National Hurricane Survival Initiative

Saving Lives & Minimizing Damage -- Is your community prepared?

Column: For hurricane season, keep a hand-crank or battery-powered radio at the ready

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Article Written By: Craig Fugate

All Floridians should have a battery-operated or hand-crank broadcast radio in their hurricane emergency supply kit. That’s a key lesson I’ve learned from a career spent in public safety, including nearly eight years as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It is easy for Americans to trust that their smart phone, the internet or pay-TV will be there when they need critical information when disaster strikes. Time and again, though, we see cellular networks go down or become congested. Our cable or satellite TV system is knocked offline. The power goes out and we are left in the dark, literally and figuratively.

That happened to me in Gainesville during Hurricane Irma — the power went out, taking out my cable and with it went the internet. My cellular data stopped working. Good thing I had a battery-powered radio. It was the only news source I had.

Last year was a wake-up call. Americans watched as Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas’ Gulf Coast and caused unprecedented flooding. Hurricane Irma tore a path that left millions of residents in the dark from Florida up the Atlantic Coast. And, in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, Hurricane Maria caused devastation from which residents are still recovering and its effects may be felt for decades to come.

As we approach the heart of hurricane season, Americans should heed the lessons from last year and prepare themselves. And they need to know where to find live, local and detailed information during times of crisis. Knowing what is going on, where to find help and how to avoid trouble can make the difference between staying safe or getting caught in a dangerous situation.

That is why – from a career spent in public safety, including nearly eight years as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency – I believe all Americans should have a battery-operated or hand-crank broadcast radio in their emergency supplies. Local broadcasters remain our communities’ most important “first informers,” working closely with public safety officials at every level to keep Americans updated on the situation. During last year’s hurricanes, local radio and TV stations went wall-to-wall with coverage, providing critical information about evacuation plans, places of aid for those in need and how to avoid disease for those stuck in their homes.

Yet, despite broadcast radio’s role as a source of lifeline information, many Americans fail to include a broadcast radio in their emergency plans. Thankfully, an innovative feature can turn many smartphones into an FM radio receiver during times of emergency, without having to stream over the internet or waste excessive battery life.

Mobile devices have for years been manufactured with FM radio chips which, when paired with headphones acting as an antenna, allows users to tune to local radio broadcasts even when a cellular network goes down. Though a popular feature in the rest of the world, many wireless carriers in the United States kept these FM chips deactivated until relatively recently.

The 2017 hurricanes showed radio-enabled smartphones can play a significant role in keeping people safe. Radio listenership on smartphones exploded in Texas and South Florida as hurricanes Harvey and Irma barreled down on the areas, allowing residents to use their mobile devices to get the latest updates about the storm from their local radio stations. In the Tampa Bay area, the NextRadio app — which enables over-the-air radio listening — had more than eight times more listeners on the Sunday before the storm hit than the previous week. Before a storm hits, test to see if your smartphone has this capability.

If you have an iPhone, you’re out of luck.

While the rest of the wireless industry has recognized the public safety benefits of radio-enabled smartphones — and despite calls from newspapers, lawmakers and even the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission — Apple continues to resist this innovative public service.

Americans need more access to lifeline information when disaster strikes — information local radio stations provide day-in and day-out. I strongly urge Apple to do the right thing and equip iPhones with FM radio capability. In the meantime, have that radio ready.

Craig Fugate served as FEMA administrator from May 2009 to January 2017. Previously, he served as Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Emergency Management director from 2001 to 2009.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/Column-For-hurricane-season-keep-a-hand-crank-or-battery-powered-radio-at-the-ready_169489997

3 Steps Businesses Can Take to Survive Disasters

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When disasters like hurricanes strike, affected businesses sometimes never reopen. NHSI and FEMA have resources that can help businesses prepare to survive disasters.

The National Hurricane Survival Initiative encourages businesses to partake in emergency planning because 40 percent of small businesses that close due to hurricane disaster do not reopen. In order to prevent your communities’ businesses from becoming a statistic, the NHSI encourages creating a Business Survival Planduring the annual National Hurricane Preparedness week that happens in the second week of May.

