FEMA Blog

It’s the beginning of a New Year and we are excited so many of you have taken part in our January activities. Two weeks ago we honored the Individual and Community Preparedness Award winners as Champions of Change at the White House and last week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Citizen Corps Program. As we continue to promote what you do, we also want to provide you with new resources, so I am proud to say the Individual and Community Preparedness Division (ICPD) hosted one of the most highly attended Community Preparedness Webinar Series webinars on record.

More than 1,800 individuals registered for the FREE Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) webinar. Every state within the U.S. was represented and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate even stopped by to say a few words. He talked about the importance of these new CERT tools and resources for CERT volunteers, local program managers and those wishing to start a CERT program in their own locality.

The webinar highlighted new, accessible versions of the CERT Basic Training Course, recently made available in Spanish, low vision and in screen reader. These materials serve to expand the reach of CERT into the Whole Community in terms of preparedness.

CERT National Office Director Rachel Jacky, presented on the new CERT Program Manager and CERT Train-the-Trainer Courses. The program manager course helps prepare current and prospective CERT managers/coordinators to create and sustain an active CERT program, while the train-the-trainer course provides a standard curriculum for states, regions and the Emergency Management Institute to train CERT instructors.

For all of those who participated, thank you for your continued support. For those who were not able to participate, you can view the webinar and find the recording here.

Remember, Community Preparedness Starts with YOU!

Find us on twitter and make sure to sign up for our FREE weekly news digest. Stay in touch and receive updates such as the ones below:

• Join us for the next monthly Ready call on Tuesday, February 7, at 3:00 ET/2:00 CT/1:00 MT/Noon PT.

• Join your colleagues in viewing, contributing, and commenting on conversations about emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery, and other emergency management topics. Don’t miss out – check out FEMA’s online community today -- it’s where ideas come to life!

Visit the CERT website to find your nearest CERT program.

Es el comienzo de un nuevo año y estamos muy contentos de que muchas personas han participado de nuestras actividades de enero. Hace dos semanas pudimos honrar loa ganadores del Premio de Preparación Individual y Comunitaria en Campeones de Cambio de la Casa Blanca. La semana pasada celebramos el décimo aniversario del Programa de Cuerpo de Ciudadanos. Mientras promovemos lo que estas haciendo, también queremos proporcionarle con los nuevos recursos. Estamos orgullosos de informar que la División de Preparación Individual y Comunitaria (ICPD, por sus siglas en inglés) organizó uno de los seminarios más atendidos de Preparación Comunitaria en Internet.

Más de 1,800 individuos se inscribieron gratis en el seminario en Internet del Equipo de Respuesta de Emergencia de la Comunidad (CERT, por sus siglas en ingles). Cada estado de los Estados Unidos estuvo representado y el Administrador de FEMA, Craig Fugate dijo unas palabras. El Administrador habló sobre la importancia de las nuevas herramientas de CERT y los recursos para los voluntarios de CERT, gerentes de programas locales y para todos los que desean comenzar un programa de CERT en su área.

El seminario de Internet tiene versiones nuevas del Curso de Capacitación Básica de CERT, esta disponible en Español, para personas con poca visión y lector de pantalla. Estos materiales ayudan a que el Programa de CERT cubra a toda la comunidad en términos de preparación.


La Directora Nacional de CERT Rachel Jacky, presentó los nuevos Cursos para los Gerentes de Programas de CERT y Capacitación del capacitador de CERT. El curso para el gerente de programas ayuda en la preparación de posibles gerentes y coordinadores de CERT para crear y sostener un programa activo de CERT, mientras el curso de capacitación para el capacitador provee un currículo estandarizado para los estados, regiones e Institutos de Manejo de Emergencias para que puedan capacitar a instructores.

Gracias a todos los que han participado por su continuo apoyo. Para los que no han podido participar, pueden ver el seminario y encontrar la grabación aquí.

Recuerde que la preparación de la comunidad comienza con usted.


Búscanos en twitter y asegúrese de inscribirse gratis, para recibir nuestras noticias semanales. Manténgase en comunicación y recibirás actualizaciones tales como las siguientes:

• Únase a sus colaboradores para ver, contribuir y hacer comentarios en las conversaciones sobre preparación para emergencias, respuesta y recuperación de desastres y otros asuntos de manejo de emergencias. No se lo pierda busque en Internet la comunidad de FEMA hoy, donde las ideas se convierten en realidad.

Posted By: Deborah Ingram, Assistant Administrator, Recovery Directorate

To kick off the New Year, we hosted the second and third National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) Stakeholder Forums in Kansas and Utah. Both NDRF Stakeholder Forums received excellent participation and continued the development, collaboration, and implementation of the key concepts of the NDRF, which was launched in September 2010. The first forum was held in New Orleans in December 2011.

Nearly 300 stakeholders participated in the forum in Kansas and more than 250 leaders attended the forum in Utah. In Salt Lake City, UT we partnered with the Utah Emergency Management Association's annual conference and the participation of such a broad audience furthered the discussion on how the key concepts of the NDRF can be used to not only drive recovery efforts in a community after a disaster, but also through pre-disaster recovery planning.

The NDRF is a tool that outlines how disaster recovery is supported and organized across the nation, and builds on scalable, flexible, and adaptable coordinating structures to align key roles and responsibilities, linking state, local, tribal and territorial governments, the federal government, private sector, individuals, and voluntary, faith-based, disability and community organizations – all who play vital roles in community-based recovery.

The NDRF Stakeholder Forums provide a valuable opportunity for us to engage communities and to listen to our partners in their home states and home towns. In every forum we affirm the principles of the NDRF and use input from the community and stakeholders to find innovative ways to support successful recovery, and to increase community resiliency and sustainability.

Additional forums are scheduled in Harrisburg, PA on January 31st and in Boston, MA on February 2nd. Visit our NDRF web page for further information and a list of the remaining upcoming NDRF Stakeholder Forums.

Just a reminder to everyone that FEMA does not provide emergency alerts (emergency, weather or otherwise) as this is a local responsibility. So we’re asking everyone to beware of phishing emails or websites claiming to provide official FEMA information or FEMA emergency alerts, as these sites are not operated by FEMA and can be harmful to your personal information or computer. If you are wondering how you can receive legitimate weather alerts, check out our blog post for a great list of weather alert sources.

Here’s a short blurb to explain phishing, not to be confused with fishing in a river or lake:

What is Phishing?
Phishing is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques. Phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual. These emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent web site that appears legitimate. The user then may be asked to provide personal information such as account usernames and passwords that can further expose them to future compromises. Additionally, these fraudulent web sites may contain malicious code.

For more information on phishing visit U.S. CERT.

Also, the agency’s official website is fema.gov (notice the dot gov ending) and we created a page that has a complete list of all official FEMA channels (social media sites, collaboration forums, smartphone apps, text message programs, etc) for transparency and clarity.

