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FEMA Encourages Communities to Participate in National PrepareAthon! Day

America’s PrepareAthon! Campaign Offers Simple, Specific Actions Americans Should Know and Practice to Prepare For a Disaster in their Community

WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) encourages individuals, families, workplaces, schools and organizations across the nation to take part in America’s PrepareAthon!, a national day of action that will take place September 30. America’s PrepareAthon! is a community-based campaign to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through participation in hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises every fall and spring. To register, individuals and organizations can visit www.ready.gov/prepare.

According to a recent survey conducted by FEMA, 50 percent of Americans have not discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of Americans have not participated in a preparedness drill or exercise, aside from a fire drill at their workplace, school or home in the past two years.

“Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “America’s PrepareAthon! is about practicing what to do in an emergency with enough regularity so that it becomes second nature when the real disaster actually happens.”

To encourage more Americans to prepare and practice, the campaign offers easy-to-implement preparedness guides, checklists and resources. These tools help individuals, organizations and entire communities practice the simple, specific actions they can take for the emergencies disasters relevant to their area. Examples include:

Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to your smartphone. Stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit www.ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how to search for local alerts and weather apps relevant for hazards that affect your area.
Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place. Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit www.ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.
Create an emergency supply kit. Bad weather can become dangerous very quickly. Be prepared by creating an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. Visit www.ready.gov/kit for more ideas of what to include in your kit.
Develop an emergency communication plan for your family. It’s possible that your family will be in different locations when a disaster strikes. Come up with a plan so everyone knows how to reach each other and get back together if separated. Visit http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan for communication plan resources.

Managed and sponsored by the Ready Campaign each September, National Preparedness Month is designed to raise awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses and places of worship, culminating with the National Day of Action. America’s PrepareAthon! was established to provide a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness as directed in Presidential Policy Directive-8. The campaign is coordinated by FEMA in collaboration with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations.

More information about America’s PrepareAthon!, including how to register, is available at ready.gov/prepare.

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FEMA Encourages Communities to Participate in National PrepareAthon! Day

When You See the Yellow School Bus, Think Preparedness

Eatontown, N.J. — September is the time of year when those big yellow school buses start making their rounds, offering safe passage to school for millions of kids across the nation.

For parents, teachers and school administrators, keeping children safe and protected is a priority.

That’s why it’s important to let your children know that life may throw some surprises their way, but with a little planning and support, we can handle them.

The most important thing families can do to keep their balance when something upsets the family routine is to create a communications plan so that all members of the family know how to reconnect during a storm or other disaster.

Here are a few tips on reducing the worry and stress that naturally arises when you’re unable to get in touch with those you love:

Complete a contact form for each member of your family that includes name, address, home phone numbers and work and cell numbers for family members. Include the name of a neighbor or relative who is willing to respond in an emergency.

Agree on a meeting place in your neighborhood as well as out of town, where family members can gather should you be unable to go home.

Identify a family member or friend who lives out-of-state who can act as a central contact for household members to notify that they are safe. It may be easier to make an out-of-town call than to get a local connection.

Be sure that every member of your family knows the phone number of that contact person, has a cell phone or carries change or a prepaid phone card to be used in an emergency.

Each member of the family can program an “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) number in their phone. If you or are a family member is injured, emergency personnel can use that number to contact your family or friends. Be sure to alert the person you choose that you are designating him or her as your emergency contact.

Teach family members how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or Short Message Service) on their cell phones. Text communications can often get through when phone calls do not.

Subscribe to alert services. Many communities relay emergency messages to residents via phone calls, e-mails and text alerts. Check with your local Office of Emergency Management to sign up for the service.

Once you have created your family communication plan, practice your plan once or twice a year. That way, should an actual disaster happen, they’ll be comfortable with the routine and ready to act.

A little preparation can go a long way in helping your family stay safe and connected during an emergency. So when you see that yellow school bus, think of it as a reminder to plan and practice your family communications plan for emergencies.

For downloadable emergency contact cards and more information on developing a Family Communication Plan, view http://www.ready.gov/family-communications.

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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When You See the Yellow School Bus, Think Preparedness

Be Disaster Aware. Take Action to Prepare. National Preparedness Month Launches September 1

CHICAGO –September is National Preparedness Month, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages everyone to make disaster preparedness a priority.