The initiative guides businesses to address employee safety and property, as well as company information. A Business Survival Plan is a tool that can serve in most types of disasters, but the agency also encourages reviewing the plan before the annual hurricane season begins.

The Business Survival Plan includes the following three key steps.

Step 1: Protect Property

  • Invest in and install shutters or plywood in order to protect windows and doors from wind borne-debris.
  • Have the roof of your building evaluated to ensure it can withstand a storm.
  • Remove any branches or trees adjacent to your building that could potentially fall and damage it.
  • Sandbag any area that is subject to flooding.
  • Anchor and brace any large furniture (bookcases, shelves, filing cabinets) to wall studs.
  • Relocate any valuable or fragile possessions.
  • Secure all utilities including water heaters, gas tanks and heaters and if necessary, raise them to higher locations to avoid water damages.
  • Secure electronics such as computers and other office equipment with straps or Velcro.
  • Turn off all the utilities prior to a hurricane making landfall if possible.

Step 2: Protect Important Information

  • Designate important contacts to save that are crucial to business operations, such as employees, banks, lawyers, accountants, suppliers, etc.
  • Back-up paper documents that are not easily produced such as insurance documents, legal contracts, tax returns and accounting statements to avoid water damage.
  • Seal these documents in waterproof containers onsite.
  • Save all your designated contacts and documents in an alternate, accessible off-site location.

Step 3: Keep a Preparedness Checklist

The below items should be gathered in one location at your place of business should a storm hit while you are on premises. This will help protect the safety of your employees should disaster strike during regular working hours and without ample notice.

  • Battery operated radio or television
  • Non-perishable three day food supply for you and your employees
  • Three day supply of water for you and your employees (One gallon of water per person, per day)
  • Coolers and containers for water and washing
  • Blankets, pillows, cots and chairs
  • First Aid Kit and first aid manual
  • Flashlights, batteries, light-sticks
  • Tool kit (basic tools, gloves, etc.)
  • Camera and film for documenting damages
  • Whistle/signal flare to signal for help
  • Tarps, plastic bags, duct tape
  • Cleaning supplies, including mops, towels and garbage cans
  • Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers
  • Electric generator
  • Gas for vehicles, generators and other equipment
  • Cash, ATM cards, credit cards proper identification
  • Emergency contact information such as the nearest hospital and police, along with:
    • 9-1-1
    • Small Business Administration: 1-800-359-2227
    • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Tele-registration hot-line: 1-800-462-9029
    • Insurance company and agent’s contact information

NHSI also advises on choosing and communicating to employees a back-up operations location if damage occurs.

Access the original business disaster survival checklist on the NHSI website.

Review and download FEMA’s business survival plan guidance, with recommendations that reflect the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Standard (NFPA 1600) developed by the National Fire Protection Association and endorsed by the American National Standards Institute and the Department of Homeland Security:
Business Booklet 12pg 2014 by Ed Praetorian on Scribd

Review and download FEMA’s Private Sector Preparedness Program’s Business Protections Toolkit:
FEMA PS-Prep Toolkit by Ed Praetorian on Scribd

Source: https://efficientgov.com/blog/2018/05/11/3-steps-businesses-can-take-survive-disasters/

Puerto Rico Not Prepared for Another Disaster as Hurricane Season Nears, FEMA Chief Says

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As the start of Puerto Rico’s hurricane season nears, a U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official warns the territory is not prepared for another disaster and that it will take up to an estimated $50 billion to help rebuild.

FEMA Administrator Brock Long said Friday that his agency aims to make homes, roads, roads, the electrical grid and other infrastructure as strong as possible, but noted that hurricane season begins June 1.

“We’re running out of time,” he said during a visit to Puerto Rico, adding that much of the island’s infrastructure collapsed. “We have a long way to go.”

Long said his agency also is coordinating a June 14 planning and training exercise with Puerto Rico’s government in which life-saving supplies will be delivered to the island’s 78 municipalities to ensure better response times for any upcoming storms. Cities and towns will be allowed to store those supplies for future disasters.

