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Severe Storm Safety: What You Need to Know

CHICAGO – Severe storms can happen anywhere, anytime in Illinois.

Last spring, extensive flooding throughout the state of Illinois resulted in more than $166 million in federal assistance to individuals for essential home repairs and clean-up. Then in November, severe storms and tornadoes left more than 1,000 homes severely damaged or destroyed throughout Illinois.

Disasters such as these show us how unexpected weather can be. But that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for it. Hazardous weather is a risk everyone should be ready for.

March 2 – 8, 2014 marks the third annual National Severe Weather Preparedness Week – a partnership between FEMA and NOAA to encourage all Americans to learn their weather risks and take steps to prepare.

The first step is to know your risk – understand the types of hazardous weather that can affect your community, and the impact it may have on you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly and sign up for alerts from your local emergency management officials. Consider purchasing a NOAA weather radio to get the latest updates on severe weather in your area.

Understand the hazards for which you are at risk for and then take action: Develop an emergency plan based on your local weather hazards and practice how and where to take shelter before a severe weather event. Post your plan in your home where family and visitors can see it. Create or refresh an emergency kit for needed food, supplies and medication—make sure to keep a kit in your car, at the office and at home, so you are protected regardless of where you may be. For a list of items to include in your emergency kit, visit www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.

Don’t forget to consider pets when making emergency plans, and also take into account any unique needs you or your family might have so you’re best prepared for unforeseen emergencies.

It isalso important to take the time now to assure you are fully insured. Contact your insurance agent to review your insurance coverage so your home is financially protected from the impacts of severe weather.

“Many Illinois residents were impacted by costly floods and dangerous storms in 2013” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “Taking steps now to prepare will ensure you are ready if severe weather threatens your area this year.”

“It’s been a long, hard winter in Illinois and everyone is looking forward to warmer weather,” said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. “Warmer weather can bring with it the threat of dangerous weather, such as tornadoes, severe storms and flooding. We’re working to help Illinois citizens understand these hazards and providing information that will help them be better prepared for the unexpected.”

For even more readiness information follow FEMA Region V at twitter.com/femaregion5 and facebook.com/fema. Individuals can always find valuable severe weather preparedness information at www.ready.gov/severe-weatheror download the free FEMA app, available for Android, Apple or Blackberry devices.

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.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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Severe Storm Safety: What You Need to Know

FEMA, NOAA To Launch Third National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

LINCROFT, N.J. — The third annual National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, will be held March 2-8, 2014.

This year’s theme is “Be a Force of Nature: Take the Next Step.” The nationwide effort is designed to increase awareness of severe weather and encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to know their risk, prepare ahead of an event, and be an example to others wherever they may be.

Every year, people are injured or killed due to natural disasters. There were seven weather and climate disasters in the United States in 2013 that had losses of more than $1 billion. Overall, 109 people were killed in these events, which included five severe weather and tornado events, a major flood, and the drought/heat wave in the western United States.

A family emergency plan lays the groundwork for you and your family to protect itself if a disaster strikes without warning. Collect information from FEMA and your local emergency management offices and gather your family members to create your plan. After the plan is in place, you and your family should exchange contact information and make sure that it remains current. Putting together a disaster supply kit also is essential to making sure that your family has the provisions needed for each individual. Some kits may need additional items if there are seniors or infants in the house or those with access and functional needs.

The “Take the Next Step” theme has two focuses. The first is getting people to be proactive and understand their risks so they can be prepared to take the appropriate action before, during and after severe weather events. The second is to improve the way people respond to severe weather threats. NOAA service assessments and social science studies have shown that people are more likely to take preparedness measures and actions for an event if they have observed others take similar actions.

To that end, NOAA suggests that everyone not only be prepared but inspire others to do the same. NOAA’s “Be a Force of Nature” toolkit offers a variety of ways you can help spread the word among your friends and neighbors to always be prepared for severe weather. Visit ready.gov/severe-weather or noaa.gov/wrn to learn more about severe weather and to be better prepared.

For more information on New Jersey’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/SandyNJ, twitter.com/FEMASandy, facebook.com/FEMASandy and fema.gov/blog.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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FEMA, NOAA To Launch Third National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

NOAA, FEMA: Be a Force of Nature

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 2-8

During National Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 2 to 8, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are calling on individuals across the country to Be a Force of Nature: Take the Next Step by preparing for severe weather and encouraging others to do the same.

Just one tornado can cause catastrophic damage. Last year, the EF 5 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20 killed 24 people and caused more than $2 billion in damage. In 2013, a total of 903 tornadoes were reported in the United States. Those tornadoes occurred in 43 states on 152 days, resulting in 55 fatalities and more than 500 injuries.

As more people move to tornado-prone areas, knowing what to do when severe weather strikes could save lives.

“With the devastation of last year’s tornadoes fresh in our minds and springtime almost here, I urge individuals to become weather-ready now,” said NOAA National Weather Service Director Dr. Louis Uccellini. “Make sure you have multiple ways to access forecasts and warnings from NOAA’s National Weather Service before severe weather strikes.”

