FEMA Blog

Posted by: Public Affairs

Every Friday, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Emergency Alert System Test Next Week
The first nationwide Emergency Alert System test is next week- Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. EST. As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts the test will be conducted on all TV and radio stations and will last approximately 30 seconds. During this time an audio message will run, similar to local emergency systems test that happen more frequently. After the test, your regular scheduled programming will resume.

Visit www.fema.gov/eastest for complete information about the test and to learn what to expect. Please share information about the test with family and friends and help us spread the word, including embedding this widget on your website:



<iframe width="220" height="360" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" frameborder="0" src="http://www.fema.gov/help/widgets/eastest.html" title="Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System">

Winter Months Getting Closer; Get Prepared


Ellington, Conn., November 4, 2011 -- FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino checks on the pets that are part of a shelter in Connecticut. Several communities are still without power following last weeks severe winter storm that impacted many states in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

As we mentioned in a blog post yesterday, we continue to support response efforts in states that were impacted from the severe storms that affected the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern region last weekend. As response and power restoration efforts continue, we remain in close contact with our state, local and tribal partners in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Today, Deputy Administrator Rich Serino visited with local officials and survivors in Connecticut and New Hampshire, visiting areas impacted by last weekend’s nor'easter storm.

With the winter months coming, there is no better time to prepare for the season than now. You can learn more at Ready.gov/winter – but to get you started, here are some steps you can take this weekend to get prepared:

• Be sure to update your family's emergency supply kit and add items such as rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways, snow shovels, extra blankets, and appropriate clothing (i.e., hat, gloves, and scarf).
• Have an emergency kit in your car, in the event you are stranded by a blizzard or traffic jam. Be sure to include items you would need to stay warm and comfortable for at least 72 hours.
• Know what to do if the power goes out. Winter storms can also cause power outages, so make sure you take precautions to get prepared.
• Know how you will stay informed if severe weather strikes. A NOAA weather radio is a great way to stay informed of severe weather in your area, as well as local news sources. Including a battery-powered or hand-crank radio in your emergency kit, and bookmarking useful sites on your smartphone (like http://m.fema.gov and http://mobile.weather.gov) are great steps to take as well. (And if you have an Android or Apple mobile device, you can download the FEMA app to use the interactive emergency kit checklist or lookup a shelter or disaster recovery center.)

Turn Your Clocks Back & Check Your Smoke Alarms

It’s that time of year again - the clocks will be “falling back” this weekend. This Sunday when you set your clocks back an hour, it’s a great time to test the smoke alarms in your home. Having working smoke alarms can significantly increase the chances that you or a loved one survives a home fire, so we encourage you to take these simple steps to maintain the smoke alarms in your home:

• Test and clean your smoke alarms this weekend and on the first of every month,
• Replace the batteries at least once a year,
• Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence and in every bedroom,
• Check the manufacture/expiration date on the smoke alarm.

For more information on maintaining your smoke alarms and fire sprinklers, visit the U.S. Fire Administration website. And visit Ready.gov/fires to get learn how you can prepare your home/family to prevent home fires.