FEMA, State Broadcasters and Emergency Managers to Test the Emergency Alert System in Six New England States

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with state, local, and tribal emergency managers and state broadcasters’ associations, will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, in six New England states.  The test will begin at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), and will last approximately one minute. 

The voluntary EAS test will be seen and heard over many radio, television and cable stations in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The EAS test might also be seen and heard in upper New York State if the public normally receives any broadcasts from nearby New England stations.  The word “national” will be added to the test message: “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.” 

“The EAS test message will be sent to radio and television stations using a National Periodic Test code that sounds and appears like the regular monthly EAS tests conducted by state officials and broadcasters,” said Roger Stone, Acting Assistant Administrator of FEMA’s National Continuity Programs. “FEMA is working to specify a method for conducting periodic nationwide EAS tests using the National Periodic Test code in the near future.”

The test is designed to have limited impact on the public, with only minor disruptions of radio and television programs that normally occur when broadcasters regularly test EAS in their area. There is no Federal Commissions Commission regulatory liability for stations that choose not to participate. 

The test will assess the operational readiness of FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) infrastructure that will distribute the national-level EAS test message to radio, television and cable operations from origination to reception by public.  It will verify the functionality of EAS stations to receive and broadcast a national test message.  The test requires that radio and television stations make a minor configuration change to their station EAS equipment to receive and process the National Periodic Test code message from the IPAWS system.

In 2007, FEMA began modernizing the nation’s public alert and warning system by integrating new technologies into existing alert systems.  The new system is known to broadcasters and local alerting officials as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System or IPAWS.  IPAWS connects public safety officials, such as emergency managers, police and fire departments to multiple communications channels to send alerts to the public when a disaster or other imminent danger occurs. 

More information on the Public Alert and Warning System and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is available at www.fema.gov/ipaws or www.ready.gov/alerts. For more information on IPAWS, visit www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/31814.

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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 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, State Broadcasters and Emergency Managers to Test the Emergency Alert System in Six New England States

Stay Prepared: Hurricane Season Doesn’t End with Summer

Eatontown, N.J. —  Hurricane season officially begins each year on June 1, but unlike firemen’s fairs, cookouts and fun at the beach, the season for hurricanes doesn’t end along with the summer.

As a new school year begins, now may be a good time to check your stock of batteries, bottled water and other emergency supplies that may be needed should New Jersey experience an autumn hurricane.

While storm frequency tends to peak in August and September, hurricane season in the United States extends to November 30, and while the risk of a Thanksgiving storm may seem remote, it could happen.

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy only missed it by a few weeks.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey as a tropical cyclone on October 29, flooding coastal communities, taking down trees, tearing up infrastructure and demolishing homes and businesses throughout the state. Forty New Jersey residents lost their lives.

Two years later, the ongoing expenses of repair, rebuilding and recovery from Sandy have made it the second costliest storm in United States history after Katrina, an August 29 storm that devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Like Sandy, many of the most destructive storms in United States history have occurred after Labor Day, causing massive loss of life and property damage in the billions.

On September 8, 1900, a category 4 hurricane engulfed Galveston Island, Texas. Storm tides as high as 15 feet swept away homes and businesses, killing an estimated 8,000 people.

On September 18, 1920, a category 4 hurricane bearing the highest sustained winds ever recorded at that time slammed into Miami Beach and downtown Miami. Believing the storm was over, thousands of people emerged from their homes during a half-hour lull at the eye of the storm and were trapped without shelter as it regained its ferocity. Every building in downtown Miami was either damaged or destroyed and hundreds of people were killed. The storm then crossed into the Gulf of Mexico, where it destroyed virtually every pier, vessel and warehouse on the Pensacola coast.

In the end, more than 800 people were reported missing after the storm and though records are incomplete, the Red Cross recorded 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries as a result of the hurricane.