If you are ever unsure whether or not a website is an official FEMA website and you can’t find any information about it on fema.gov, please send an email to FEMA-New-Media@dhs.gov and the team will get back to you.

Esto es un recordatorio para todos, de que FEMA no provee alertas de emergencias (emergencias, meteorología o de otro tipo) ya que es una responsabilidad del gobierno local. Por lo tanto, le instamos a tener cuidado con los correos electrónicos de “phishing” o de sitios de Internet que dicen ofrecer información oficial de FEMA o alertas de emergencias de FEMA, ya que estos no son sitios manejados por FEMA y pueden ser perjudiciales a su información personal o computadora. Si se esta preguntando cómo puede recibir alertas meteorológicas legitimas, verifique nuestro mensaje de blog sobre las mejores fuentes de información de avisos meteorológicos.

Le proporcionamos una breve reseña para explicar “phishing”, para no confundirlo con ‘fishing” que es ir a pescar a un rio o lago:

“Phishing” es el intento de un individuo o grupo de solicitar información personal de usuarios desprevenidos al utilizar técnicas de ingeniería social. Los correos electrónicos de “phishing” están diseñados para aparecer como si fueran enviados de una compañía legítima o persona conocida. Frecuentemente estos correos electrónicos intentan que el usuario seleccione un enlace de un sitio de Internet fraudulento que parece legítimo. Después, puede que le pregunten al usuario que proporcione información, como el nombre y contraseña de cuentas, el cual le puede exponer a futuros compromisos no deseados. Además, estos sitios de Internet fraudulentos pueden contener códigos maliciosos.

Para más información sobre “phishing” visite U.S. CERT.

También, el sitio oficial de FEMA es www.fema.gov (en inglés) y www.fema.gov/esp en español (vea la terminación de punto gov). Tenemos una página con la lista de todos los medios sociales de FEMA (sitios de medios sociales, foros de colaboración, aplicaciones para los teléfonos inteligentes, programas de mensajes de texto, entre otros) para transparencia y claridad.

Si no esta seguro de que el sitio de Internet es un sitio oficial de FEMA y no puede encontrar la información que esta buscando en www.fema.gov/esp, envié un correo electrónico a FEMA-New-Media@dhs.gov y el equipo se comunicará con usted.

The Alabama town of Maplesville has a success story on its hands – one big enough to draw a visit from the governor.

Following Hurricane Ivan in 2005, Maplesville decided to build a community storm shelter because of its long history of storms. The town joined up with the Chilton County Emergency Management Agency and the Chilton County Commission and worked on a 5-year plan that ended with Maplesville receiving a storm shelter.

FEMA and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency helped the town fund it with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program money. The 2005 grant provided just more than $48,000 of the nearly $70,000 total project cost as the 60-person-capacity steel shelter went up not far from the town fire station. It opened in November 2007.




The shelter has been used successfully many times, including the historic storms and tornadoes that hammered Alabama in April 2011. Following that federally declared disaster, one of the worst to hit the state, Governor Bentley vowed to make more safe rooms the legacy of that disaster.

The most recent proof of the value of the shelter came just a few days ago when severe storms and tornadoes raked parts of Alabama, including Maplesville. Well over 100 people – some coming from as far away as five miles – gathered inside that shelter to escape the storm. While the storm raged, two trees fell on the shelter – one of them a foot in diameter. Despite cosmetic damage to the shelter, no one inside reported any injuries.




Governor Bentley held a news conference in front of the virtually unaffected shelter, stating "You can see the result and how lives can be saved by having these all over the state."

Christine Epperson, a volunteer firefighter and assistant Emergency Medical Services chief commented, "My first thought is always to open the safe room. These people are my family, my life and I want to help protect them."

Following a disaster, hazard mitigation grants make funds available to states and communities to do work that will make structures and infrastructure more resistant for the next disaster. In this case, as Maplesville Mayor Aubrey Latham put it, "The shelter did what it was supposed to do."

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.

Weather Outlook
It looks like most of the country will be able to enjoy relatively nice weather this weekend! According to the National Weather Service, there are not any severe weather hazards expected over the next several days. However, the NWS expects drought conditions to continue throughout parts of the South and Great Plains regions and some flooding in parts of the Northwest.

Although there are no severe weather threats, we encourage you to follow your area’s local forecast as weather conditions can change. Stay up-to-date on your local forecast by visiting weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your mobile device.

Save the Date: Administrator Fugate Keynotes Tech @ State (February 3)
Next Friday, February 3, Administrator Fugate will be the keynote speaker at "Tech @ State." The event will be held at George Washington University in Washington D.C.   Here’s some background information on the event:

Tech@State: Real-Time Awareness will focus on how to use the vast amount of data generated by social media and other internet technologies to deliver real-time awareness.  Specifically, we will be examining the range of challenges that exist when trying to create real-time awareness, especially in the context of breaking news or events, crisis response and citizen engagement.   We’ll discuss questions like:  Which data feeds are the most reliable?  What is the best way to filter the data?  How should the data be analyzed?  What’s the best way to convey the information to the user?  What do citizens expect when they use social media to communicate with governments?

Visit http://tech.state.gov for registration information, and if you’re on Twitter, follow @techATstate and contribute to the conversation by using #techATstate.


Save the Date: The Great Central Shakeout (February 7)
On February 7 at 10:15 a.m. Central time, millions of Americans will stop what they’re doing to participate in an earthquake drill and "Drop. Cover. Hold on." Signup today to participate and then check out Ready.gov/earthquakes to learn how you can prepare your home, workplace or school for an earthquake.



Picture of the Week
While touring damage in Jefferson County, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley visited the FEMA-funded Maplesville community storm shelter that housed more than 100 people who emerged uninjured following high winds and tornadoes that tore through the region in the early morning hours of Jan. 23. The governor was accompanied by (from left) by State Rep. Kurt Wallace and State Sen. Cam Ward.

Last week I was able to pay a second visit to our Joint Field Office in Joplin, Missouri. My first trip to Joplin was back in July, about five weeks after the devastating EF-5 tornado struck the city. I spent much of my youth south of Joplin in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so I am no stranger to the effects of tornadoes. Despite this experience, I was struck by the destruction Joplin suffered from the May tornado. Fatalities numbered 161, hundreds were injured, and more than 7,500 structures were damaged and another 4,000 completely destroyed. About one-third of the city of 45,000 was totally flattened.

During my first visit I was extremely impressed with the partnerships and professionalism that were driving the first weeks of the recovery. The leadership of city officials and the high levels of engagement by dozens of volunteer agencies and the private sector were impressive. I was struck by the Expedited Debris Removal Program and how the many hours of back-breaking work by volunteers allowed for debris to be cleared facilitating the re-building of homes and businesses in the impacted areas. In addition to the obvious physical signs of the early recovery, there was a feeling of optimism and resilience in everyone I met, from the City Manager, to the wait staff in restaurants, and people on the streets, I got the feeling that “here is a community that will come back better and more resilient than ever…”.