“National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder that we all need to prepare for disasters and emergencies,” said FEMA Region V acting regional administrator, Janet Odeshoo. “Make disaster readiness manageable by taking one step at a time— start by learning your specific risk, then gather supplies for an emergency kit, and finally develop a family communications plan. By taking these small, but critical, steps, over time you can be prepared for disasters.”

Severe weather and other emergencies can strike with little or no warning and can have disastrous impacts. Already this year, the Midwest has experienced several waves of destructive severe storms, including the severe flooding in parts of Minnesota. Additionally, other parts of the country are currently fighting flooding and other emergencies that threaten the infrastructure people depend on every day. Whether at home or on the go, everyone should learn the steps necessary to make preparedness part of their everyday life.

“As a nation we are seeing disasters increase in their size and complexity, and they are occurring with greater frequency,” said Odeshoo. “The impacts of these events are a reminder that everyone should be prepared for the hazards faced in their communities or even while traveling. Make preparedness a priority for your family today and help encourage a culture of preparedness in your community.”

Throughout the month, FEMA will offer tips to help you be disaster ready, including ways you can stay safe during a disaster and steps you can take to protect yourself and your family when traveling. Follow FEMA Region V online at twitter.com/femaregion5 and www.facebook.com/fema, to receive the latest preparedness updates.

For detailed information about how to be ready for severe weather in your area, including a list of items you will want to have in your emergency kit, visit http://www.ready.gov/, or our Spanish site at www.listo.gov.

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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Be Disaster Aware. Take Action to Prepare. National Preparedness Month Launches September 1

Ten Years Later: Remembering Hurricane Frances

ATLANTA – September 5 marks 10 years since Hurricane Frances hit Florida and brings timely reminders to be prepared for hurricanes.

Floridians were still recovering from Hurricane Charley as Frances bore down on the east coast of Florida three weeks later. Frances was as big as the state of Texas and twice the size of Charley. As Frances moved slowly over the ocean and approached the coast, orders were given and 2.8 million residents of 41 Florida counties evacuated—the largest evacuation in Florida’s history since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Frances made landfall on Florida’s east coast as a Category 2 hurricane early on September 5, crossed the Florida Peninsula, and later that night made a second landfall in the Big Bend region.

While Hurricane Frances is remembered for the evacuation, situations requiring people to leave their homes, can happen without warning. Hurricanes may give residents a day or two to move to a safer location, but a fire, chemical spill or transportation accident may require immediate evacuation. Many disasters allow little time for people to gather even the most basic necessities, which is why planning now is essential.

Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare

September marks National Preparedness Month, and this week’s anniversary of Hurricane Frances is an opportune time to plan how to ‘Reconnect and Reunite with Family Following a Disaster.’ Take time this week to talk with your family about where you will meet and how you will contact each other if separated. Develop plans, including knowing your evacuation zone and routes, ahead of the next severe storm. Information to help you make a family emergency plan is at www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov. Start your plan today! National Preparedness Month culminates on September 30 with America’s PrepareAthon! Check out the information and plan to participate.

Following Hurricane Frances, FEMA provided:

Nearly $412 million in grants to more than 229,500 applicants through the Individuals and Households Program for lodging expenses, rental assistance, minor home repairs and other needs assistance;
Nearly $2.5 million for Disaster Unemployment Assistance;
More than $649 million for emergency protective measures, or for the repair or replacement of public infrastructure and public utilities;
More than $99 million in funding for mitigation projects to help reduce damage from future storms.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provided:

More than $227 million in low-interest disaster loans to nearly 11,000 renters and homeowners;
More than $200 million to nearly 2,000 businesses.

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Ten Years Later: Remembering Hurricane Frances

Recent Report Highlights Need for Greater Focus on Preparedness Planning for Households

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Ad Council release new PSAs
as part of the national Ready campaign to encourage families to create a plan

WASHINGTON – Fifty percent of Americans have not discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster, according to a 2014 national survey conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA and the Ad Council launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) today as an extension of their national Ready campaign to encourage parents to develop an emergency preparedness plan. The new PSAs are unveiled in time for the 11^th annual National Preparedness Month (NPM), which begins on September 1.