FEMA and local government officials already have stockpiled more than 15.6 million liters of water and more than 2.8 million meals in five warehouses across the island in the event of another disaster. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said late Friday that FEMA also approved more than $53 million in community disaster loans for 12 of the island’s 78 municipalities.

Long stressed that Puerto Rico’s public and private sectors have to build a strong emergency response network and establish unified plans.

“FEMA cannot be directly responsible for all of the response and recovery,” he said.

He also said the private sector should ensure that communication systems become more resistant. Maria left nearly all of Puerto Rico without phone service after the Category 4 storm hit on Sept. 20.

Long defended his agency from ongoing criticism that it did not respond quickly enough to the hurricane or dedicate the same amount of resources compared with other natural disasters in the U.S. mainland.

“(That’s) completely false,” he said, adding that in the first six months since Maria hit, FEMA invested $10 billion in Puerto Rico, in contrast to the $6 billion invested in the six months after Hurricane Katrina.

He said his agency is working to reduce bureaucracy but needs to ensure that federal funds will be spent appropriately.

“Recovery never moves as fast as people want it to be,” he said. “And in this case, moving faster can be detrimental from the standpoint of putting this money to work in a manner that truly makes Puerto Rico stronger and more resilient.”

Mike Byrne, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer in Puerto Rico, said he is working with the U.S. territory’s government to determine how federal funds will be used to identify priorities and rebuild damaged infrastructure.

Byrne said some of the money will go toward strengthening the island’s power grid since the storm destroyed two-thirds of its distribution system.  More than 50,000 power customers remain in the dark, but he said 96 percent of all customers now have electricity.

“We’ve done the Band-Aid,” he said. “We’ve patched the system back together.”

Long said the recovery process has been slow in part because supplies ranging from construction equipment to power poles have been scarce in light of the natural disasters that hit the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands last year.

Officials said FEMA will have a presence in Puerto Rico for several years to help it rebuild.

Source: https://weather.com/news/news/2018-04-09-puerto-rico-hurricane-season-nears-maria

Services Available for Hurricane Irma Survivors with Disabilities, Access Needs

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Disaster survivors with disabilities or access and functional needs affected by Hurricane Irma can find many resources to assist in applying for federal disaster assistance.

Services for access and functional needs

FEMA offers services and technologies to support survivors with disabilities and access and functional needs through the disaster assistance process. FEMA can provide sign language interpreters and materials in alternate formats (such as Braille, large print and electronic formats) upon request. FEMA has amplified telephones, phones that display text and amplified listening devices for people with hearing loss. Magnifiers are available for people with vision loss.

Accessible Disaster Recovery Centers

Disaster Recovery Centers are accessible facilities survivors can visit to speak face-to-face with representatives from the state, FEMA, SBA, and other recovery partners. The centers are equipped with accessibility kits that offer accommodations to meet the needs of the entire community, including people with disabilities and other access and functional needs. Video Remote Interpreting is available at the centers and in-person sign language is available by request. DRCs also have accessible parking, ramps and restrooms. To locate the nearest center, use the FEMA mobile app, visit www.fema.gov/drc or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or VRS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY).

Accommodations

If FEMA is participating in a local event, anyone has the right to request reasonable accommodations to support their communication needs. FEMA can provide services such as sign language interpretation and captioning if a request is made through the meeting or event host. For notice events, contact information will be provided to request reasonable accommodations.

FEMA speaks many languages

In addition to accommodating survivors with disabilities, FEMA also reaches out to people with limited English proficiency by providing multilingual operators, making printed literature available in multiple languages and having translators available in the field. Information on the registration process is also available in American Sign Language at www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/videos/111546.

Survivors who need a translator to assist with registration can visit a disaster recovery center where a FEMA employee will facilitate getting the appropriate translator through a special internal phone line.

Registering with FEMA

FEMA Individual Assistance is available to disaster survivors in five Georgia counties affected by Hurricane Irma: Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Coffee, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh.

The quickest way to apply for federal assistance is online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA mobile app.