On my recent visit, I was deeply impressed by the progress that has been made in the six months since I was in Joplin. The more I thought about how so much had been done to recover, the concepts of the whole community approach to responding to and recovering from disasters that we have been espousing in presentations around the country jumped out at me. The folks of Joplin, working with volunteer agencies, and individual volunteers, the private sector, supported by state and federal government, were making the “new normal” for their city a reality.

Debris (1.2 million cubic yards) had been cleared within 75 days to facilitate rebuilding (over 3,600 building permits issued), over $17 million had been made in donations to support debris removal not eligible for government reimbursement, 117,000 volunteers from around the country had come to assist in rebuilding homes and providing a wide range of assistance. Mark Rohr, the City Manager, has stated that, “recent numbers released by the Building Department have indicated that approximately 50% of the homes destroyed by the tornado are already under permit for repairs or reconstruction. In my mind, this is a surprisingly positive and bodes well for Joplin’s future”.



The major hospital that had been totally destroyed, but its capabilities to serve the community had been replaced by a temporary hospital and a 102 bed interim hospital is under construction. The promise of city officials to have facilities ready for children to return to classes in August had been met through Herculean efforts by government and the private sector. Five schools had been destroyed and six damaged. To assist, our Agency provided 167 temporary classrooms and 67 temporary safe rooms. While these contributed to building classroom capacity, former big box stores were re-configured into temporary schools, private companies provided classroom supplies and the United Arab Emirates contributed computer systems. Thousands of families had lost their homes. When I visited in July there were no available hotel rooms. Now, rental units have been found for families, and almost 600 temporary housing units were provided by our team. In July I walked on open fields owned by the city, there are now over 337 families living in communities created on those sites. There are also some empty spaces in which the units occupied by 74 families are no longer needed as they have permanent housing solutions.

Economic recovery is key to long term efforts to achieve a “new normal”. It was heartening to see that, while the tornado destroyed more than 500 businesses, 90% have now reopened or are opening in the near future. Home Depot, and other major employers have quickly rebuilt stores that were totally destroyed and have re-hired hundreds of folks. A Citizens’ Advisory Recovery Team (CART) was established to represent the whole community. This body, along with the Joplin City Council, the School Board, the Board of Aldermen, Chamber of Commerce, and the CART Executive Committee, supported by FEMA Long Term Community Recovery folks have developed and presented implementation plans for the recovery. Jane Cage, a business owner who stepped up to lead the Council has indicated, “Recovery is broad. It has to touch on almost every aspect of life in Joplin for us to succeed. We only really get one chance to do this right….”.

Ms. Cage exemplifies the nature of the recovery in Joplin. It is an effort in which the entire community is engaged. While we in the federal interagency family are in support of these efforts, it is clear that the impressive progress, and a shared vision for the future is being lead by the people of Joplin. They truly represent the best of the “Heartland of America”.

You only have seconds to react to an earthquake, so it’s important to know what to do when the ground starts shaking – and I know this all too well. In 2011, I was in Christchurch, New Zealand to discuss emergency management issues when the deadly quake struck. I found myself putting to use years of knowledge and tips we at FEMA use to inform the public on preparing for emergencies.

I saw the devastation firsthand, and it’s a stark reminder that no matter where we live – earthquakes strike without any warning. Another recent example is last August, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Louisa County in Virginia; shaking was felt as far south as Georgia and as far north as Quebec, Canada. Because earthquakes are more common on the west coast, the “East Coast Quake” took most of us by surprise.

While we can’t prevent earthquakes or other disasters, we can take important steps to prepare for them, and I want to encourage everyone to join more than one million individuals, schools, businesses, governments, and other organizations across the central United States who will participate in the second annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut on February 7, at 10:15 a.m. CDT. It is the largest earthquake preparedness event in central U.S. history.

It only takes a couple of minutes to participate in the drill and practice these three simple steps:

• DROP to the ground
• Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
• HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops

If you’re on Twitter you can join the conversation by using this hashtag: #shakeout

Everyone plays a critical role in helping our nation become well-prepared. While we don’t know where or when the next earthquake will strike, preparing for them will help our entire country become more resilient in the face of a disaster. What we do now to prepare before a big earthquake will help us bounce back after an earthquake occurs.

So if you haven’t already, join us and register for the ShakeOut and visit Ready.gov/earthquake for important earthquake preparedness tips that can help protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of an earthquake. You can also download the FEMA smartphone app (for Android and Apple devices) to access preparedness tips and an interactive emergency supply kit on your phone.

Back in November, I first announced the launch of the FEMA Think Tank – an initiative with two components: an online collaboration forum and monthly conference calls. The online collaboration forum has been live for a few months now and tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 26, I will be hosting the first conference call from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The goal of the calls are to discuss ideas generated from the online conversations, so I hope you can join me and others as we discuss ideas on how we can improve emergency management.

Here are the details:

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 26

• Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m. CDT / 2:30-4:30 p.m. EST

• Call in number: 800-593-0692

• Password: Think Tank January

• Access captioning

• Twitter hashtag: #femathinktank

The call is open to a national audience of state, local, and tribal governments, and to all members of the public, including the private sector, the disability community, and volunteer community, who share an interest in improving the Nation’s capacity in emergency management. For those who cannot join in on the call, you can follow the conversation and ask questions on Twitter.

The three ideas that we will be discussing on this call are:

• Community Mapping

• U.S. National Grid System

• Incorporating Preparedness in Schools

Members from the community who submitted the ideas for this month’s call will brief me and all attendees, and afterward, we will open up the call to the national audience for further discussion, questions and answers.

This is the first of many important discussions on how we plan and implement innovative ideas captured in our online forum. Visit www.fema.gov/thinktank for more information and to submit your own ideas, comment on others, or participate in the online conversation to generate creative ideas.

I hope you can participate.

Today FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Citizen Corps Program! Individuals from around the country have led the way of implementing the Citizen Corps mission of helping communities become safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to disasters of all kinds.

To commemorate 10 years of service, Citizen Corps reaffirms its position and role as the table to which all organizations and members of the community are welcome to share ideas and learn about what to do before, during and after a disaster.