On September 20 and 21, 1938, a fast-moving hurricane struck the Mid-Atlantic and New England with such force that thousands of people were taken by surprise. On Long Island, some 20 people watching an afternoon movie at a local cinema were swept out to sea and drowned. One of the victims was the theater’s projectionist. In downtown Providence, Rhode Island, flood waters rapidly flooded streets, submerging automobiles and street cars as their occupants fled to the high floors of office buildings to escape drowning. The record-breaking storm was responsible for 600 deaths, causing $308 million in damage in the midst of the Great Depression.

On October 14, 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Calabash, North Carolina, inundating the coastline with an 18-foot storm surge on a lunar high tide. When the storm passed, only 5 of 357 buildings in Long Beach, North Carolina were still standing. The Raleigh, North Carolina Weather reported that “all traces of civilization on the immediate waterfront between the state line and Cape Fear were practically annihilated.” Nineteen people were killed in North Carolina, with several hundred more injured; 15,000 homes were destroyed and another 39,000 were damaged.

On September 11, 1960, Hurricane Donna barreled across Florida, then traveled east through North Carolina, the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, causing $387 million in damage in the United States and $13 million elsewhere along its path.

Accounts like the ones above illustrate the importance of making a plan to protect your family and property from the potentially devastating effects of a hurricane or tropical storm.

With that in mind, why not take a minute to inventory your emergency supplies and schedule a trip to the store to stock up on items that you may need in an emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website, www.ready.gov, has as wealth of information on how to plan, prepare and protect your family should another disaster like Sandy occur in the coming months.

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 www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, 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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Stay Prepared: Hurricane Season Doesn’t End with Summer

Hurricane Sandy: The New London Harbor Lighthouse Recovers

When Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Connecticut coast last October, the New London Harbor Lighthouse, built in 1801, found itself in a vulnerable spot. Standing at attention where the Thames River meets the eastern edge of the Long Island Sound, there was nothing to protect the lighthouse from Hurricane Sandy’s severe lashing. Members of the New London Maritime Society, the lighthouse’s current stewards, anxiously awaited the passing of the storm to survey the damage.

When the skies cleared and the waves receded the lighthouse itself emerged stoic as ever, but the wreckage at its feet was significant. A masonry walkway that bridged the rocky gap from the Keeper’s house to the lighthouse, and a brick seawall bordering the property were clobbered by waves, which resulted in disastrous structural damage.

Without the funds to repair the estimated $42,255 in damage, the New London Maritime Society applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

One year later, with the application approved and $31,691.25 in FEMA funds, Susan Tamulevich, Executive Director at the New London Maritime Society’s Custom House is happy to report that the rebuilding of the walkway is all but finished. She explained that the city of New London gave them granite curbing for the rebuilding of the walkway, which is now very strong, level, and smooth. “It’s so level that someone in a wheelchair can now enter the lighthouse, which wasn’t possible before,” said Susan. She noted that previously there was one steep step and an uneven surface leading to the lighthouse door.

The New London Maritime Society has a $10,533.75 bill left over after the federal share of 75 percent is taken care of, but Susan plans to sell the bricks from the damaged sea wall to raise the money. Work on the sea wall is slated to begin in two weeks.

The lighthouse has weathered many hurricanes in its 212 years, including the hurricane of 1938, which was one of the top ten deadliest hurricanes to make landfall in the U.S. Today the lighthouse still serves as an aid to navigation, as well as a long-loved attraction for school groups, tourists, and local appreciators. Susan was happy to note that the New London Harbor Lighthouse is featured in the U.S. Postal Service’s New England Lighthouses stamp collection this year, prompting many new visitors this past summer.
 

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Hurricane Sandy: The New London Harbor Lighthouse Recovers

New England: One Year After Hurricane Sandy

BOSTON – One year ago today, on October 29th, 2012, the Northeast braced for impact as Hurricane Sandy came barreling toward our coastline. Although New England was spared the brunt of the storm, residents and businesses along the shores of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire suffered severe damages from wind and water, many losing homes and livelihoods. Towns along the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island were nearly impassable after the storm, roadways choked with debris and sand from a significant storm surge that swept through beachfront communities.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to work closely with its partners to help individuals and communities recover from Hurricane Sandy.

