they need in fighting the fires. The National Weather Service forecast centers are calling for warmer temperatures and drought conditions to continue in states such as Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, while the Southeast continues to go through a dry spell as well. As you are out and about this weekend, remember to keep flammable items away from dry foliage and vegetation to cut down on the risk of starting a fire.

New director of the National Hurricane Center
Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Dr. Rick Knabb will be the next director of the National Hurricane Center, succeeding outgoing Director Bill Read. Administrator Fugate released this statement on the appointment:

Dr. Rick Knabb’s selection as the next Director of the National Hurricane Center showcases the continued coordination and partnership that FEMA has enjoyed with outgoing Director Bill Read. The Hurricane Center has always been a steadfast partner in promoting a message of preparedness while tracking tropical storms and hurricanes and informing the public on their impact. As everyone here at FEMA wishes Bill the best in his new endeavors, we welcome the new partnership with Rick. As we approach the beginning of the Hurricane Season on June 1st, I’m confident that the employees of FEMA and the new leadership and staff at the Hurricane Center will continue to serve the nation well.

Check out NOAA’s website for more on the appointment.

Joplin tornado one-year anniversary approaches
Next week, May 22, will mark one year since a deadly tornado swept through Joplin, Mo. We continue to support individuals, families, and the community affected by the terrible storm – and the recovery continues to be led by those at the local level. This past week, FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino hosted a call (as part of our monthly FEMA Think Tank series) with civic leaders from Joplin to discuss the ongoing recovery efforts. As the nation continues to reflect on this deadly tornado, we hope the many news stories will serve as a reminder of the importance of getting your family, home, or business prepared before a disaster strikes.

While we cannot control where or when tornadoes will occur, we can all take steps now to lessen their impact on our lives. For more on getting prepared before tornadoes or severe thunderstorms, visit www.Ready.gov/tornadoes.

President Barack Obama proclaimed May as National Building Safety Month, recognizing the key role safe building codes and standards play in the fight against loss of life and catastrophic damage caused by disasters.

Building Safety Month highlights the importance of resilient building, to save energy, protect the environment, and lessen the effects of disasters. During this month of building safety awareness, we want to emphasize our commitment to support communities in their efforts to build stronger and safer, now and all year long. FEMA, in consultation and coordination with building science experts, encourages construction that can lessen the damaging effects of disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding.

Here are a few examples of how we encourage better building:

• We work with organizations, like the International Code Council, and state and local building officials to help develop, and encourage the adoption of disaster-resistant building codes and standards. These standards, when adopted, will lead to the construction of buildings that can help reduce damages and protect lives.
• FEMA, through our Building Science Branch, works with scientists and design professionals from federal, state, territorial, local, non-profit, tribal and private sector organizations to assess disaster damages, capture research results, and develop technical guidance for building stronger and safer. This guidance focuses on both construction and retrofitting of existing buildings. We also provide technical guidance to disaster affected areas through workshops, in-person meetings, and other outreach events.
• Most recently, we published the Mitigation Assessment Team Tornado Report this month, which was developed in response to the tornadoes that impacted the Southeast and Mid-Western Regions in the spring of 2011. Following these tragic events, we sent out investigative teams to evaluate the damages and to look at the resilience of the structures left standing. These teams documented the observations and conclusions of these events and developed recommendations for improvements in building design, construction, code development and enforcement and materials. Additionally, they documented mitigation activities that increased resiliency and aided new construction and post-disaster building repair and recovery. 

Our interest in building safety covers a wide range of natural and technological hazards including wind, earthquake and even flood. Through the National Flood Insurance Program, FEMA helps communities and individuals make informed decisions about where and how to build buildings to make them flood resilient.

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tornados, snow storms, wildfires and others will still occur; however, FEMA and our partner’s efforts to build stronger and safer are helping communities and citizens across the nation prepare for, withstand, and recover from disasters.

Visit fema.gov or the Building Safety Month Website for additional information and resources and learn simple steps you can take today to better prepare their home or business property for a disaster.

Many of our blog posts tend to throw a lot of information out there about how you can get prepared for emergencies. But for today, we just wanted to post cute photos of how pets can make sure they’re prepared before disasters strike, too. Hurricane season begins June 1, so now is a great time to make sure your family (and pets) have an emergency plan and have extra supplies. And even if you don’t live in a hurricane prone area, getting prepared for the risks in your area could help keep your family safe, reduce the stress during an emergency, and give you peace of mind.