Citizen Corps Councils and their members continue to make a difference in communities and drive us toward becoming a more resilient nation. Some of the contributions of the more than 1100 Citizen Corps Councils include:

• Increased awareness through public education and training. Citizen Corps Councils on average, support four to five types of outreach to increase personal preparedness. Most Councils (70.5 percent) provide all hazard public education and training. In addition, most councils provide education and training on essential local information includes local alerts and warnings (81.1 percent), local sheltering (75.5 percent), local evacuation (66.3 percent)*, family emergency planning (90.4 percent) or local drills (64.5 percent).*

• Preparing communities through public service. Citizen Corps Council jurisdictions promote volunteer support for emergency managers through 176,669 volunteers as reported in 2010. Citizen Corps Council’s volunteer hours totaled 3,057,248 in 2010 alone.*

• Promoting whole community in support of comprehensive emergency planning. 70 percent of Councils supported whole community planning by discussing, reviewing or providing input to key local plans such as community vulnerability/risk assessments, mitigation plans, evacuation plans and shelter plans.

The power of Citizen Corps is maximized with the support of its incredible Partner Programs and Affiliates. FEMA continues to support the Citizen Corps model to leverage existing programs and projects to advance the common goal of nationwide preparedness and resilience. No one can do this job alone and partnerships are the key to our success in keeping people safe.

Some recent partnerships include collaborating with the Department of Education and the American Red Cross to increase community engagement in Youth Preparedness and working with Operation Hope to ensure individuals have access to tools necessary to strengthen their financial stability in times of disaster. The work of Community Emergency Response Teams, USAOnWatch, the Medical Reserve Corps, Fire Corps and Volunteers in Police Service also play a strong role in providing communities with the capability to be more resilient in times of emergency.

FEMA is proud to be a part of the movement to prepare communities - to be a part of a team with a vision for a country that is informed, ready and self-reliant in times of emergency. FEMA thanks you for a decade of service and dedication and looks forward to what the next 10 years will bring.

We hope you will keep in constant communication with us, and share your ideas, hear about new resources and offer your opinions in 2012 and beyond by joining calls, webinars and online idea sharing:

• FEMA Think Tank: You can submit ideas and participate in an open dialogue and discussion on our online collaboration platform.

• Also be sure to join the monthly Ready.gov call held the first Tuesday of every month at 3:00 PM EST: Call-in number: 1-800-320-4330 Pin Number: 000147

*Information provided is reflective of the 2011 Citizen Corps Council Registration Data

• Talk to your local emergency management agency.  There are actions that should be taken before, during and after an event that are unique to each hazard.  Identify the hazards that have happened, or could happen, in your area and plan for the unique actions for each.  Local emergency management offices can help identify the hazards in your area and outline the local plans and recommendations for each. You can also find out from your local government emergency management office how you will be notified for disasters.
• Check on alert and warning systems for workplace, schools and other locations.  The methods of getting your attention vary from community to community.  One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts.  You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or in rare circumstances, volunteers and emergency workers may go door to door.
• Listen to NOAA weather radio and local news to monitor for severe weather updates and warnings.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service remains the source for official weather watches and warnings. You can sign up to receive their email weather alerts at weather.gov.

In addition, there are some other things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling a supply kit and developing a family emergency plan.  You can get more information on preparedness tips at www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov to find out how you can protect your family during emergencies.

El 23 de enero, las noticias de ABC reportaron de forma equivocada que las personas podían solicitar las alertas meteorológicas por medio de FEMA. Después del reporte observamos un gran interés del público y queremos hacer una clarificación: FEMA no envía alertas ya que estas son responsabilidad del área local. En caso de un desastre natural, es importante seguir las instrucciones de los oficiales locales y estatales. La siguiente información es útil y trata sobre las formas de obtener información y recibir alertas.

• Hable con su agencia local de manejo de emergencias. Hay acciones que se deben hacer antes, durante y después de un evento que son únicas para cada tipo de desastre. Identifique los riesgos que han ocurrido, o podrían suceder en su área y el plan de acción para los mismos. Las oficinas de manejo de emergencias locales pueden ayudarle a identificar los riesgos potenciales de su área, a delinear un plan local y hacer recomendaciones para cada tipo de riesgo. También puede buscar en su oficina local de manejo de emergencias sobre como recibir notificaciones en caso de desastres.

• Verifique los sistemas de alertas y avisos en el trabajo, escuelas y otros lugares. Los métodos de llamar la atención son diferentes de comunidad a comunidad. Un método común es la difusión por medio de radios de emergencias y programas de televisión. Usted puede escuchar una sirena especial, o recibir una llamada telefónica, o en circunstancias excepcionales, los voluntarios y trabajadores de emergencias van de puerta en puerta.

• Escuche la radio meteorológica de NOAA y las noticias locales para obtener las actualizaciones del clima severo y avisos. La Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica del Servicio Nacional Meteorológico sigue siendo la fuente primordial para los avisos y advertencias climatológicas oficiales. Puede solicitar para recibir en su correo electrónico las alertas meteorológicas en weather.gov.

En adición, hay otras cosas que puede hacer para estar preparado para lo inesperado, tales como hacer un equipo de suministros y hacer un plan familiar de emergencias. Puede obtener más información sobre consejos de preparación en www.listo.gov o www.ready.gov (En inglés) y así saber cómo proteger a su familia durante emergencias.

The National Weather Service has issued tornado watches and warnings in several parts of the Southeast. People living in parts of the Mississippi Valley, Lower Ohio Valley and Tennessee Valley have been experiencing tornadoes, widespread damaging winds and hail since last night and conditions are forecast to continue today.

FEMA, through our regional offices in Atlanta, Ga., and Denton, Texas, is closely monitoring the weather situation, including tornadoes, affecting parts of the Southeast, and has been in touch with state and local officials. We’re also in close contact with our federal partners at the National Weather Service forecast offices.

When natural disasters like these tornados strike, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations, and numerous private interest groups who provide emergency assistance required to protect the public's health and safety and to meet immediate human needs.

Although there have been no requests for federal assistance at this time, FEMA stands ready to support the states if needed as part of the emergency management team.

We’d like to remind everyone that could be affected by severe weather 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 everyone to listen to NOAA Weather Radio and local news for severe weather updates and warnings, and follow the direction provided by their local officials.

As severe weather approaches, keep in mind these safety tips:

• Continue to monitor your battery-powered radio or television for emergency information, and follow the guidance of your local officials.

• 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.

Finally, everyone should become familiar with the terms used to identify a tornado hazard and discuss with your family what to do if a watch or warning is issued. Terms used to describe tornado hazards include the following:

• 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.

For more information on tornado preparedness tips, visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov to find out how you can protect your family during emergencies.

For additional updates from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, you can follow their Twitter and Facebook pages:

On Facebook: Alabama Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross

On Twitter: @AlabamaEMA, @AlabamaRedCross

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

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.

Severe Weather Outlook

This weekend, our friends at the National Weather Service expect a mixture of winter weather in several parts of the U.S. Heavy snowfall is expected to continue throughout parts of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains with some flooding likely. They also predict freezing rain to impact parts of the Great Plains and Midwest.
Additionally, high winds are forecasted throughout parts of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Central parts of the U.S. Heavy rain with the potential for flooding is forecasted for the Pacific and, unfortunately, severe drought conditions are expected to continue across the South.
Stay up-to-date on your local forecast by visiting weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your mobile device. And remember, you can prepare for winter weather, or any kind of severe weather, by visiting Ready.gov or m.fema.gov on your mobile device.