Survivors may also register by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or VRS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Lines may be busy. Try calling in the morning or evening when call volume may be lower. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, seven days a week.

Have this information ready when you apply:

  • Social Security number
  • Address of the damaged home or apartment
  • Description of the damage
  • Information about insurance coverage
  • A current contact telephone number
  • An address where you can receive mail
  • Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of fundsApplicants will receive a unique registration number, which will verify their identity to FEMA during recovery. The deadline to apply for disaster assistance in Georgia is Nov. 14.

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

SBA Disaster Loans an important part of the process

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers low-interest, long-term disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofits.

After registering with FEMA, survivors who are referred to SBA, should complete the loan application even if they do not plan to accept a loan. It is a step in the federal disaster assistance process. Applicants who do not qualify for a home loan may become eligible for grant assistance from FEMA. Loans do not have to be accepted if offered.

Homeowners, renters and businesses can find an electronic loan application on the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Questions can be addressed by calling the SBA disaster customer service center at 800-659-2995 or (TTY) 800-877-8339 or www.sba.gov/disaster.

Source: https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/09/29/services-available-hurricane-irma-survivors-disabilities-access-needs

Federal Agencies Continue Hurricane Maria Response and Relief Operations

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its partners continue to provide life-saving and life-sustainment resources to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while aggressively working to restore power and communications, and reestablish port operability to allow increased access for additional commodities and personnel into disaster-affected areas. Several airports are opened on the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, currently limited to flights to address the governors’ main priorities, life-saving resources.

Today, FEMA Administrator Brock Long, joined by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Tom Bossert and Department of Homeland Security Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate Chris Krebs, visited the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  The leaders met with both Governors Mapp and Rosselló, along with FEMA personnel, for an update on the current situation and each governor’s priorities, and to assess the progress of response and recovery efforts underway.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports the ports of Guayanilla, Salinas, and Tallaboa are fully open, and the ports of San Juan, Fajardo, Culebra, Guayama, and Vieques are open with restrictions in Puerto Rico. The ports of Crown Bay, East Gregerie Channel, West Gregerie Channel, and Redhook Bay on St. Thomas, the ports of Krause Lagoon, Limetree Bay, and Frederiksted on St. Croix, and the port of Cruz Bay on St. John are open with restrictions. Other ports are undergoing assessments.

In Puerto Rico, five flights are scheduled to arrive today with mobile communications, helicopters, and medical teams and equipment. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, 11 flights are scheduled to arrive Monday with 200,000 meals, 144,000 liters of water, and tarps. Barge movements are scheduled to arrive with over 70,000 tarps, vehicles and relief cargo.

Eight FEMA Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) task forces continue to conduct operations in Puerto Rico. To date, the US&R teams rescued 516 lives and two pets, while searching over 2,500 structures. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is continuing their search and rescue operations, and continues working to restore radio communication towers in the Caribbean.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, supported by federal responders from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and FEMA, worked to re-energize the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix. They are continuing service to the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix and the Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas. Response crews are deployed for the clean-up of fallen poles, transmission lines, and other damaged equipment, in support of the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority and Department of Public Works. A team of federal personnel from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a part of the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as additional personnel from the Department of Defense and FEMA, are on St. Thomas to support damage assessments and power restoration efforts across the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Federal Efforts Underway as of September 25, 2017   