And now, to the photos:

This is Hermes. He printed out this brochure from Ready.gov and is learning how to stay safe after an emergency.



Here’s Betty. She lives in California and made sure a pet life jacket was included in her owners’ emergency supply kit.



Jonas has waterproof gear in case a severe storm or flood should happen – useful to add to any pet (or human) emergency supply kit.



Pets are part of your family, too. Make sure you have a plan for taking care of them after an emergency and have extra food, water & pet medications in your emergency kit. Get more information about preparing your animals (and other family members) at Ready.gov.

Muchos de nuestros mensajes en el blog tienen mucha información sobre la preparación de emergencias. Peros hoy, queremos publicas unas fotos hermosas sobre como podemos garantizar que nuestras mascotas están preparadas antes de que el desastre ocurra. La temporada de huracanes comienza el primero de junio por lo que ahora es el momento de estar seguros de que su familia y mascotas tienen un plan de emergencias y suministros adicionales. Aunque no viva en un área propensa a huracanes el estar preparados para todos los riesgos ayuda a mantener a su familia segura, reducir la tensión durante emergencias y puede estar tranquilo.

Y ahora, a ver las fotos:

Este es Hermes. El imprimió el folleto para propietarios de mascotas de listo.gov y esta aprendiendo a como estar seguro después de una emergencia.



Esta es Betty. Ella vive en California y se aseguro de que su chaleco de salvavidas fue incluido en el equipo de emergencias de sus dueños.



Jonas tiene ropa impermeable por si ocurren tormentas severas o inundaciones- útil para que sea incluido en el equipo de emergencia de las mascotas o personas.



Las mascotas son parte de la familia. Asegúrese de tener un plan para cuidarlos después de emergencias y tener comida, agua y medicinas en el equipo de emergencias. Puede obtener más información sobre la preparación de mascotas y miembros de la familia en listo.gov.

It’s the middle of the week, “Hump Day” and most of us have begun the countdown until the weekend. Maybe your weekend plans include staying home to get some much needed R&R. Or maybe you are looking forward to going to a nearby park or to spending time with family.

If your weekend plans include taking a drive in your car or truck, take a minute during the rest of this week to make sure you have supplies in case an emergency should happen. Having emergency supplies in your vehicle could prove useful in situations ranging from popping a tire to being caught in a sudden flash flood. So take a quick inventory of the supplies in your car or truck and make sure it’s ready for wherever your weekend plan may take you.



For more tips on building your vehicle’s emergency kit, visit Ready.gov.

Es la mitad de la semana y muchos de nosotros comenzaron la cuenta atrás hasta el fin de semana. Puede que sus planes de fin de semana sean quedarse en casa y descansar o ir a un parque cercano para pasar tiempo con la familia. Si sus planes de fin de semana incluyen viajar en su auto o camión, tome unos minutos para garantizar que tiene los suministros necesarios en caso de que una emergencia ocurra. Tener suministros de emergencia en su auto puede ser útil en caso de que se rompa un neumático o este atrapado en una inundación repentina. Haga un inventario de lo que tiene en su automóvil o camión y asegúrese de estar listo ante cualquier situación en donde sea su destino para el fin de semana.



Para mas consejos sobre la preparación de un equipo de emergencias para su auto visite www.listo.gov.

Weather Outlook
It looks like most of the nation will enjoy relatively nice weather this weekend as we celebrate Mother’s Day. Although there are no significant weather hazards at this time, NOAA forecasts below normal temperatures across the Northwest Coast and parts of the interior West Coast.

Additionally, heavy rain is expected across the interior Southeast and Central Gulf Coast with significant river flooding likely across parts of Southeast South Dakota. Here are some safety tips and flood terms to remember if heavy rain or flooding is expected in your area:

• Flood Watch: Flooding is possible. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information. 
• Flash Flood Watch: Flash flooding is possible. Be prepared to move to higher ground; listen to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information. 
• Flood Warning: Flooding is occurring or will occur soon; if advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Flash Flood Warning: A flash flood is occurring; seek higher ground on foot immediately. 
• Avoid walking or driving through flooded areas – it only takes six inches of fast-moving flood water to knock over an adult and two feet to move a vehicle. 
• Be aware that flash flooding can occur. If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move immediately to higher ground. Do not wait for instructions to move.

Visit www.ready.gov/floods for more tips and information on floods.