The Great Central Shakeout

The countdown to the Great Central U.S. Shakeout has officially begun, with only a little over 2 weeks away from the exercise. On February 7 at 10:15 a.m. central, millions of Americans will stop what they’re doing to participate in an earthquake drill and "Drop. Cover. Hold on." I encourage you to participate in this exercise to ensure you’re prepared in the event of an earthquake. 
So far, more than one million people have registered to participate in the Shakeout across the Central U.S. You can still participate even if you live in other regions. So if you haven’t already, sign up to “shakeout” – then encourage your friends and family to register too.

For more information on the Shakeout or to learn how to host a Shakeout event, visit The Great Central Shakeout. And check out Ready.gov/earthquakes to learn how you can prepare your home, workplace or school for an earthquake.

Picture of the Week

Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity build two new homes for tornado survivors. Jewish and Muslim New York University student and staff volunteer at the job site work side-by-side. FEMA funding and coordination with volunteer agencies help make cooperation like this possible.



FEMA Think Tank

Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas and comments to the Think Tank. So far, there have been more than 100 ideas submitted from people across the U.S. As promised, Deputy Administrator Serino will hold the first monthly conference call next Thursday, Jan. 26 at 1:30pm CST – so save the date on your calendar.

The conference call is open to the public, so anyone interested in listening in on the discussion can join. The call in number is 800-593-0692 and password is Think Tank January. You can access the captioning for the event and follow the discussion and pose questions on Twitter by searching and using #femathinktank.

You can also continue to contribute to the conversation by using our collaboration forum and submit a new idea and comments.

Presidential Policy Directive 8

Be sure to comment on the Presidential Policy Directive-8 (PPD-8) frameworks that are currently open: Mitigation Framework, Prevention Framework, Protection Framework, and Response Framework. The campaigns will close soon, so visit our community today and make sure your ideas are heard.

Today, along with Secretary Janet Napolitano and Special Assistant to the President on Homeland Security Richard Reed, I had the pleasure of participating in the White House Champions of Change Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.  We honored 17 exceptional leaders in local communities across the nation who have excelled in helping to build a more resilient nation by preparing their communities for disasters. These men and women have demonstrated significant innovation and creativity in getting their communities ready for unexpected emergencies.

I had the opportunity to hear from the honorees about their experiences, ideas, and solutions, as well as their advice on how other citizens and organizations can emulate their success.  I was truly inspired by their innovative ideas on how to make their community stronger and more prepared for disasters.

For example, one of these remarkable honorees is Venus Majeski, the Director of Development & Community Relations for the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.   She spearheaded the Alianza Emergency Preparedness Project Plus, a project designed to address the disaster readiness of people with access and functional needs, and who also live in underserved areas.  She works to ensure that all individuals are integrated into their community’s overall disaster readiness preparations.   Others took an innovative approach, such as Michael Smith, the fire chief for the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians. Chief Smith helped San Manuel develop a "Send Word Now" system which provides text messages, email and voice alerts to tribal members during emergencies.

Several of this year's honorees also distinguished themselves by involving their entire community in emergency preparedness. Herman Schaeffer, the Director of Community Outreach for the New York City Office of Emergency Management, helps oversee the New York City Citizen Corps program, which collaborated with more than 60 community organizations, government agencies, private sector organizations, and volunteer programs to promote emergency preparedness.  And Jodi Simpson, a Homeland Security Planner for the St. Clair County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, who created a robust new public preparedness campaign called, “Be Ready St. Clair County.”  They played public service announcements at local movie theaters, hosted video contests, and launched a Facebook page where residents ended up sharing information with one another during and after storms.

These are just a few outstanding examples of how any person or organization can make a different in their community’s emergency preparedness and response. And there are many more like them. Check out the full list of awardees.   The initiative and involvement of these honorees represents the role that each one of us plays in making sure that together, as a nation, we are better prepared for disasters.  And this serves as a reminder to all of us that we can make a difference in our community, whether we are in a faith-based, tribal, non-profit, private sector, or community-based organization – or even just one individual.

I hope these awardees have inspired you to take action within your own community.   Here are some easy ways to get started and get involved:

• Contact your local emergency management agency or Citizen Corps Council to get involved in your community’s planning process.
• Join a local Community Emergency Response Team to train you in basic disaster response skills so that you can help your neighbors immediately after an emergency.  
• Start a preparedness project.  Identify a need, build a team, set goals, and serve your community.  
• Know your risk, develop a disaster communications plan, and build a kit.  

For more information and ideas, visit Ready.gov.  And maybe you will be the next Champion of Change.

Yesterday, Administrator Fugate spoke at the National Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness Disaster Management Summit, “Private Sector Resources in the Emergency Management Plan; The Public-Private Partnership Conference” in New Orleans. The Administrator’s remarks focused on the importance of engaging the private sector as part of the emergency management team.

As the entire team and the Administrator often say, it takes the whole community to respond to and recover from a disaster - this includes the entire federal family, state, local and tribal governments, faith-based and non-profit communities and the public sector. Businesses in the private sector contribute unique capabilities that allow us to better serve the public during an emergency.

Whether it’s helping share our preparedness messages with the public or staying open during a disaster to provide survivors with water, food, and other needs – it’s been proven that the private sector is a critical team player in emergency management.

Here’s an excerpt from the Associated Press regarding the Administrator’s remarks from the conference:

Craig Fugate, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, says the government needs to stop thinking it can handle all aspects of a disaster and make sure the private sector is included in disaster planning and response.

He told emergency planners to engage chambers of commerce and the business community in general to see what the private sector can do to help in the wake of a disaster.

Fugate said, “helping businesses open after a disaster fills in critical needs — such as getting food, water, gasoline and other essentials to people.”

If you are in government, you've got to get out of this mindset that we can manage no matter how big the disaster is.

 Read the full story from the Associated Press.

Here’s another excerpt from a local New Orleans newspaper:

Public officials should make it as easy as possible for retailers -- who have a profit motive, as well as a desire to help their communities -- to get back up and running. That could mean relaxing curfews so stores can restock at night or suspending zoning rules so operators can do business in a parking lot. Such steps, in turn, would help ensure a speedier return of normalcy.

Why is it one minute after the disaster, we think government is going to do everything? The more goods and services that the private sector is able to provide to meet the needs, then (government) can focus on the most needy and vulnerable areas.

I think this is a hard lesson for us to learn in government: The bigger the disaster is, the less likely you're going to control much of anything. It takes a team. It doesn't take a dictator.

Read the rest of the story at The Times-Picayune.

