FEMA Working With Partners Across The Northeast Ahead of Severe Winter Weather

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working closely with its partners, including the National Weather Service, to monitor the developing winter storm in the Northeast. FEMA’s regional offices in Boston and New York City are in contact with state emergency management counterparts. FEMA’s National Watch Center in Washington, D.C. continues to monitor the situation and hold regular operational briefings with regional and federal partners as the severe winter weather advances and as impacts are felt through the overnight hours into Saturday.

FEMA liaisons are working directly with our state partners at state emergency operations centers in the Northeast states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (both in Albany and New York City), Rhode Island, and Vermont. These liaisons are in addition to the joint state and federal field office staff who are already in place to support ongoing disaster recovery efforts in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

FEMA echoes the warnings issued by the National Weather Service and local elected officials in the region, and asks citizens and visitors to the Northeast and New England states to avoid all travel both during and immediately following the storm and to heed all advice and safety information provided by local emergency officials. Individuals in the path of the storm should monitor their NOAA weather radio and local weather forecast office or www.weather.gov for the latest information, including additional or changing weather watches and warnings.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are currently being sent directly to many cell phones on participating wireless carrier networks. These alerts are sent by public safety officials such as the National Weather Service and are designed to get your attention and provide brief, critical instructions to warn about imminent threats like severe weather. More information on WEAs is available at www.ready.gov/warning-systems-signals. Individuals can check with their cellular carrier to determine if your phone or wireless device is WEA-enabled. 

For more information on what to do before, during and after winter storms, visit www.ready.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.