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

May Think Tank Call
Deputy Administrator Rich Serino will host the May Think Tank conference call next Tuesday, May 15 at 2:00 p.m. EDT from Joplin, Mo. The call will focus on recovery and how we can better plan pre-disaster to allow for a more rapid, cost effective, sustainable and resilient recovery following a disaster.

Here is the call-in information:

• Date: Tuesday, May 15 
• Time: 2 - 4 p.m. EDT 
• Call-In Number: 800-593-0692 
• Pass Code: Think Tank May 
• Captioning for the event 
• Twitter: #femathinktank

We hope you can join us for this month’s call. Visit www.fema.gov/thinktank for more information.

What Mom Really Wants this Mother’s Day
For all you last minute shoppers still looking for the perfect gift to give your mom, grandmother or any other special person for Mother’s Day, why not give a gift of preparedness? In addition to buying a more traditional gift like flowers, jewelry or a gift card to their favorite store, add a flashlight with extra batteries or a cell phone charger for her car. These little gifts can motivate your loved ones to get prepared -- if they aren’t already.

Visit www.ready.gov for more creative gift ideas and in case you missed it, here’s a few Words from Mom on the importance of being prepared.

Have a safe weekend and Happy Mother’s Day!

Editor’s Note: The views expressed by Mindy Kelley do not necessarily represent the official views of the United States, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA does not endorse any non-government organizations, entities, or services.

What do I want this Mother’s Day? I want to know that my kids are safe and happy. It may sound cliché, but if you’re a parent, you understand. And while I can’t ensure my children’s happiness, I can make them just a little bit safer by helping them prepare for a potential emergency.

One Christmas, I gave both of my daughters NOAA Weather Radios. I thought it was so cool that you don’t even need batteries or electricity to you use it – you can power it up with a hand crank. Did you know that? You can also program it to turn on and provide only certain warnings. Since my daughters no longer live with us, I also bought one for myself and my husband.

We didn’t plan preparedness as a theme, but one of my daughters gave me a waterproof flashlight the same year. She was excited to show me how the hot pink flashlight could light up or blink as a lantern as well. Our family never called this “preparedness” until we read about it at ready.gov. I just knew it was a good idea to have a few supplies in case we lose electricity or if it isn’t safe to leave the house for some reason. These aren’t fun scenarios to think about, but we try to make it fun by finding gifts like these.

We learned from our experiences with a big ice storm we had in southern Virginia in 1998, and also during Hurricane Isabel in 2003. It may not happen often, but sometimes we have to manage without electricity for days. We used to light candles, but we’ve since switched to flashlights and battery-powered lanterns to be on the safe side. In the classroom, I encourage my students to learn from their experiences, too – like trials in the scientific method. Once you’ve survived a disaster, you can learn how to better prepare yourself for next time. But it’s better to think about these hypothetical situations before they happen!

I always tell my kids to have a plan, and also to have a “plan B.” It’s important that you know where your family is in a disaster, so we’ve all agreed to meet at our local church. We haven’t written it down yet, but that’s something I can ask for this Mother’s Day. My daughter who lives out of town learned after the earthquake last August that sometimes you can’t make a cell phone call, so we’re keeping in mind other methods such as emailing and texting to let each other know that we are safe.

So this Mother’s Day, I wouldn’t mind getting a new flashlight. Okay, maybe that and 18 holes of golf. Being ready for a potential disaster isn’t the only important thing in life, but it sure is an easy way to help keep your loved ones safe. Happy Mother’s Day.

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster to affect every state across the country. Flooding is so common, in fact, that Congress authorized the creation of the National Flood Insurance Program, under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to lessen the financial impact of flood disasters on individuals, business, and all levels of government. That authorization is set to expire next month, on May 31, and only Congress can provide the authority for continued funding of the program.

If Congress fails to reauthorize the NFIP beyond May 31, many individuals, families, businesses and local communities will find themselves left vulnerable to the devastating effects of flooding, because, the NFIP will be unable to issue new policies, renew existing policies, or increase coverage on existing policies.

Here are a few examples of how this can impact you:

• If you are a property owner in a high risk flood area, who would normally be required to purchase flood insurance in order to purchase your home, you would be unable to obtain affordable flood insurance. The National Association of REALTORS estimates that a lapse in authorization jeopardizes an estimated 1,300 sales each day, or about 40,000 mortgage closings per month.