Throughout last year I blogged about the Strategic Foresight Initiative (SFI) and the work all of the SFI participants have done around exploring the forces of change (i.e. drivers), plausible future operating conditions, challenges, and opportunities. The initiative was designed to identify what the emergency management community would need to be successful regardless of what the future holds.

Today, I’m pleased to announce the release of the Crisis Response and Disaster Resilience 2030 report which includes insights on the future role of emergency and disaster management; strategic needs and gaps the community will have to address; and a look into the emergency management community of 2030. This report presents the following SFI findings to date:

• An examination of the forces of change shaping the emergency management worlds;

• An identification of vital and compelling strategic needs as identified during the SFI workshop as participants explored the five alternative emergency management scenarios; and

• An image of the future emergency management capacities and capabilities.

The strategic needs in particular – focused around essential capabilities, innovative models and tools, and dynamic partnerships – are intended to be a catalyst for leadership discussion throughout the emergency management community, and to prepare us, and the nation, for whatever challenges and opportunities the future holds.

This report is intended to provide planners and managers with insights that can shape a range of critical decisions, starting today. Such decisions—which can be made in advance of disasters—include improving prioritization of resources and investments, managing new and unfamiliar risks, forging new partnerships, and understanding emerging legal and regulatory hurdles.

FEMA's role in SFI is to coordinate and support the advancement of research and dialogue around these findings and engagement of the emergency management community. Understanding the future is essential; taking action to improve resilience and adaptability throughout our community is imperative. I hope you will join us in further discussion regarding the Strategic Foresight Initiative and future findings by leaving a comment below.

FEMA invites its partners to make full use of this report within their own organizations, and to make it available to their membership and constituency groups, as appropriate.

For more information on the SFI, you can contact the SFI Project Team via email at FEMA-OPPA-SFI@fema.gov and you can visit the SFI web page to read the relevant research papers.

Bill Read, the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center, announced that he plans to retire by this June.

All of us across FEMA and the larger emergency management team will greatly miss Bill and thank him for his outstanding service to our nation throughout his career, spanning more than four decades. Bill not only brought tremendous leadership to the National Hurricane Center, he was also a great friend and partner to FEMA and state and local officials across the country.

Under his direction, FEMA, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center continued to strengthen our internal collaboration and our focus on preparedness. He also spearheaded the Center's use of social media to modernize their communications efforts and provide important weather tracking updates in real time.

Bill has served as the Director of the National Hurricane Center since 2008. Prior to coming to FEMA, we also worked together when I served as the head of emergency management for the state of Florida.

We wish Bill the best of luck as he begins to pursue his new endeavors, and know that he will continue to be a proud advocate for personal readiness and empowering all Americans with the information they need to prepare for disasters.

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.


Let it snow (and be cold, too)



“Old man winter” started to rear his head this week, and forecasts from the National Weather Service project colder temperatures and heavy snow may be in store for many in the coming week as well.

• Cold & snowy spots - The Northern Plains and portions of the Northeast are expected to have much colder temperatures than normal, and areas around the Great Lakes are expected to experience heavy snow early next week. Much of Alaska will continue to have below normal temperatures, including the southern coast.
• Other severe weather – Other areas of the U.S. may experience heavy rains early next week, including portions of the Southeast and Pacific Northwest.

For a complete run-down of your local forecast, visit weather.gov or mobile.weather.gov on your mobile device. And remember you can get prepared for winter weather, or any kind of severe weather, by visiting Ready.gov or m.fema.gov on your mobile device.

Martin Luther King, Jr. day of service


(Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of USA.gov)

This coming Monday, January 16, is Martin Luther King, Jr. day – nationally recognized as a day of reflection and service. One way to honor the civil rights leader and his contribution to America is by volunteering your time and talents on Monday, and throughout the year. The President’s United We Serve website has resources for finding and getting involved with volunteer opportunities and organizations in your neighborhood. (The National Service Blog has a great post up about a church in Endicott, New York, who pitched in to help disaster survivors in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee.)

And as we reflect on the spirit of service, we would like to sincerely thank the countless volunteers and voluntary organizations who are a valuable and indispensible part of the emergency management team. They are a vital part in assisting those affected by disasters, and the success of our efforts greatly depends on the passion and generosity of organizations and individuals after disasters.

Spooky preparedness for Friday the 13th



Today is Friday the 13th, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t add something spooky/superstitious. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control posted a quirky blog about zombie preparedness – showing how planning for a fictitious zombie apocalypse could serve as a great exercise in getting prepared for real-world emergencies.

So even though we aren’t specifically watching anything related to zombie attacks this weekend, those of you who are a little more superstitious about numbers and dates will enjoy the CDC’s “Preparedness 101 – Zombie Apocalypse” blog post.

Have a great weekend, and stay safe.

Posted by: Mark Peterson, External Affairs Director, Region 5



For our FEMA regional offices across the country, engaging internal and external stakeholders in planning for future emergencies is a top priority. This means building relationships throughout the whole community to find opportunities to prepare both man-made and natural hazards.

FEMA Region V, which covers Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, is currently engaged in several planning projects to ensure that all levels of government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations are ready for future events. As a part of this, Region V has been engaged in a collaborative effort with the state of Illinois, Cook County and the City of Chicago to develop a comprehensive and integrated operational plan with the goal of a more effective and coordinated response to a detonation of an improvised nuclear device. The planning project, which was initiated by Regional Administrator Andrew Velasquez III has been ongoing since the fall of 2010.

Since the formal kickoff in October 2010, efforts have included well-attended planning workshops and summits with first responders, elected officials, the private sector and government agencies at the local, state and federal level. Yesterday, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Regional Administrator Velasquez addressed attendees at a summit near Chicago to discuss the important role the private sector plays in planning for a large scale, complex incident. Business leaders were challenged to think about how a catastrophe would affect their facilities, their employees, the infrastructure needed to sustain their operation, the vendors they depend on for materials, and the potential demand for services could potentially overwhelm their capabilities. Additional workshops and exercises are planned throughout 2012.

In any large disaster, it is not possible for a single organization to stand alone; instead, a network of private and governmental organizations must work together to help communities respond and recover.

For more information on how to make your family, your business and your community more resilient, go to www.Ready.gov.

Sometimes large-scale events and unforeseen circumstances can slow down recovery efforts, and sometimes all it takes is something small – like a toad. In case you don’t regularly read the Austin American Statesman, you may have missed an interesting story that shows the complex nature of disaster recovery. Those involved with disaster recovery need to think about a wide variety of factors that come into play, including the cleanup efforts’ effects on animals.

To set the stage, a historic wildfire season hit Texas in 2011, and we continue to work in support of state and local officials in providing assistance to affected individuals and local governments. This assistance to local governments includes supporting removing debris in some of the damaged areas.