“Being ready today can make a big difference for you when disaster strikes,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “It only takes a few minutes. Talk with your family and agree to a family plan. Learn easy steps on how to prepare at Ready.gov and find out how your community can take action in America’s PrepareAthon through drills, group discussions and community exercises.”

Our severe weather safety message is simple: know your risk, take action, be an example.

• Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Sign up for weather alerts and check the weather forecast regularly.

• Take Action: Make sure you and your family are prepared for severe weather. Your family may not be together when a storm strikes, so plan how you will contact one another by developing your family communication plan. Make sure you put together an emergency kit and store important papers and valuables in a safe place. Visit Ready.gov/severe-weather to learn more about how to be better prepared and how you can protect your family when severe weather strikes.

• Be an Example: Once you have taken action, tell family, friends, and co-workers to do the same. Share the resources and alert systems you discovered through your social media network. Technology today makes it easier than ever to be a good example and share the steps you took to become weather-ready. Share these new videos to help your friends and families to prepare.

• Get Weather Ready: Before a Tornado – http://youtu.be/uE66ganofF0

• Get Weather Ready: During a Tornado – http://youtu.be/_5TiTfuvotc

• Get Weather Ready: After a Tornado – http://youtu.be/UQ94ESZulA8

NOAA and FEMA’s involvement in the innovative Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) project, a new text-like message system, is part of a national effort to increase emergency preparedness and build a Weather-Ready Nation. Last year millions of individuals across the country received WEAs with life-saving weather warnings via their cell phone. These geographically targeted emergency alerts have allowed people to receive weather warnings they would not have otherwise received, and many people took life-saving action. For more information, visit www.ready.gov/alerts.

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NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.

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NOAA, FEMA: Be a Force of Nature

FEMA Region 6 Supports National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

DENTON, Texas – Spring storm season is just around the corner, so now is the time to prepare. With that in mind, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 6 office is proud to support National Severe Weather Preparedness Week which runs from March 2-8, 2014.

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week is sponsored by FEMA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Agency (NOAA). It is designed to increase awareness of potential severe weather events and to encourage people and communities to know their risks, take action and be an example.

“Region 6 states – Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas – see a variety of spring weather threats from tornadoes to flooding,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “That’s why it’s so important to be prepared ahead of time on an individual and family basis, as well as at the community level.”

Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly, get a NOAA Weather Radio and learn about Wireless Emergency Alerts.

Take Action: Before storms strike, develop a family communication plan, create or buy an emergency supplies kit and participate in a local event on April 30 through America’s PrepareAthon!

Be an Example: Share your preparedness story with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Letting others know that you’re prepared could prompt them to prepare as well. Studies show that many people use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know they are safe.

Learn more at www.weather.gov, www.ready.gov/severe-weather, www.fema.gov/americas-prepareathon or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov. Follow the National Weather Service @nws and FEMA @readygov on Twitter.

FEMA Region 6 Supports National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

FEMA Awards $1,643,411 Grant to Pearl City: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 23 flood prone structures

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $1,643,411 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Pearl City, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 19 residential and four commercial structures located in the floodplain of Yellow Creek.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “The acquisition of these homes and businesses permanently removes the structures from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“Approval of this grant is good news for Pearl City and its residents who have been devastated by flooding many times in the past,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The grant will enable people and businesses to move out of the floodplain and avoid future heartache and property losses when Yellow Creek surges over its banks.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay $1,643,411 or 75 percent of the project’s total cost. Pearl City will contribute 25 percent of the remaining funds, or $547,804.

Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $1,643,411 Grant to Pearl City: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 23 flood prone structures

Fire Departments in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Receive Millions in FEMA Preparedness Grants

DENTON, Texas — Fire departments in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas have been awarded more than $7.5 million in preparedness grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Gravel Ridge, Arkansas Fire Department received $208,350; the Lafayette, Louisiana Consolidated Government Fire Department received more than $1.7 million; the Bloomfield, New Mexico Fire Department received more than $1 million; and the Fort Worth, Texas Fire Department received nearly $3.4 million. All of these fire departments will use the funding to boost hiring efforts for firefighters. The Vinita, Oklahoma Fire Department received $830,792, which it will use for recruitment and retention.

The federal grants are part of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants program. SAFER awards provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase the number of trained, front line firefighters available in their communities.

“These grants are crucial for communities, especially for the fire departments,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “The funding helps ensure that there are enough first responders to protect lives and property.”

For more information on the SAFER Grant program, visit http://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-emergency-response-grants.

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Fire Departments in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas Receive Millions in FEMA Preparedness Grants

Snow Now Means Water Later: Are You Ready?

CHICAGO – Just a few inches of water can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your home. A flood insurance policy could protect you from the devastating out-of-pocket expenses caused by flooding.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. A policy takes 30 days from application and payment to go into effect. And a typical homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover floods.

“Snow thaw and the potential for heavy spring rains heighten the flood risk throughout our area in the coming months,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “A flood insurance policy is the best option to protect your home from the costly damage floodwaters can cause.”