In the past year over $125.9 million in FEMA funding has been obligated toward Hurricane Sandy recovery in New England:

Individual Assistance

More than $15.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency grants approved for individuals and households region-wide, which includes:

Connecticut:

  • More than $13.8 million for housing assistance
  • More than $1.1 million for other needs assistance

Rhode Island

  • $378,748 for housing assistance
  • $42,592 for other need assistance

More than $51.6 million in Small Business Administration disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses in Connecticut.

More than $285.3 million in National Flood Insurance Program payments made to policy holders. Including:

Connecticut

  • More than $249.5 million paid to flood insurance policy holders

Rhode Island

  • More than $35.8 million paid to flood insurance policy holders

Public Assistance

More than $59.1 million in Public Assistance grants to reimburse local, state and tribal governments and eligible private nonprofits region-wide for some of the costs of:

  • Emergency response
  • Debris removal
  • Repairing or rebuilding damaged public facilities

The committed efforts of  many additional federal, state and local agencies and organizations continue to assist  states, towns, communities and individuals in the recovery process.

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New England: One Year After Hurricane Sandy

Learn to Reduce Storm Damage this Saturday at Home Depot

FEMA joins Home Depot Stores for Hurricane Preparedness Days

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–With memories of the 2012 hurricane season and Hurricane Sandy’s October wrath still lingering, FEMA is partnering with Home Depot stores to promote hurricane preparedness to help homeowners be safe and reduce their property damage from the next storm.     

FEMA mitigation specialists and Home Depot associates will be at the Bellingham, Mass., Home Depot, 229 Hartford Avenue, from 9:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. this Saturday educating concerned homeowners on how to make their homes stronger and safer.      

Using a see-through, disaster avoidance model house, FEMA staff will demonstrate the use of hurricane straps and stronger building materials to prepare homes to better withstand the forces of a hurricane. 

Subject matter experts will also help customers create an emergency preparedness kit, choose the best generator for their needs, and identify the different types of alerts and wind speeds associated with hurricanes. 

Hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, but hurricanes have been known to pay no attention to dates. The 2005 season was the most active hurricane season on record with 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes. The last named storm in 2005, Zeta, formed on Dec. 29 before dissipating a week later in 2006.    

The National Weather Service has forecast an active hurricane season for 2013, and so far the season is proving them right. 

Tropical Storm Andrea made landfall in Florida barely six days into the hurricane season.  Right on her heels was Tropical Storm Barry that went ashore near Veracruz, Mexico.  Tropical Storm Chantal formed in early July and slammed the Caribbean for two days before losing her strength to wind shear.  This year’s fourth named storm, Tropical Storm Dorian, has already formed in the Eastern Atlantic and appears headed for the Caribbean.  It may be only a matter of time before Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle or one of the following storms tracks the paths of Irene and Sandy to New England.

More than 700 Home Depot stores along America’s coastlines will be participating in Hurricane Preparedness Days in their areas.  For more information on the Hurricane Workshops, go to https://myapron.homedepot.com or  email Ashley_townsend@homedepot.com.  

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.

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Learn to Reduce Storm Damage this Saturday at Home Depot

Floods Happen: Protect Your Home & Family

Tropical Storm Irene, Hurricane Sandy, and severe snow and rain storms in New England illustrate our region’s vulnerability to damage at the hands of nature. While New England’s states, cities and towns work to rebuild and clean up after these events, we urge you to prepare your home and family for future storms, and to practice smart risk management. Anticipating disasters while putting plans and insurance in place can help you protect homes, businesses, and finances, and recover more quickly.

Sandy survivors know all too well that one damaging storm can wipe out a home’s history of durability, and cause flooding in areas that seemed safe from harm. Flooding is a major risk for both coastal and inland communities in New England, and many residents need to have flood insurance – an important piece of risk management and preparedness.

Last year Congress passed the Biggert Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 with the goals of making the National Flood Insurance Program more financially stable, and more accurately identifying flood risks. This reform means rate increases for many policyholders living both inland and on the coast.  Now is the time to find out how this law impacts you:

  • You may be required to purchase flood insurance, even if you weren’t required to in the past. Floodplain maps which are used to determine flood risks are being revised with the use of better science and technology, and structures which were not formerly in the high hazard flood  areas might now be in harm’s way based on the new mapping data.
  • Flood insurance rates are increasing annually for older buildings in the high hazard floodplain zones. Find out if this will affect you and your property.