A small, rare object that could soon be spotted hopping nearby, however, has the potential to delay FEMA-funded recovery projects in certain areas. This object is the endangered Houston toad, which surfaces during mating season. Emergency managers have a responsibility to carry out our jobs in a manner that avoids or minimizes adverse impacts to the environment, especially potential impacts on endangered species.

Because of this, our recovery experts met recently with officials from the state and Bastrop County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, a local electric cooperative, and environmental experts to make sure recovery will not violate federal environmental policies and laws and will minimize adverse effects on the toads.

The meeting was productive in that the key stakeholders on this issue came to a consensus on how best to proceed. For now, debris removal is going strong as we increase our capability to monitor the toads. Meanwhile, we continue to work with stakeholders to proceed with recovery efforts while protecting the natural environment.

In the end, the Houston toad serves as a symbol that successful disaster recovery requires a team of individuals and organizations working together to solve problems both big and small -- sometimes as small as a toad.

Click here for more information on FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Program.

As the public affairs team scanned through our Twitter stream this morning, I wanted to share some of the day’s most relevant messages so far. If you’re not on Twitter, you can follow us @FEMA and Administrator Fugate or our other accounts we have to communicate with stakeholders.

Two year anniversary of Haiti earthquake

Our thoughts are with Haiti today as we mark the 2nd anniversary of the EQ. Our work continues: youtu.be/yo51p-Fwm_o
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) January 12, 2012

Thinking of the millions of Haitians who lost loved ones 2 yrs ago as well as the ppl from all over world who participated in rescue effort
— Raj Shah (@rajshah) January 12, 2012

Winter weather affecting several regions of the U.S.

Take it easy on the roads - snow and high winds making travel tough.
— VT Emergency Mgmt (@vemvt) January 12, 2012

Strong arctic cold front moving in this afternoon. Rain, snow, freezing temperatures, icy roadways and windy conditions are all possible.
— pencoema (@pencoema) January 12, 2012 (Pendleton County, Ky.)

Winter temps can be unforgiving. Wear loose, lightweight, warm clothing in several layers. Always wear a cap or hat and mittens or gloves.
— femaregion2 (@femaregion2) January 12, 2012

Yesterday's passing of Bob Lay, longtime emergency management director in Brevard County, Fla.

Brevard emergency manager Bob Lay dies: Bob Lay, Brevard County's longtime emergency manager, passed away Wednesday. dlvr.it/14m01S
— Brevard County News (@brevardnews) January 12, 2012

Deeply saddened by sudden passing of my friend & mentor Bob Lay (Brevard Co EMA).Bob shaped my career & is missed bit.ly/yAmP0y
— Salvation Army EDS (@SalArmyEDS) January 12, 2012

Resources for emergency managers

For emergency managers:Check out these resources to help you plan to help people with limited English proficiency.go.usa.gov/RgJ
— ASPR (@PHEgov) January 12, 2012

One quick note: if you want to receive our Twitter messages via text message, text FOLLOW FEMA to 40404 (Twitter’s text message number; standard message/data rates apply). You can always unsubscribe at any time by, just text UNFOLLOW FEMA to 40404.

Sheree and I were deeply saddened to learn of Bob Lay’s passing earlier today. I was lucky to work closely with and learn from Bob for years, including during my time at the state and local level in Florida and here at FEMA. Like many of my colleagues, I consider him a friend, mentor and role model.

Bob embodied the mission of disaster management through his strong emphasis on preparedness, response and recovery. He brought a sense of true professionalism to the field and helped build a great respect for the work that first responders, emergency managers, non-profit organizations, and other members of the team do every day to protect their communities. Among his many accomplishments, he helped lead response and recovery efforts through many of Florida’s most severe hurricanes and was appointed by the Department of Defense to serve as its top point of contact for operations during Hurricane Andrew. Earlier in his career, he was a valued member of the FEMA team and remained a member of our extended family. In recent years provided FEMA with strategic counsel during his service as a key member of our National Advisory Council.

Throughout his career in Brevard County, Bob was a great friend to Florida’s Space Coast, working closely with our partners at Cape Canaveral to support many shuttle launches and missions. Bob’s passing is a tremendous loss for the people of Florida and for all of us across the emergency management community. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.

More on the life and career of Bob Lay in the Orlando Sentinel, Brevard Times, and Central Florida News 13.

"Duck and Cover." "Stop, Drop and Roll." "Shake, rattle and roll." There are a lot of slogans and catchphrases out there to help get our message across to the public about how to react in an emergency (OK, the last one I mentioned isn't really an emergency management one). I wanted to share an upcoming opportunity to focus on the catchphrase for what to do during an earthquake: "Drop. Cover. Hold on." Four weeks from today, on February 7 at 10:15 am central, millions of Americans will practice those very steps by participating in the annual Central U.S. ShakeOut.

This last year was an important reminder to all of us that earthquakes, like other disasters, can strike anytime, anywhere – not just on the West Coast. They come with little to no warning and their effects, such as shaking, can often be felt hundreds of miles and many states away from their epicenters. In August, when the 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Louisa County in Virginia, shaking was felt as far south as Georgia and as far north as Quebec, Canada.

Last year, over 3 million people participated in the first-ever central U.S. shakeout drill, choosing to practice earthquake safety at their schools, homes, workplaces and countless other organizations. This year, we're looking for parents, businesses and institutions to take the lead and make earthquake preparedness even more front and center.

To date over one million people have registered for the ShakeOut across the central U.S. It’s a good start – but we know we can get more people and communities involved. So if you haven’t already – do your part. Sign up to shakeout and then check out Ready.gov/earthquakes to learn how you can better prepare your home, workplace or school for an earthquake.

And remember – even if you don’t live in the central U.S., the Shakeout isn’t about only practicing earthquake safety on one day, once a year. Take a few minutes each month to check your home, office or school to make sure these environments are as safe as possible if an earthquake would strike. And if you're a parent or educator, review earthquake safety on a regular basis if your children, reminding them of the three simple steps of drop, cover and hold on.

Other Links
For businesses, schools and organizations, check out resources for hosting a ShakeOut event.

Follow the Central U.S. ShakeOut on Twitter and Facebook.

“Agáchese y cúbrase”. Pare, bájese y ruede”. “Moverse, hacer ruido y rodar”. Hay muchos eslóganes y frases contagiosas para ayudar a llevar el mensaje al publico sobre cómo reaccionar ante una emergencia (Ok, la ultima frase que mencione no es para manejo de emergencias realmente). Quería compartir una oportunidad que tenemos para buscar frases contagiosas sobre que hacer durante un terremoto: “Bájese, Cúbrase y Sujétese”. En cuatro semanas, millones de estadounidenses estarán practicando esos pasos al participar en el ShakeOut anual del área Central de los Estados Unidos el 7 de febrero a las 10:15am hora central.

