Navigation
Search
Languages
Blog
We hope everyone had a safe and happy start to 2012. For our first post of this year, we wanted to remind everyone that it’s not too late to make a New Year’s resolution to be ready for disasters in 2012. It’s a resolution that is easy to keep and could make a world of difference in the event of a real emergency.With that in mind, we wanted to share an op-ed written by our Regional Administrator in Chicago, Andrew Velazquez, in yesterday’s Beloit Daily News. Andrew offers some great advice on steps families, businesses, and communities in his region can take to get prepared in case disaster...
Posted On: January 3, 2012 Earlier this year, President Obama released a policy directive aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of the United States: Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8): National Preparedness.With your help, FEMA and its partners have created a National Preparedness Goal, which sets the vision for building a more resilient and secure nation, and a National Preparedness System, which identifies the programs, processes and tools for achieving that vision. Now, we are focusing on the next set of activities.This is where you come in: Today, we’re launching an ongoing dialogue and are...
Posted On: December 22, 2011 According to National Weather Service forecasts, a rapidly developing significant winter storm system is anticipated to affect the west coast of Alaska today and tomorrow. We are closely monitoring the situation through our regional office in Bothell, Wash., our area office in Anchorage, Alaska, and the National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C.The National Weather Service has issued winter storm, blizzard, coastal and inland flood warnings along the Bering Sea and west coast of Alaska and forecasts that this system will intensify as it moves northward.Staying SafeWe encourage...
Posted On: November 8, 2011 Editor's Note (Nov 2): Visit www.fema.gov/eastest for more information, including our new widget.Over the past few months, we have written on this blog about the upcoming nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, which is now less than two weeks away. The test will take place on Wednesday, November 9th at 2:00 pm eastern standard time, and will be the first time this system, which is often tested and used by officials at the local level, will be tested across the entire country.The national Emergency Alert System is an alert and warning system that can be activated by the President, if...
Posted On: October 28, 2011 Colder weather coming for manySome people thoroughly enjoy colder weather and the white fluffy stuff that often comes with it, while others continually look for a way to escape the cold for warmer temperatures. Regardless of your stance on cold and snow, it’s the time of year when temperatures are dropping as winter approaches.Areas around the Rocky Mountains and the Upper Midwest have already had their first snowfall, and forecasts from the National Weather Service predict the Northeast could experience several inches of snow this weekend.Now is the time to make sure your home and family are...
Posted On: October 28, 2011 Minot, ND, October 13, 2011 -- David Myers (left), Director of the DHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and FEMA Region VIII Administrator Robin Finegan, at a flood-damaged home. Myers and Finegan were in Minot meeting with faith-based groups and surveying the damage caused by June's Souris River flooding. Robin Finegan, Administrator, FEMA Region VIII (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming) and David Myers, Director of the DHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships were in Minot recently and wanted to provide their perspective on the...
Posted On: October 28, 2011 Earlier today, the National Hurricane Center downgraded Rina to a tropical storm, and their latest forecasts say the storm will have a limited impact on the U.S. mainland or territories. As Rina is losing its strength, we’re also closely watching another potentially developing storm in the south Caribbean.While it’s good news that Rina isn’t expected to pose much of a threat, the current activity in the tropics is a reminder that the Atlantic hurricane season lasts until November 30. As we near the end of the season, hurricanes and tropical storms are likely to form in the Caribbean, and can...
Posted On: October 27, 2011 We continue to closely watch Hurricane Rina as it swirls in the Caribbean. Rina currently has maximum sustained winds of over 100 mph, and is forecast to approach the Yucatan Peninsula by Thursday morning.While it is still too early to know whether Rina will affect the U.S. mainland or territories in the Caribbean, our regional offices in Atlanta, New York (responsible for supporting Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Denton, Texas are closely monitoring the storm. For the latest updates on Hurricane Rina or developing severe tropical weather, visit the National Hurricane Center...
Posted On: October 25, 2011 The White House released this statement from the President earlier today:
We have been following reports of the earthquake in Turkey's eastern province of Van with great concern. On behalf of the American people, I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Our thoughts and prayers are with the brave men and women who are working to bring assistance to this stricken region. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish ally in this difficult time, and are ready to assist the Turkish authorities.
In addition to the President's statement, we also pass along our thoughts...
Posted On: October 23, 2011 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 TestJust a friendly reminder, the Emergency Alert System Test is November 9 at 2 p.m. eastern. We’re working closely with our partners at the Federal Communications Commission and broadcasters across the country to ensure people know what to expect. Remember, it’s only a test.Tropical Activity in AtlanticWe continue to closely monitor two areas of interest which have a chance of developing into a more...
Posted On: October 21, 2011