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FEMA Supporting West Virginia Response Efforts Urges Residents in Affected Area to Listen to Local Officials

PHILADELPHIA – The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through its regional office in Philadelphia, Pa., continues to work in close coordination with the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to support state and local efforts to ensure public health and safety, in response to emergency conditions resulting from a chemical spill in Charleston, West Virginia on Thursday.

This morning, President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration making federal disaster assistance available to West Virginia to supplement state and local response efforts in Boone, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam and Roane counties to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Earlier today, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson spoke with West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin to convey concern for those impacted by this incident and to make sure there were no unmet needs as the response continues.

FEMA has identified a regional staging area in Charleston, West Virginia. FEMA will deliver more than a million liters of water, which is currently on its way from FEMA’s distribution centers in Cumberland and Frederick, Maryland, to the area for use by the state as needed.

In support of state and local response efforts, a FEMA liaison and an Incident Management Assistance Team are on site in Charleston, and a Mobile Emergency Response team is en route to help coordinate assistance to the state as needed. In addition, FEMA’s Regional Response Coordination Center in Philadelphia is activated to support coordination efforts and assist in mobilizing resources.

“We urge those in the affected area to continue to follow the direction of local officials,” FEMA Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney emphasized. “Monitor local radio and TV reports for the latest emergency information.”

Residents can follow The West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at www.twitter.com/wvdhsem and www.facebook.com/WVDHSEM .

At all times, FEMA maintains commodities, including millions of liters of water, millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of blankets, strategically located at distribution centers throughout the United States that are available to state and local partners if needed and requested.

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 Supporting West Virginia Response Efforts Urges Residents in Affected Area to Listen to Local Officials

Volunteer Agencies Continue the Colorado Recovery Process

Main Content

Release date:

December 10, 2013

Release Number:

NR-105

DENVER, CO – Volunteer agencies are the fuel for every recovery after a disaster and nowhere is that more evident than today in Colorado after September’s severe weather.

FEMA is only one part of a large team working to address Colorado survivors’ unmet needs.

Today, Coloradans are donating to hundreds of charities by participating in Colorado Gives. To donate, go to ColoradoGives.org

Survivors who have unmet needs and require additional support as they continue their recovery should call 2-1-1 Colorado. This independent resource is free, confidential and provides multi-lingual services that refer callers to non-emergency health and human services. It’s a collaboration of eight organizations hosting six call centers across the state.

2-1-1 Colorado is also available if you want to make a donation to your community or look for volunteer opportunities. Referrals are also available by dialing 2-1-1.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has established web portal helpcoloradonow.org/ to coordinate donations and volunteers. Cash is preferred because it offers the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover.

Last Updated:

December 10, 2013 – 19:02

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Colorado

Related Disaster:

Colorado Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Volunteer Agencies Continue the Colorado Recovery Process

FEMA Monitoring Severe Weather in the Midwest; Urges Residents to Follow Direction of Local Officials

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through its regional offices in Chicago and Kansas City, is monitoring severe weather, including strong tornadoes, that continues to impact the Midwest and staying in close coordination with officials in affected and potentially affected states. Earlier today, FEMA elevated its National Watch Center in Washington, D.C. to a 24/7 enhanced watch, and has deployed liaisons to support state emergency operation centers in a number of impacted states.

“Residents should continue to monitor weather conditions as they develop and follow the direction of local officials,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Be prepared for power outages and dangerous road conditions as a result of downed power lines and flooding – remember if you encounter a flooded road while driving, turn around, don’t drown.”

Since before the storm system developed, FEMA has been in close coordination with state and local partners through its regional offices. FEMA’s Region V Administrator, Andrew Velasquez III, has been in close contact with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the Wisconsin Emergency Management Agency, the Michigan Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security regarding the potential impacts in those states.

FEMA has deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) to support the State of Illinois. FEMA also has deployed liaison officers to emergency operations centers in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and additional liaison officers are on standby and ready to deploy, if requested. FEMA is in continued contact with its emergency management partners in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

According to the National Weather Service, numerous fast-moving thunderstorms, capable of producing strong tornadoes along with widespread damaging winds and large hail, will move across portions of the middle Mississippi and Ohio Valley region and the southern Great Lakes region for the remainder of today into this evening.

Visit www.ready.gov to learn more about what to do before, during, and after severe weather. Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind should severe weather occur in your area:

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a tornado hazard.
- A tornado watch means a tornado is possible in your area.
- A tornado warning is when a tornado is actually occurring, take shelter immediately.
Ensure your family preparedness plan and contacts are up to date and exercise your plan.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to get prepared for tornadoes and other disasters. Determine in advance where you will take shelter in case of a tornado warning:
- Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection. If underground shelter is not available, go into an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible.
- In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they attract debris.
- Vehicles, trailers and mobile homes are not good locations to ride out a tornado. Plan to go quickly to a building with a strong foundation, if possible.
- If shelter is not available, lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, 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.

Original link –

FEMA Monitoring Severe Weather in the Midwest; Urges Residents to Follow Direction of Local Officials

November Is Critical Infrastructure Security And Resilience Month

WILLISTON, Vt. – It usually takes a disaster like Tropical Storm Irene – which knocked out roads, electricity, water, and communications – to remind us how important our infrastructure is to our communities and our way of life.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is urging Vermonters to become more aware of critical infrastructure and the need to protect it from disasters or other hazards.

President Barack Obama has declared November Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, and officials say disasters like Irene and this year’s flooding events demonstrate the importance of expanding and reinforcing critical infrastructure security and resilience.

“The memory of Irene is still strong in Vermont,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “Now is a good time to think about how important our transportation, communication, and utility infrastructure is and what we can do to protect it.”