“The first step to preparing for disasters is simple and it’s free – talk to your family and make a plan,” said Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator. “Do you know how you’ll reunite and communicate with your family during an emergency? Through our continued partnership with the Ad Council, this year’s campaign illustrates how making a plan can keep families together and safe during a disaster.”

Created pro bono by New York-based advertising agency Deutsch Inc., the new creative includes English- and Spanish-language TV, radio, outdoor, print and digital PSAs that depict the aftermath of a disaster and show two families: one family who have all found each other safely at a shelter they earlier designated as their meeting place, and one set of parents who are frantically searching for their son. Through these PSAs, families are faced with the harsh reality of what can happen when you do not have an emergency plan in place before a disaster or emergency strikes. The PSAs direct audiences to know where to find their families when a disaster strikes and to start their emergency plans at Ready.gov and www.Listo.gov, which have extensive resources for preparing for emergencies.

“Our Ready campaign with FEMA exemplifies the power of advertising in influencing both awareness and behavior change,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “While we have significantly increased the numbers of families who have taken key steps to be more prepared, there are still too many who do not have a plan in place. These conversations about what to bring and where to go are integral and can impact your family’s safety in the event of an emergency or disaster.”

Since its launch in 2003, the campaign has received more than $1 billion in donated media. The campaign has also helped to generate over 71 million unique visitors to Ready.gov.

“We are excited to continue our work with the Ad Council and FEMA to create conversations and encourage people to have a plan in place in case of an emergency,” said Val DiFebo, CEO, Deutsch NY. “This year’s campaign will elicit heart-stopping reactions from parents—and that is our goal—to motivate parents into action to create emergency plans for the safety of their families. Speaking as a parent, there is nothing more frightening than being apart from your family in an emergency situation. We are honored to be part of this very important mission.”

Managed and sponsored by the Ready Campaign, National Preparedness Month is designed to raise awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses and places of worship. In partnership with Citizen Corps, emergency preparedness officials and the Ad Council, National Preparedness Month is an opportunity to disseminate emergency preparedness information and host sponsor activities across the country to help Americans understand what it truly means to be ready. This year, each week throughout September will have a different theme, which will focus on emergency preparedness topics such as how to plan for specific needs before a disaster, how to build an emergency kit, how to practice for an emergency and this year’s PSA campaign theme—how to reconnect with a family after a disaster. This year’s campaign culminates with a day of action, National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30, when people in communities across the nation will practice what to do in advance of an emergency. Practicing a preparedness action in advance of a disaster makes you better prepared to handle any emergency you may encounter.

The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to media outlets nationwide this week, and the PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space donated by the media.

More information on the campaign and National Preparedness Month is available by visiting Ready.gov/September or by following the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

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Recent Report Highlights Need for Greater Focus on Preparedness Planning for Households

July Anniversaries are an Important Reminder to Prepare for Wildfires

DENVER – This month marks two key wildfire anniversaries which serve as an important reminder that families need to take proactive steps to protect themselves and their property against wildfires.

Twenty years ago on July 2, 1994, lightning sparked a fire on Storm King Mountain, just west of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The South Canyon Fire started out slowly, covering just three acres over two days. Then due to several factors including available vegetation, slope of the terrain and wind, the fire began a high-intensity, fast-moving front. While fighting the blaze, 14 firefighters lost their lives.

July 9, 2014 marked the 25th Anniversary of the Black Tiger Fire in Boulder County, Colorado. The human-caused fire swept through residential areas, destroying 44 homes and burning almost 2,100 acres. At the time, the Black Tiger Fire was the worst wildland fire loss in Colorado history. As people continued to build in the Wildland Urban Interface, the Black Tiger Fire underscored the importance of homeowners taking steps to protect their homes against wildfires. The lessons learned from the Black Tiger Fire were a catalyst for many of the current recommended mitigation measures established by firefighting organizations.

In recognition of both anniversaries, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region want you to prepare yourself, your family and your property for wildfires. Taking steps to mitigate not only protects you and your family, but also helps reduce risk to firefighters and other first responders.

