Isaac Threatens Northern Gulf Coast

 *** UPDATED *** 

11 am Track from the NHC -

As of the 11am update:  THE HURRICANE WATCH IS EXTENDED WESTWARD ALONG THE LOUISIANA COAST TO JUST EAST OF MORGAN CITY...INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS
AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

 

# 6519

 

While the forecast is gradually improving for the west central peninsula of Florida, the threat of Isaac making landfall anywhere from the panhandle west to Louisiana has increased overnight.

 

With each model run, the forecast track has shifted a little more to the west. As you can see by the spaghetti models below, there remains a fair amount of divergence in forecast tracks.

 

 

Today’s  11am Discussion cautions:

 

SINCE THE DYNAMICAL MODEL CONSENSUS HAS SHIFTED WESTWARD...THE OFFICIAL TRACK FORECAST IS MOVED A BIT TO THE WEST OF THE PREVIOUS ONE.  THIS REQUIRES AN EXTENSION OF THE HURRICANE WATCH WESTWARD ALONG THE LOUISIANA COAST.  IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE IS GREATER THAN USUAL UNCERTAINTY IN THE TRACK FORECAST.

 

 

Isaac remains a tropical storm, but conditions are generally favorable for intensification over the next 48 to 72 hours. The National Hurricane Center estimates that Isaac could be a Category 2 hurricane before it nears the coast.

 

 

And a reminder, you don’t have to be directly in the path of this storm to be affected by it. 

 

Tropical Storm force winds extend 200 miles from the center, and landfalling tropical systems have been known to generate tornadoes and cause flooding hundreds of miles away.

 

 

Finally, the end of May was National Hurricane Preparedness week.  You can revisit some of this year’s PSAs and preparedness advice from NOAA by clicking this link, or the graphic below.

»» Read More

Remembering Andrew: 20 Years Ago Today

 

 

# 6514

Infrared image of Andrew over Dade county

0900 UTC August 24, 1992. (566K GIF)

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, which struck Homestead Florida with CAT 5 force on August 24th, 1992.

 

I was living aboard my 36 foot sailboat on the west coast of Florida at the time, making hurried plans of what I would do if this monster storm turned in my direction.

 

As it turned out, I was spared Andrew’s wrath, only to be clobbered 7 months later by the 1993 `storm of the century’.

So today, as we watch an increasingly active Atlantic Basin and  the threat posed by a much weaker Isaac heading for the Gulf of Mexico, a remembrance of that disaster 20 years ago.

 

Here is how Ed Rappaport, of the National Hurricane Center (updated 10 December 1993) described the storm.

 

Andrew was a small and ferocious Cape Verde hurricane that wrought unprecedented economic devastation along a path through the northwestern Bahamas, the southern Florida peninsula, and south-central Louisiana. Damage in the United States is estimated to be near 25 billion, making Andrew the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history¹.

 

The tropical cyclone struck southern Dade County, Florida, especially hard, with violent winds and storm surges characteristic of a category 4 hurricane (see addendum on upgrade to category 5) on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale, and with a central pressure (922 mb) that is the third lowest this century for a hurricane at landfall in the United States.

 

In Dade County alone, the forces of Andrew resulted in 15 deaths and up to one-quarter million people left temporarily homeless. An additional 25 lives were lost in Dade County from the indirect effects of Andrew2. The direct loss of life seems remarkably low considering the destruction caused by this hurricane.

 

 

Since this writing, of course, we've seen even greater destruction and loss of life caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

 

Whether it is an earthquake, a flood, a hurricane, or a pandemic . . .those who are prepared in advance will find their survival, and even their comfort, greatly enhanced during an emergency.

 

If you aren't convinced on the importance of being prepared for the  unexpected, just click on the pictures below. 

They are hard to argue with.

 

 

STORM IMAGES (Credit NOAA)

(click to enlarge, but warning: Some are very large)

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The last radar image taken from NHC before the WSR-57 radar was blown off the roof, 0835 UTC August 24, 1992. (120K JPEG)

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ANDREW'S DAMAGE

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The roof sign says it all! (555K GIF)

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Lakes by the Bay (751K GIF)

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Naranja Lakes (524K GIF)

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Naranja Lakes (520K GIF)

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Homestead Fl. (530K GIF)

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Homestead Fl. (434K GIF)

 

Devastating hurricanes like Andrew may only come around infrequently, but they do happen.  And as Florida’s SERT reminds us;

It only takes one.