El año pasado fue un recordatorio de que los terremotos, como los otros desastres, pueden tocar tierra en cualquier momento, no solamente en el área Oeste. Los terremotos ocurren con muy poca o ninguna advertencia y sus efectos, tales como temblores pueden sentirse con frecuencia a cientos de millas y muchos estados afuera del punto de comienzo. En agosto, cuando el terremoto de 5.8 magnitudes comenzó en el condado de Louisa en Virginia y los temblores se sintieron hasta el sur en Georgia y hasta el norte en Quebec, Canadá.

El año pasado, más de 3 millones de personas participaron en el primer ejercicio de la historia, el Shakeout del área Central de los Estados Unidos, al decidir practicar seguridad en terremotos en sus escuelas, hogares, lugares de trabajo y muchas organizaciones. Este año, buscamos que los padres, negocios e instituciones se unan con liderazgo y logrando que la preparación en caso de terremotos sea mas prominente y centralizada.

Al día, de hoy más de un millón de personas se han inscrito para el Shakeout por todo Estados `Unidos Central. Es un buen comienzo, pero sabemos que podemos tener más personas y comunidades participantes. Si no esta inscrito, hágalo ahora. Inscríbase para el shakeout y busque la información de cómo estar listo en terremotos y hacer que su hogar, lugar de trabajo y escuela estén más preparados.

Recuerde que aunque usted no resida en el área Central de los Estados Unidos, el Shakeout no es solo sobre practicar seguridad en un día, una vez al año. Saque tiempo mensualmente para verificar su hogar, oficina y escuelas y asegurase que estos ambientes estén lo más seguros posibles en caso de que un terremotos ocurra. Si usted es padre o educador, revise las reglas de seguridad en caso de terremotos regularmente. Recuerde a sus niños a que deben seguir los tres pasos: Bájese, Cúbrase y Sujétese.

Otros enlaces
Para los negocios, escuelas y organizaciones, revise estos recursos para ser líder en un evento de shakeout.

Síganos en Twitter y Facebook.

Posted by: Bill Carwile, Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery

2011 was full of natural disasters and emergencies – both large and small – but none rivaled the tragic scale of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last March. Just before the start of the New Year, I had the opportunity to again visit Japan, seeing the most impacted regions of the Iwate Prefecture and meeting with government officials from around the world to discuss the rebuilding and recovery challenges that are ongoing.


Government officials from several countries joined in the conference to learn from Japan's ongoing disaster recovery efforts.

As part of the two-day conference, (organized by the Japanese Cabinet Office, Japan International Cooperation Agency, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and Asian Disaster Reduction Center) and my visit to the hardest-hit areas of the country, it was apparent the temporary housing mission is significant. I visited Kamaishi City where temporary housing had to be constructed quickly to house 516 residents. Because of the large amount of elderly, the pre-fabricated housing units were configured facing each other, with common roofing, to create a sense of community and to prevent isolation of senior residents. The temporary housing area also includes a support center to assist with nursing care insurance application and health consultations. Within the temporary housing area, the city also has included a grocery store and other shops, a nursing center and a child care center.

Since I last visited Japan in May, the amount of debris has been substantially reduced, which has helped as rebuilding efforts continue. The sheer volume of debris as a result of the earthquake and tsunami is hard to fathom – there were an estimated 275,000 vehicles and a large amount of hazardous materials. Many disaster response officials estimated long-term recovery in Japan may take as long as 8-10 years due to the magnitude of the destruction.


Numerous groups of volunteers have contributed to the recovery and rebuilding efforts in Japan, one such example is Team HEAL Japan, shown above. (Photo courtesy of Team HEAL Japan)

For us at FEMA, events like the deadly earthquake and tsunami to hit Japan are reminders of the importance to continually plan and prepare for potentially catastrophic events. While we cannot predict when or where the next emergency will occur, we can take steps  within our nation, states, communities, neighborhoods and households to be better prepared should disaster strike. During my presentation at the conference, I talked about the recent disasters to affect the United States, FEMA’s whole community approach to planning, the Presidential Policy Directive 8 (which talks about nationwide disaster planning), and the National Disaster Recovery Framework.

In sharing expertise with other nations and learning from disasters that have affected them, it provides FEMA an opportunity to redouble our efforts to help Americans better prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards.

For more about how the United States is supporting recovery in Japan, visit the U.S. embassy website.

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

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.


Winter Survival
Many of you may be enjoying warmer-than-normal temperatures, but winter has only just begun. We thought this might be a good time to remind everyone to stay informed about potential severe winter weather you could face this season. Remember to check weather.gov (or mobile.weather.gov on your phone) for the most up-to-date weather forecast in your area.

And as we get ready for potential severe weather, including heavy snow or bizzard conditions, we’re always on the lookout for innovative tools to help all of us get prepared. With that in mind, we wanted to share a recent story on a new smartphone app called the Winter Survival Kit. Available for Android and Apple devices, this app serves as both a source of winter preparedness information and a beacon that can direct help to your exact location, call 911, update your friends and family, and even monitor how long your gas will last.

(And in case you haven't had a chance to download the FEMA app in either the Android or iTunes market, it's a great way to have invaluable safety information, find a nearby emergency shelter or disaster recovery center, and keep a list of the items in your emergency supply kit.)

But, no app can substitute for good, old-fashioned preparedness. Get ahead of the game now by visiting Ready.gov for more information on preparing for winter storms and extreme cold.

Editor's Note: FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Posted by: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs

With the new year underway, we have been talking a lot recently about how families, businesses, and communities can make a New Year’s resolution that’s easy to keep: resolving to be ready for disasters in 2012. Earlier this week, we shared some advice on how to get you and your family prepared by staying informed, making a family plan, building an emergency kit, and getting involved.

Today, we wanted to show you an article written by The Daily Ardmoreite which highlights how one state is taking this New Year’s resolution idea one step further. The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security urged its citizens to “Resolve to be Ready” in 2012, but also offered an easy way for people to accomplish that resolution – with a free training program called “Map Your Neighborhood” to get citizens involved in making emergency plans for their community.

Here are a few highlights from the article:

“Map Your Neighborhood” is a free training program that assists in organizing emergency plans for neighborhoods. Kim Carter, Oklahoma Homeland Security Director, said the program teaches neighborhood leaders “how to walk their neighbors” through a simple step-by-step process to customize an emergency plan for their area.”

Carter also called emergency kits for homes, vehicles and workplaces the “first step” for individual and family preparedness.

“Instead of being fearful of the unexpected we hope to build confidence by helping Oklahomans prepare for a variety of emergencies,” Carter said. “By following a few simple steps in advance, you can minimize the impact an emergency can have on you, your family or your business.”

Check out the full article here, and view a list of suggested items for your emergency supply kit. And if you haven’t already, think about some ways you can get involved by checking with your community and state emergency management offices. For more ideas on how to Resolve to be Ready in 2012, visit Ready.gov/resolve.