Understand your Risk:

To determine your property’s risk, contact your local fire department. They will be able to provide specific information about your community’s hazards, and may be able to offer an individual assessment on your home.
If you live in Colorado, you may also check your property’s risk at the Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal

Protect your Property:

Create defensible space around your property:
- Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks – and don’t use these areas for storage of flammable items. This helps prevent embers from igniting these materials.
- Keep lawns hydrated and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
- Remove flammable materials within five feet of the home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch the house, deck or wood fencing.
- Reduce vegetation surrounding the home’s perimeter from a 5 foot to 30 foot area and manage vegetation there to 200 feet or the property line, depending on the area’s wildfire risk.
- The National Fire Protection Association’s “basics of defensible space and the home ignition zone” page on the Firewise site provides these and other steps to help homeowners prepare their properties to resist wildfire.

Prepare Yourself and Your Family:

Build an Emergency Kit and make a Family Communications Plan. Visit www.ready.gov for preparedness checklists.
During a wildfire, listen to local evacuation orders. Do not wait to see what will happen! Due to many variables, including winds, wildfires can change course and speed quickly.

For information on the current wildfire threat, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s Monthly Wildland Fire Potential Outlook. For additional information on wildfire mitigation resources, visit FEMA Region VIII’s Wildfire Mitigation Resources Page or www.firewise.org/wildfire-preparedness.

A timeline of some of the most significant wildfires within the six-state region covered by FEMA’s Denver regional office is available at FEMA Region VIII’s Wildfire Timeline Page.

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July Anniversaries are an Important Reminder to Prepare for Wildfires

Being Prepared for Disasters Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

Here in Alabama, residents are no strangers to natural disasters. Civic histories of many cities and towns throughout the state include references to natural disasters such as fires, tornadoes and hurricanes.

Alabamians know they must be prepared. Every home should have a smoke alarm; every home should have an emergency supply kit packed and ready.

What not everyone realizes, however, is that being prepared doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster preparedness website, www.ready.gov is a destination site for information about getting your family prepared for a disaster.

“FEMA urges residents of every community in every state to Be Informed, Have a Plan and Prepare a Kit,” said Albie Lewis, federal coordinating officer for the Alabama recovery. “Each of these may be critical in a family’s ability to recover from disaster. A family preparedness kit, particularly, is one of the most important tools at your disposal to keep your family safe in a disaster.”

Commercially available disaster kits can range from $75 to $300 and up, but most of the pieces of a disaster kit already may be in the home and just need to be gathered together and stored in one place.

“The rule of thumb for residents who are survivors of a disaster is that they should be prepared to take care of their family’s needs for the first 72 hours after a disaster strikes,” says Art Faulkner, director of Alabama’s Emergency Management Agency. “It may take that long for responders to get to you.”

FEMA recommends that an emergency preparedness kit include food and water for each member of the family for three days, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight, spare batteries, first aid kit, non-electric can opener, local maps and personal sanitation items such as hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, toilet paper, garbage bags and plastic ties.

Water supplies should be sufficient to meet both health and sanitation needs.

Family emergency kits also should include important family documents such as wills or property deeds, personal identification and any prescription medicines a family member may be taking.

Other items to consider include sleeping bags or blankets, paper towels, books, puzzles and games for children, pet food and medications for family pets.

It’s helpful to have cash in case banks are closed and there is no power for ATMs.

The emergency supplies can be stored in an easy-to-carry plastic storage container or duffel bag, making them easy to grab and go when an emergency forces people to leave their home.

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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/. For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

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Being Prepared for Disasters Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

As Recovery Centers Transition, Help Continues

EVERETT, Wash. – Starting Monday, May 12, local, state and federal representatives will continue to meet individually with SR530 Slide survivors at the Snohomish County Family Resource Center in Darrington.

At the center, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will operate a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC). SBA representatives will continue to answer questions, explain the application process, help homeowners, renters and owners of businesses of all sizes apply for low-interest disaster loans.

Address:

Snohomish County Family Resource Center
1075 Fir St.
Darrington, WA 98241

Hours of operation:

Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SBA’s low-interest, federal disaster loans are available to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations to repair or replace property damaged or destroyed by the disaster. So far, SBA has approved more than $700,000 in low-interest disaster loans to residents and businesses.

