FEMA, State Broadcasters and Emergency Managers to Conduct a Test in Four States of the Emergency Alert System

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with state and tribal emergency managers and state broadcasting associations, will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The test will begin at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will last approximately one minute. 

“The goal of the test is to assess the operational readiness and effectiveness of the EAS to deliver a national emergency test message to radio, television and cable providers who broadcast lifesaving alerts and emergency information to the public,” said Damon Penn, Assistant Administrator of FEMA’s National Continuity Programs. “The only way to demonstrate the resilience of the system’s infrastructure is through comprehensive testing to ensure that members of tribes, and the residents of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee, receive alerts when an emergency occurs.”

The test will be seen and heard over radio and television in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee, similar to regular monthly testing of the EAS conducted by state officials and broadcasters. The test message will be nearly identical to the regular monthly tests of the EAS normally heard by public. Only 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 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. Broadcasters and cable operators’ participation in the test is completely voluntary. There is no Federal Communications Commission regulatory liability for stations that choose not to participate.

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 warn when a disaster happens. For more information, please 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 Conduct a Test in Four States of the Emergency Alert System

Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

More than 440,000 in Missouri to Participate in Nationwide Drill            

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With just one week to go, communities throughout Missouri are preparing for the fourth annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, scheduled for October 16 at 10:16 a.m. 

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are occurring in more than 45 states and territories — nationwide more than 19 million people are expected to participate in the activity.  During the drill, participants simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

  • DROP to the ground
  • Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, or cover your head/neck with your arms, and
  • HOLD ON until the shaking stops

The ShakeOut is free and open to the public.  Participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies and many other groups. See the list of all the participants in Missouri at, www.shakeout.org/centralus/participants.php?start=Missouri. The goal of the program is to engage individuals to take steps to become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters. 

“Participating in this drill is a quick, simple thing we should all do—at work, at home, alone or with family or co-workers—to prepare for earthquakes,” said Regional Administrator Beth Freeman, FEMA Region VII. “When we practice ‘drop, cover and hold on’ it makes it more likely we will react appropriately during an earthquake and that can and does save lives.”

States participating in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Interested citizens, schools, communities, businesses, etc. are encouraged to visit http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/register to register to participate and receive instructions on how to hold their earthquake drill. On social media, information about the drill is being provided on Twitter through www.twitter.com/CentUS_ShakeOut. In addition, www.twitter.com/femaregion7 and others are tweeting earthquake safety tips and drill information using the hashtag #ShakeOut.

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its other Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills began in California in 2008 and have expanded each year since then.

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Visit FEMA Region VII online at www.fema.gov/region7. Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, 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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Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

Federal Aid Programs for Kentucky Declaration

Federal Aid Programs for Kentucky Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

September 30, 2014

Release Number:

HQ-14-083-FactSheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Assistance for the Commonwealth and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, taken to save lives and protect property and public health.  Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, commonwealth administered.)
  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, commonwealth administered.)
  • Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, tribal and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.  (Source: FEMA funded, commonwealth administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

  • Application procedures for the commonwealth and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/commonwealth applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the commonwealth from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

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

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.

Related Content:

President Declares Disaster for Kentucky

Last Updated:

September 30, 2014 – 19:58

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Kentucky

Related Disaster:

Kentucky Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

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Federal Aid Programs for Kentucky Declaration

President Declares Disaster for Kentucky

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 Kentucky to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides during the period of August 18-23, 2014.

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 by the severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in Floyd, Johnson, Knott and Pike counties. 

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

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

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. 

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.

Excerpt from:

President Declares Disaster for Kentucky

FEMA Region IV Designated StormReady

ATLANTA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region IV office in Atlanta became the first FEMA office to earn the National Weather Service’s StormReady designation.

Forecasters from the weather service presented the designation to FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May Monday during the Regional Interagency Steering Committee meeting with the region’s eight state emergency management agencies and federal response partners.

“Disaster preparedness is important at every level, from the federal government all the way to each and every member of the public,” May said. “We’re proud to set a good example in our community and we hope that others follow us as we work to become a more resilient nation.”