If you have an existing policy and continue paying your premiums, you can file a claim for flood-related damages and it will be processed. Claims for new policies, or policy renewals, where the policies were received and held by your insurance company during the lapse will not be paid until Congress reauthorizes the NFIP. In this instance, your insurance company can still investigate your claim under a “non-waiver” agreement, up to the point of payment. Under a “non-waiver” agreement, your insurance company may not pay your claim if Congress does not reauthorize the NFIP to pay claims during the period of lapse.

• In addition, if the NFIP experiences a lapse in authorization, the cash flow into the program from premiums will diminish, and the NFIP may have to halt payment of your claim if you have recently experienced flooding. 
• If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner and you are unable to purchase NFIP flood insurance, or renew your existing policies, and are impacted by flooding, you may need to look to the services and recovery support provided by voluntary and faith based organizations, state and local governments, and possibly even to federal assistance programs in their recovery, such as the Small Business Administration, who can offer low interest loans, or FEMA’s Individuals and Households program, which can provided very limited assistance in the form of grants.

The NFIP identifies areas of flood risk; it encourages communities to implement measures to mitigate against the risk of flood loss; and it provides financial assistance to help individuals recover rapidly from flooding disasters. However, in recent years, a series of short-term reauthorizations and temporary suspensions of the NFIP have eroded confidence in the program among citizens and stakeholders, including state governments, tribal governments, local communities, individual policyholders, mortgage lenders, and the private insurance industry. To the individuals and business owners who live in an area with flood risk, have an upcoming mortgage closing that requires the purchase of flood insurance, and you need affordable flood insurance coverage, we urge you to apply for flood insurance immediately. It many instances, it takes 30 days for a flood insurance policy to take effect, and it must occur while the program is authorized.

Every year, to mark Public Service Recognition Week, hundreds of candidates are nominated for Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as the SAMMIEs. These awards acknowledge America's dedicated federal workforce and highlights those who have made significant contributions to our country. Honorees are chosen based on their commitment and innovation, as well as the impact of their work on addressing the needs of the nation.

I am pleased to announce that Dan Stoneking, FEMA’s Director of the Private Sector Division, has been selected as a finalist for the 2012 Service to America Medal. Finalists for the award are outstanding federal workers who are making high-impact contributions critical to the health, safety and well-being of Americans.

Washington, D.C., May 9, 2012 -- Dan Stoneking, Director of the Private Sector Division, receives recognition for his nomination for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal.

This nomination recognizes the accomplishments of the Private Sector Division and the importance of developing close working relationships and partnerships, in line with the Whole Community approach to emergency management. As I have emphasized many times, including most recently at the National Hurricane Conference this past March, I believe it is very important to give the private sector a seat at the table in the work that we do on a daily basis. When we look at the disasters last year, the unreported story was how the private sector was a part of the recovery team. The sooner private businesses and government-backed infrastructure get up and running, the sooner communities will recover.

My hat goes off to Dan, Dan’s team, and all who work to develop partnerships between government and the private sector. Their contributions are vital to forming unique partnerships to galvanize participation in the planning, response and relief efforts for communities struck by tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters. This nomination is exceptionally rewarding because the nomination was prepared and submitted from a member of the private sector and not from a government colleague.

Here’s an excerpt from the nomination:

When tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes strike communities throughout the United States, federal, state and local teams immediately rush to the scene to provide emergency aid and to assist in recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Often missing from the equation has been the full integration of the private sector into the government’s disaster planning and response—a limitation that Dan Stoneking of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been systematically addressing.

As head of FEMA’s Private Sector Division, Stoneking has been instrumental in linking the government and the private sector—trade associations, corporations, academia and non-governmental organizations—as partners in emergency preparedness and disaster assistance.

Under Stoneking’s leadership, a national team of private sector liaisons have maintained communication with FEMA during disasters to determine the damage to private facilities, what resources are needed and what capabilities the private sector can contribute to the relief effort. They have provided FEMA and local emergency officials with situational awareness about utilities, communications, medical facilities, the availability of food and supplies, the condition of roads and transportation networks and other critical issues.

Read the entire nomination to see the other finalists.

Of his nomination, Dan acknowledges this award as a team recognition and included the DHS, FEMA and U.S. Northern Command Private Sector teams, which have made significant accomplishments working together.

Finalists will come together in Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony and gala in September when medal recipients will be announced. I congratulate Dan Stoneking and his team for this great achievement along with all nominees and finalists.