SBA provides federal low-interest disaster loans up to $200,000 to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses of any size and private, nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to homeowners and businesses to help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses and most private, nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered property damage from the explosion.

Snohomish County has opened a Disaster Information Office in Darrington. The office will be a resource information site; no services will be delivered from this location. To learn more, click: http://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/2358/Resources.

Address:

Disaster Information Center
1075 Darrington St.
Darrington, WA 98241

Hours of operation:

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Through Saturday, May 10 at 6 p.m., disaster survivors can continue to meet individually with local, state and federal representatives at the three recovery centers that have operated since April 7.

Disaster Recovery Center addresses:

Arlington Dept. of Public Works
154 West Cox Ave.
Arlington, WA 98223

Oso Fire Station (Snohomish County Fire Protection District 25 – parking lot)
21824 State Route 530 NE
Arlington, WA 98223

Darrington Ranger District Office (parking lot)
1405 Emens Ave. North
Darrington, WA 98241

Hours of operation:

Monday through Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Survivors can also ask questions about the disaster assistance process and check the status of their FEMA registration by calling the Washington State Other Needs Assistance help line, (800) 688-3469, or the FEMA help line: (800) 621-3362 or TTY (800) 462-7585.

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As Recovery Centers Transition, Help Continues

FEMA and NOAA: Floods Happen Everywhere, Be Prepared

During Flood Safety Awareness Week, March 16 to 22, 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 floods and encourage others to do the same.

Floods are the most common — and costliest — natural disaster in the nation affecting every state and territory. A flood occurs somewhere in the United States or its territories nearly every day of the year. Flood Safety Awareness Week is an opportunity to learn about flood risk and take action to prepare your home and family.

“Many people needlessly pass away each year because they underestimate the risk of driving through a flooded roadway,” said Louis Uccellini, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “Survive the storm: Turn Around Don’t Drown at flooded roadways.”

“Floods can happen anytime and anywhere,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Take steps now to make sure your family is prepared, including financial protection for your home or business through flood insurance. Find out how your community can take action in America’s PrepareAthon! with drills, group discussions and community exercises at www.ready.gov/prepare.”

Our flood safety awareness message is simple: know your risk, take action, and be an example. The best way to stay safe during a flood and recover quickly once the water recedes is to prepare for a variety of situations long before the water starts to rise.

• Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand that flooding can happen anywhere and 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 at weather.gov. Now is the time to be prepared by ensuring you have real-time access to flood warnings via mobile devices, weather radio and local media, and avoiding areas that are under these warnings. Visit ready.gov/alerts to learn about public safety alerts and visit floodsmart.gov to learn about your flood risk and flood insurance available.

• Take Action: Make sure you and your family members are prepared for floods. You may not be together when weather strikes, so plan how you will contact one another by developing your family communication plan. Flood insurance is also an important consideration: just a few inches of water inside a home can cost tens of thousands of dollars in damage that typically will not be covered by a standard homeowner’s insurance policy. Visit Ready.gov/prepare and NOAA to learn more actions you can take to be better prepared and important safety and weather information.

• Be an Example: Once you have taken action, tell family, friends, and co-workers to do the same. Technology today makes it easier than ever to be a good example and to share the steps you took to become weather-ready.

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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FEMA and NOAA: Floods Happen Everywhere, Be Prepared

Severe Weather Safety: What You Need to Know

CHICAGO – Severe weather can happen anytime, anywhere.

Spring flooding is common throughout Minnesota—whether along the Red River, Mississippi, or another one of the state’s many bodies of water. In addition, communities in Minnesota regularly face severe storms and tornadoes that leave behind costly damages for residents to recover from. Everyone should be ready for these risks.

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 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 is also important to take the time to assure you’re fully insured. Remember, homeowners insurance typically does not cover flood damage, and there is a 30-day waiting period before a flood policy becomes effective. Contact your insurance agent to review your insurance coverage so your home is financially protected.

“Over the past several years, Minnesota has been significantly impacted by costly flooding and dangerous tornadoes,” 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.”

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-weather or download the free FEMA app, available for Android, Apple or Blackberry devices.

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 Weather Safety: What You Need to Know

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