StormReady is a nationwide program of the weather service that helps communities and organizations to protect their citizens during severe weather, and encourages a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations.

“We are continuously working to get more communities and organizations into the StormReady program,” said NWS Peachtree City Meteorologist in Charge Keith Stellman. “Our goal is that all communities and government installations will take the steps necessary to become StormReady which will in turn mean our residents will be better prepared when severe weather threatens their area.”

The FEMA Region IV campus includes four buildings in the greater Atlanta area, as well as a facility in Thomasville, Ga. And Biloxi, Miss. Less than 30 government facilities nationwide have the StormReady designation.

To be recognized as StormReady, the following criteria must be met:

  • Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center.
  • Have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public.
  • Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally.
  • Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars.
  • Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

For more information about StormReady visit www.stormready.noaa.gov.

FEMA Region IV comprises the eight states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

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FEMA Region IV Designated StormReady

More than $3.5 Million Awarded to Kentucky to Reduce Future Flood Damage: FEMA Grants will Fund Projects in Kenton and Jefferson Counties

ATLANTA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved two grants which will help communities in Kentucky take steps to reduce future flood damage.

The first grant of more than $1.6 million will be used to remove 24 residential properties from flood-prone areas along the Banklick Creek in Kenton County, Ky. The properties are located in high-risk areas of flooding, causing them to be vulnerable to dangerous and costly flood damage. After the properties are acquired, they will be demolished and the land will be returned to a natural state to function as a floodplain for Banklick Creek. The land will have a conservation easement and will be transferred to Kenton County.  The total project cost is nearly $2.2 million, which includes the federal share and the remainder will come from non-federal sources.

The second grant of more than $1.8 million will be used to eliminate existing flooding and loss of service to Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s Healthcare System (JHSMH) in Jefferson County, Ky. The project includes elevating portions of the parking lot so that it will no longer be flood-prone and to make channel improvements adjacent to the hospital.  The total project cost is nearly $2.5 million, which includes the federal share and the remainder will come from non-federal sources.

The grants are awarded through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which provides funding to communities to implement long-term mitigation measures to reduce loss of life and property as a result of natural disasters. FEMA will obligate funding for these projects directly to the Commonwealth for it to manage and disburse to the communities. 

“This funding reflects all levels of emergency management working together so that people and structures are better protected from dangerous and costly flood damage.” said FEMA Southeast Regional Administrator Phil May. 

HMGP funds are made available following a major disaster declaration, such as the one for Kentucky after the August 2009 severe storms and flooding.  The HMGP is authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 

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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More than $3.5 Million Awarded to Kentucky to Reduce Future Flood Damage: FEMA Grants will Fund Projects in Kenton and Jefferson Counties

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut helps Tennessee Prepare for Earthquakes

ATLANTA – In two days, more than 2.5 million people are expected to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake drill.

The ShakeOut will be held Thursday, February 7 at 10:15 a.m. local time.  It is a multi-state earthquake drill for millions of people to simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

  • DROP to the ground
  • Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
  • HOLD-ON to it until the shaking stops

Although people living in this part of the country haven’t experienced many earthquakes, scientists estimate that there is a 25-40 percent probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in the central U.S. within a 50-year timeframe. 

Thursday’s drill marks the anniversary of the last of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes, a series of at least three magnitude 7-8.0 quakes that struck in the winter of 1811-12 and affected many parts of this region.  If it happened today, an earthquake would cause injury and loss of life, and widespread damage and disruption to the nation’s economy and built environment.

Anyone can sign up to participate in Thursday’s drill at shakeout.org/centralus. The website offers many resources for participants to use including:

  • Drill Manuals
  • Audio and Video Drill Broadcasts
  • Earthquake Scenarios and more

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, its Member and Associate States, FEMA, the U.S. Geological Survey and many other partners.  States participating include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

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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The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut helps Tennessee Prepare for Earthquakes

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut helps Mississippi Prepare for Earthquakes

ATLANTA – In two days, more than 2.5 million people are expected to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake drill.