Critical infrastructure is the systems that form the backbone of America’s national and economic security, including the electric grid, communications structures, transportation systems, and utilities like water and sewer, as well as the cyber-security of these systems.

“In this day and age, protecting critical infrastructure means more than safeguarding electric substations or bridges,” said Ross Nagy, Deputy Director of the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “It also means ensuring that the control systems for these facilities are safe from cyber-attack or human error that could disrupt crucial networks.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security – FEMA’s parent agency – urges all Americans to do their part in ensuring critical infrastructure security and resilience by doing the following:

Learn about steps you can take to enhance security and resilience in your businesses and communities and how to handle certain events.
Make a plan with your families to keep your loved ones safe.
If you run a business, make a plan to keep your employees and community safe and enhance your ability to recover operations quickly. If you are an employee, ask your management whether there are plans in place and get a copy.
Report suspicious activity.

To learn more visit: http://www.dhs.gov/critical-infrastructure

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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.

Link –

November Is Critical Infrastructure Security And Resilience Month

Alaskans Encouraged to Prepare for Extreme Winter Threats

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska’s winters can bring deep cold, high winds, floods, avalanches and more. The key to surviving any unexpected weather hazard is preparation, according to state and federal emergency management officials.

“We urge all Alaskans to plan ahead for the dangerous threats our winters bring,” said State Coordinating Officer Bryan Fisher of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Advance preparation is key to remaining self-reliant and ensuring the safety of our families during hazardous situations.”

Every part of Alaska is vulnerable to natural disasters. Wind-driven waves from intense storms crossing the Bering Sea produce coastal flooding that can drive large chunks of sea ice inland, destroying buildings near the shore.

High winds, especially across Alaska’s Arctic coast, can combine with loose snow to produce a blinding blizzard and life threatening wind chills. Extreme cold and ice fog can last a week or more at a time.

Heavy snow can impact the interior and is common along the southern coast. Heavy snow accumulation in the mountains builds glaciers, but can also cause avalanches or collapse building roofs throughout the state.

“Although there are just three steps to preparing for emergencies, folks tend to put off getting them done,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont of FEMA. “One easy approach is to make preparation a family project for just an hour or two over a couple of weekends.”

The three easy steps to prepare for winter disasters in Alaska are:

Step 1 – Make a Plan:

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another and what each of you will do in case of an emergency.
Decide on an emergency plan together. Keep information handy that isn’t easy to remember and store it in a safe place. Make a game or song to help younger children memorize important information.
Pick one friend or relative for each person to call to help your family get connected if you become separated. An out-of-town contact is best because long-distance phone service is less likely than local service to be affected by an emergency.
Know where you will meet. Pick a meeting place for when family members are at home and find out the evacuation locations for work, school, day care and other place family members often go.
Write down important information for all family members – name, social security number, date of birth and important medical information. Collect telephone numbers for doctors and pharmacies, along with critical health, homeowner and/or rental insurance information.

Step 2 – Get a kit of emergency supplies:

You may need to rely on your own supplies for at least seven days, maybe longer. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately, especially in rural parts of Alaska. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewer and telephones could be cut off for days or longer.
Remember to include unique family needs like pet supplies, infant formula and medicines. Store these items in easy-to-carry bags or bins. Consider two kits – one for home and a second lightweight, portable kit to keep in your car.
Both kits should include a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. Thoroughly check and update your family’s emergency supply kit for winter weather.

Step 3 – Stay informed:

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected during Alaska’s winters are the same regardless of the type of emergency. However, it’s important to stay informed about the emergency that may affect your family.
Listen to a NOAA weather radio or local news broadcasts for critical information about changing weather conditions.
Follow instructions from local authorities. Above all, stay calm, be patient and think before you act.

With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected during Alaska’s unpredictable winters. Learn more at http://ready.alaska.gov and http://www.ready.gov.

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Alaskans Encouraged to Prepare for Extreme Winter Threats

President Declares Disaster for Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of June 26 to July 11, 2013.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding in Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Fayette, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lawrence, Venango, and Wayne counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties in the Commonwealth.

Donald L. Keldsen has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Keldsen said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the commonwealth and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

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

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President Declares Disaster for Pennsylvania

President Declares Major Disaster for Santa Clara Pueblo

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the Santa Clara Pueblo and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribe’s efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of July 19-21, 2013.

Federal funding is available for the Santa Clara Pueblo and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work as a result of the severe storms and flooding.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Tribe.

Nancy M. Casper has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. Casper said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribe and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

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President Declares Major Disaster for Santa Clara Pueblo

President Declares Major Disaster for Karuk Tribe

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the Karuk Tribe and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribe’s efforts in the area affected by a wildfire during the period of July 29 to August 2, 2013.

Federal funding is available to the Karuk Tribe and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the wildfire.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Tribe.

Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr. has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. DeBlasio said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribe and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema ; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

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President Declares Major Disaster for Karuk Tribe

California To Receive FEMA Funding For The Falls Fire In Riverside County

OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the state of California combat the Falls Fire currently burning in Riverside County.

On August 5, 2013, the state of California submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Falls Fire. The authorization of that request makes FEMA funding available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire.

At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 1,050 primary residence homes in and around the City of Lake Elsinore, the community of Lakeland Village, and the gated community of Rancho Capistrano. The State of California has further reported that the fire at one point burned in excess of 1,200 acres of federal, state and private land.

The President’s Disaster Relief Fund provides funding for federal fire management grants made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible costs covered by the grant can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.

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California To Receive FEMA Funding For The Falls Fire In Riverside County

President Declares Disaster for Texas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Texas to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by an explosion during the period of April 17–20, 2013.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the explosion in McLennan County.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Kevin L. Hannes has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Follow FEMA online at 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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President Declares Disaster for Texas

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