FEMA, Federal Partners Monitor Effects of Storm in Central Plains and Urge Preparedness

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners, including the National Weather Service, continue to closely monitor the effects of severe weather that has impacted the Central United States, including parts of central Oklahoma and Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.  Residents are urged to continue to follow the guidance of state, local and tribal officials. FEMA’s regional offices in Denton, Texas and Kansas City, Mo., have been in contact with state emergency management counterparts and with tribal emergency managers in the path of the storm. While there have been no requests for federal assistance, FEMA has deployed a liaison officer to the Oklahoma emergency operations center and stands ready to assist if support is needed and requested.  Additional personnel are on standby and are ready to deploy as needed and requested to support the state.

According to the National Weather Service, there continues to be a moderate risk of severe weather today across areas of the southern Plains including Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas and severe weather is possible further north including parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.

When natural disasters, such as tornadoes and severe storms 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.

FEMA encourages those in the areas affected or potentially affected by these storm systems to monitor local radio or TV stations or the National Weather Service at www.weather.gov or a NOAA weather radio for the latest information, including additional or changing weather watches and warnings and to follow the instructions of state, local, and tribal officials. 

If you haven’t already, now is the time to get prepared for severe weather.  Visit www.ready.gov to learn more about how to be better prepared.

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.