The ShakeOut will be held Thursday, February 7 at 10:15 a.m. local time.  It is a multi-state earthquake drill for millions of people to simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

  • DROP to the ground
  • Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
  • HOLD-ON to it until the shaking stops

Although people living in this part of the country haven’t experienced many earthquakes, scientists estimate that there is a 25-40 percent probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in the central U.S. within a 50-year timeframe. 

Thursday’s drill marks the anniversary of the last of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes, a series of at least three magnitude 7-8.0 quakes that struck in the winter of 1811-12 and affected many parts of this region.  If it happened today, an earthquake would cause injury and loss of life, and widespread damage and disruption to the nation’s economy and built environment.

Anyone can sign up to participate in Thursday’s drill at shakeout.org/centralus. The website offers many resources for participants to use including:

  • Drill Manuals
  • Audio and Video Drill Broadcasts
  • Earthquake Scenarios and more

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, its Member and Associate States, FEMA, the U.S. Geological Survey and many other partners.  States participating include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

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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The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut helps Mississippi Prepare for Earthquakes

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut helps Kentucky Prepare for Earthquakes

ATLANTA – In two days, more than 2.5 million people are expected to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake drill.

The ShakeOut will be held Thursday, February 7 at 10:15 a.m. local time.  It is a multi-state earthquake drill for millions of people to simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

 

  • DROP to the ground
  • Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
  • HOLD-ON to it until the shaking stops

 

Although people living in this part of the country haven’t experienced many earthquakes, scientists estimate that there is a 25-40 percent probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in the central U.S. within a 50-year timeframe. 

Kentucky Emergency Management Director John Heltzel said, “Earthquakes cannot be predicted and can occur anywhere at any time, which is why it is important to know what to do when one occurs. The ShakeOut is a great opportunity for people, and families, to practice and prepare.”

Thursday’s drill marks the anniversary of the last of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes, a series of at least three magnitude 7-8.0 quakes that struck in the winter of 1811-12 and affected many parts of this region.  If it happened today, an earthquake would cause injury and loss of life, and widespread damage and disruption to the nation’s economy and built environment.

Anyone can sign up to participate in Thursday’s drill at shakeout.org/centralus. The website offers many resources for participants to use including:

  • Drill Manuals
  • Audio and Video Drill Broadcasts
  • Earthquake Scenarios and more

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, its Member and Associate States, FEMA, the U.S. Geological Survey and many other partners.  States participating include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

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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The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut helps Kentucky Prepare for Earthquakes

FEMA Grants More Than $2.5 Million To Kentucky To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

ATLANTA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that a grant of more than $2.5 million will be awarded to the Kentucky Division of Water in support of its floodplain mapping program.

FEMA will provide $2,521,438 in federal funds toward projects to improve existing flood insurance rate maps and flood risk data, which will strengthen local communities’ ability to understand and communicate their flood risk and make informed decisions about flood risk reduction.

The Kentucky Division of Water will develop and support production of flood maps and a flood insurance study report for the Lower Kentucky Watershed, including Anderson, Boone, Bourbon, Boyle, Carroll, Casey, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Jessamine, Kenton, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Owen, Rockcastle, Scott, Shelby, Trimble and Woodford counties.  In addition, flood risk data will be developed for portions of the Licking River Watershed, including Bath, Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Elliott, Fleming, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Pendleton, Robertson, Rowan and Wolfe counties.  This funding will also help the following communities identify areas at risk for flooding and solutions for reducing that risk: the Lower Cumberland watershed, including Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon, Todd and Trigg counties.

Flood maps and flood risk data are being updated for communities across the country with the ultimate goal of protecting property owners and the community from the risks associated with flooding. This is a collaborative process, during which FEMA works closely with states and local communities to incorporate the latest and most accurate information into flood risk products.

Flood risks can change over time due to factors such as construction and development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and other natural or manmade changes—which is why it’s important that flood maps and flood risk data are updated periodically to reflect these changes. Additionally, the information developed for these projects will be more precise because the latest science available is applied in gathering flood risk data and creating flood maps.

Updated flood maps and flood risk data will ultimately assist local area governments in planning for future development and rebuilding efforts.

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 Grants More Than $2.5 Million To Kentucky To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

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