Just last April, many Illinois communities were under water after more than six inches of rain fell in two days, causing localized and riverine flooding throughout the state and damaging thousands of homes and businesses. Today, with less than 50,000 flood insurance policies in force statewide, a large majority of the more than 5 million Illinois homes remain uninsured against flood damage.

FEMA recommends that all Illinois residents visit FloodSmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419 to learn how to prepare for floods, how to purchase a flood insurance policy and the benefits of protecting your home or property investment against flooding. You can also contact your insurance agent for more information.

Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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Snow Now Means Water Later: Are You Ready?

FEMA Awards $2,576,475 Grant to Village of Hinsdale: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to floodproof Graue Mill Condominium Complex

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $2,576,475 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the Village of Hinsdale, Ill., for the proposed Graue Mill Condominium Complex stormwater improvement project.

The project includes installing several berms and backflow valves, elevating existing floodwalls, improving storm sewers and creating a new stormwater detention pond.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “The completion of this project will reduce flood damage and lessen the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“After the spring floods last year, this project was redesigned to provide protection against the higher floodwaters that were experienced,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “When complete, this project should provide much-needed peace of mind to residents who have been affected by flooding in the past.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay $2,576,475 or 75 percent of the project’s total cost. The Graue Mill Homeowners Association will contribute 25 percent of the remaining funds, or $858,825.

Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $2,576,475 Grant to Village of Hinsdale: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to floodproof Graue Mill Condominium Complex

FEMA, Arizona Host Leadership Conference to Discuss Emerging Trends in Emergency Management, Collaborate with Public, Private Sector before Next…

For Immediate Release: February 19, 2014

Media Contact: Mary Simms, mary.simms@fema.dhs.gov

FEMA, Arizona Host Leadership Conference to Discuss Emerging Trends in Emergency Management, Collaborate with Public, Private Sector before Next Disaster
Microsoft, Verizon, Facebook to Attend along with Many More

Phoenix, Ariz., — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in concert with the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) will today host its third annual FEMA Region 9 Public-Private Sector Leadership Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Perception vs. Reality.”

“Engaging with partners to share thoughts and tactics on how to improve government and private sector collaboration benefits community preparedness while also protecting economic resilience,” said Nancy Ward, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 9. “The ability to initiate and strengthen linkages to the often untapped resources of the ‘Whole of Community’ is of paramount importance.”

The Public-Private Sector Leadership Conference affords representatives of the public, private and nonprofit sectors the opportunity to network, share best practices, and generally learn and benefit from the emergency management experiences of the “Whole Community.” Administrator Ward and ADEM Director Wendy Smith-Reeve will deliver this year’s keynote addresses.

“Events like this conference are an important outreach to our present and future partners,” said Director Smith-Reeve. “We want to inspire the public, private and nonprofit sectors to actively engage in Whole Community emergency management.”

“Whole Community” is an approach to emergency management that reinforces the fact that FEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team; that we must leverage all of the resources of our collective team in preparing for, protecting against, responding to, recovering from and mitigating against all hazards; and that collectively we must meet the needs of the entire community in each of these areas. This larger collective emergency management team includes, not only FEMA and its Federal partners, but also local, tribal, state and territorial partners; non-governmental organizations like faith-based and non-profit groups and private sector industry; to individuals, families and communities, who continue to be the nation’s most important assets as first responders during a disaster.

Today’s conference aims to improve public and private sector capabilities to integrate, collaborate and work together. Another primary goal is to provide a networking framework in order to develop relationships prior to a crisis throughout Region 9.

The event is being held today, Feb. 19, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Allen Readiness Center, 5636 E. McDowell Rd, Phoenix, Arizona, 85008.

For those unable to attend the conference in person, Cisco WebEx will webcast the event at https://fedgov.webex.com/fedgov/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=994177562. The password to attend the event is: welcome.

To view the agenda and additional event details please visit: http://goo.gl/NuyCz6. The event hashtag is #PPP2014AZ.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femaregion9.

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FEMA, Arizona Host Leadership Conference to Discuss Emerging Trends in Emergency Management, Collaborate with Public, Private Sector before Next…

FEMA Awards $1.1 Million to Arkansas for 2012 Christmas Day Storm

DENTON, Texas – More than $1.1 million is being awarded to the state of Arkansas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse Saline County for debris removal costs from a 2012 Christmas Day winter storm.

The FEMA grant was approved after it was determined that the project for removing debris, including hanging limbs in the county required additional funding. The federal share of the $1,100,760 is 75 percent of the project’s total of $1,467,681. FEMA awards funding for projects directly to the state of Arkansas; the state then forwards the grant to the eligible applicant.

To date, FEMA has awarded more than $8.5 million to Arkansas for the Dec. 25-26, 2012 storm that received a presidential declaration on Jan. 29, 2013. The majority of the public assistance funding was for emergency work totaling more than $6.3 million, while the remaining $2.1 million paid for permanent work.

The mission of FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program is to provide assistance to state, tribal and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the president.

Through the PA Program, FEMA provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations.

Learn more about FEMA’s Public Assistance program online www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.

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FEMA Awards $1.1 Million to Arkansas for 2012 Christmas Day Storm

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