To find out how these changes will affect you, start by taking these steps:

  • Contact your local town government to determine if you’re in the floodplain:
  • Find out if you or your community are eligible for federal grants to help pay for elevating or modifying your home
  • Contact your insurance agent to learn about options for protecting your home and family:
  • Ask about premium quotes and Elevation Certificates, and consider the annual premium savings that elevating or modifying your home may provide.
  • Find out how your community can save you some of the cost of flood insurance – learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System here.

For more information about recent changes to the National Flood Insurance Program, and how those changes may affect you, click here. To find out more about risk management visit 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

Continue at source: 

Floods Happen: Protect Your Home & Family

FEMA Continues to Monitor Midwest Severe Weather: Residents should remain vigilant as weather continues to move through the area

CHICAGO – As severe storms and flooding continue to impact several states throughout the Midwest, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region V office continues to monitor the situation and urges all residents to remain vigilant, and take extra caution as severe weather threatens.

FEMA Region V has maintained close contact with state emergency management officials, and continues to work with federal partners, including the National Weather Service, to monitor the severe weather moving through the Midwest. The National Weather Service forecasts that the storm system that brought hazards to the Central U.S. is moving to the eastern third of the nation.  Severe weather is likely from Florida to the Northeast U.S. and mixed wintry weather is also expected for part of the Great Lakes and into northern New England.

When natural disasters, such as severe storms and flooding occur, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations and the private sector who provide emergency assistance that may be needed to protect the public’s health and safety and to meet immediate needs.

FEMA encourages those in the areas affected or potentially affected by these storm systems to monitor local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information, and to follow the instructions of state, tribal and local officials.

 Residents whose homes are impacted by flooding should:

  • Document damages and keep track of expenses incurred;
  • Contact their insurance company to report damage/file a claim;
  • With extreme caution, take actions available to limit the damage to personal items such as remove them from the basement or raise them off the floor.

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. 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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FEMA Continues to Monitor Midwest Severe Weather: Residents should remain vigilant as weather continues to move through the area

New England States Urged To Be Aware Of Flood Dangers

BOSTON – With some areas already experiencing bouts of spring flooding, emergency management officials are urging New England residents to stay informed about the potential hazards of flooding.

As part of National Flood Awareness Week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve public awareness.

The agencies’ goal is to improve understanding about flood risk among individuals, families, businesses and communities.  Knowledge and the right precautions can protect families, homes and finances.

“New Englanders are generally aware of the hazards of seasonal and coastal flooding, but Hurricanes Irene and Sandy certainly opened peoples’ eyes regarding flash flooding,” said FEMA Region I Acting Administrator Paul Ford. “The value of an emergency plan and a flood insurance policy for your home or business – even if it is not in a flood-prone area – is now apparent.”

Floods are the most common hazard in the United States.  However, not all floods are alike. Floods typically occur when too much rain falls or snow melts too quickly.  Chunks of ice from a thawing river can block its normal flow and force water out of its banks. While some floods develop slowly, flash floods develop suddenly. 

Hurricanes can bring flooding to areas far inland from where they first hit the coast, as we witnessed two years ago from the devastating impacts of Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, and last year from Hurricane Sandy.

There are simple steps citizens can take today to reduce their risk to all types of floods.  Flood Safety Awareness Week is an excellent time for people and communities to learn about their flood risk and implement precautions to mitigate the threat to life and property.

One of the most dangerous elements of a flood is floodwaters covering roadways, and the public is urged to never attempt driving through them.  Many people lose their lives every year by attempting to drive through flood-covered roadways.

NOAA will issue the 2013 U.S. Spring Outlook and flood assessment on March 21.

For more information on flood safety tips and information, visit www.ready.gov/floods or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov For information on how to obtain a flood insurance policy, visit www.floodsmart.gov

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

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New England States Urged To Be Aware Of Flood Dangers

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.

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