  • The American Red Cross is working with government partners to distribute meals and water. Red Cross disaster responders from Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Finland, Denmark, and Spain are in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Florida helping with relief efforts.
  • U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
    • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has more than 670 personnel engaged. Temporary Emergency Power assessments are underway in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With 83 generators in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and nine generators are installed. An additional 186 generators are en route to the impacted area. USACE deployed debris experts to assist local authorities with debris management strategies in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
    • The U.S. National Guard Bureau (NGB) is responding to Hurricane Maria’s devastation with more than 2,500 Guard members on the ground in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Priorities for the National Guard are moving food and water to those in need, augmenting local law enforcement to ensure community safety, and providing engineer support to help rebuild essential infrastructure.
      • In Puerto Rico, the National Guard is continuing to improve island communications. Four Joint Incident Site Communications Capability stations are there, and two more are currently en route, with others being sourced. They are also coordinating lifesaving search and rescue operations in affected communities.
      • In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the National Guard reopened St. Croix’s airfield to receive critical supplies, and is facilitating reopening of sea ports as well. They are also clearing and repairing roads, manning and securing distribution points and shelters, and providing power generators to support critical infrastructure.
    • The U.S. Northern Command’s (NORTHCOM) USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group conducted a combined eight medical evacuations, 148 airlifts, and delivered 44,177 pounds of relief supplies and cargo to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The DoD returned the mobile communications tower to enhance air traffic control capabilities at St. Thomas International Airport.
      • U.S. Air Force strategic airlift missions more than doubled between Saturday and Sunday, and will remain high over the coming days delivering critical supplies and capabilities to Puerto Rico. Eight C-17 Globemaster aircraft are delivering relief supplies and a Disaster Management Assessment Team to San Juan as they continue to support the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Air Force is also further increasing airport throughput capacity in San Juan by assisting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with air traffic control repairs. The Air Force’s strategic airlift also conducted three aeromedical evacuation missions from St. Croix to Dobbins Army Reserve Base, the patient reception area for the Atlanta Federal Coordinating Center.
      • The U.S. Transportation Command is moving additional personnel and equipment to include eight U.S. Army UH-60 helicopters from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, to the San Juan, Puerto Rico International Airport to increase distribution capacity.
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is coordinating with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), FEMA, and industry to transport crews to the island to support damage assessments and restoration activities in Puerto Rico. In the U.S. Virgin Islands assessments will be made over the next several days to determine the extent of damage to the U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s (VIWAPA) distribution systems. Restoration plans will be developed and made available once the damage assessment process is completed. DOE and FEMA are helping to facilitate VIWAPA in acquiring and transporting a new 25 megawatt generator. In addition, a New York Power Authority team is continuing to work with PREPA on damage assessments and power restoration efforts to critical facilities. DOE is posting Situation Reports here, and WAPA is posting updates here.
    • The Western Area Power Administration’s eight-person advance team and U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority met to go over the restoration plans and safety protocols. The two utilities are teaming up to keep working on repairs for the local 34.5-kilovolt system. Local updates about restoration work are available on U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority website.
  • The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
    • A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) mobile communications team arrived in Puerto Rico to help improve communications across the storm-impacted area. USCG personnel continue to deliver critical FEMA relief supplies to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    • The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Region IV is coordinating the establishment of several Forward Deployed Operations Command Centers (FDOCC) in Puerto Rico in support of post-impact efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Four FDOCCs under the Area Incident Command are being designated for St Thomas, St Croix, San Juan, and Ramey.
  • The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) deployed 139 personnel to assist communities recovering from Hurricanes Maria and Irma. In coordination with local officials, Interior life-saving and sustaining activities on Puerto Rico, St. John, and St. Croix include water rescue and searches, law enforcement, damage assessment, evacuation assistance, flood measurements and daily reporting of water heights.
  • Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies is providing 12 generators to Puerto Rico Center for Independent Living and The University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities. These will be used to set up power stations for people with disabilities to power their wheelchairs and other assistive technologies. For more information, visit their webpage.
  • The U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) recovery efforts began in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Limited handout mail service began over the weekend in St. Thomas, while post offices in St. Croix, St. John, and Puerto Rico remain closed. Most, if not all, of Puerto Rico continues to be without electricity and usable water, and USPS will begin to reopen postal facilities when it is safe to do so. The USPS continues to watch Hurricane Maria as it heads north into the Atlantic. Depending on the impact to the East Coast, mail service could be affected. Customers can find the latest service statuses at USPS Service Alerts.
  • U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) offices in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico remain closed. Several offices, including the San Juan disability determination service office, suffered extensive damage. SSA is working with the USPS to distribute all beneficiary checks, via express mail as soon as service resumes.

Source: https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/09/25/federal-agencies-continue-hurricane-maria-response-and-relief-operations#