Meanwhile, the latest forecasts from the NHC on T.S. Isaac are increasingly encouraging for the west coast of Florida, but less so for the upper-middle Gulf coast.  

 

As the 5am Discussion this morning states:

IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO FOCUS ON THE EXACT TRACK DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES IN THE INITIAL LOCATION AND THE TRACK FORECAST...AND THE FACT THAT ISAAC HAS A LARGE AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

 

Much will depend on how well the storm hangs together as it passes over Haiti and then Cuba, and how quickly it coalesces once over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 

 

Computer models become more reliable once a storm reaches, and maintains, hurricane strength.   

 

In any event, all interests along the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, need to keep an eye on this storm over the weekend.

»» Read More

East Coast Tsunami Threats

# 6448

 

East Coast tsunamis, while admittedly rare – do occur - and history has shown that they can be extremely destructive.  Last March in Tsunami Awareness Week: March 20th – 26th I wrote about a list of known or suspected Atlantic and East Coast Tsunamis which included:

 

• November 1, 1755 - Lisbon, Portugal
• October 11, 1918 - Puerto Rico
• November 18, 1929 - Newfoundland
• August 4, 1946 - Dominican Republic
• August 18, 1946 - Dominican Republic
• November 14, 1840 - Great Swell on the Delaware River
• November 17, 1872 - Maine
• January 9, 1926 - Maine
• May 19, 1964 - Northeast USA

  POSSIBLE TSUNAMI

• June 9, 1913 - Longport, NJ
• August 6, 1923 - Rockaway Park, Queens, NY. An article on triplicate waves."
• August 8, 1924 - Coney Island, NY. Contains a discussion, “An Observed Tsunami Building In Coastal Waters?"
• August 19, 1931 - Atlantic City, NJ
• September 21, 1938 - Hurricane, NJ coast.
• July 3-4, 1992 - Daytona Beach, FL

 

 

While little remembered today, in November of 1929 a destructive North Atlantic tsunami came ashore after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck offshore from Newfoundland.  Three hours later a 3 to 4 meter tsunami washed across many coastal fishing villages on the Burin Peninsula, killing 28 people and leaving as many as 10,000 homeless.

 

In the spring of 2011 we took  A Look At Europe’s Seismic Risks, which gave details on the mother-of-all Altantic basin tsunamis, which was generated by the Lisbon Earthquake  of 1755 (Est. 8.5 magnitude).

 

Tremendous tsunamis (20+ meters) were reported in Northern Africa, Spain and Portugal, and smaller waves washed ashore in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Coast of the New World many hours later. 

 

Tsunami Travel Times from the 1755 Quake – Credit Wikipedia

 

Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by, in Lisbon alone the death toll is estimated at between 10,000 and 100,000.  Most historians place the number at the high end of that range.

 

While far less common that their Pacific counterparts, east coast tsunamis - by reason of geography, population density, and a general lack of public awareness - have the potential to be extremely dangerous.

 

Courtesy of a tweet from FEMA Director Craig Fugate yesterday, I found this fascinating slideshow training presentation on the East Coast Tsunami Threat that expands considerably on my earlier blog post.

 

One of the most remarkable slides in this 29 minute presentation shows that while they happen less often than Pacific tsunamis, historically the east coast death toll is almost as great as those from the west coast.

 

 

Depending upon the type of precipitating event (seismic activty, landslide, asteroid/meteor impact, etc) and the location, tsunami travel and warning times around the Atlantic will vary from minutes to many hours.

 

 

 

You can access current Tsunami warnings and arrival times at the  Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

 

As far as what to do before a tsunami threatens, READY.GOV has a Tsunami Awareness Page with helpful hints.

 

While it may seem unlikely that a tsunami will affect you or your region - this is just one of many potential hazards that may threaten you and your community - and they all require similar preparedness steps.

 

Knowing your local threats, whether they be tsunamis, forest fires, floods, earthquakes or hurricanes  . . . and then becoming prepared to deal with them, will provide you and your family the best safety insurance available.

 

To become better prepared, visit the Ready.gov site today.

Credit Ready.gov

 

To learn how to prepare as an individual, family, business owner, or community I would invite you to visit the following sites and use THIS LINK to access some of my preparedness blogs.

 

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/

»» Read More

A Disaster In Slow Motion

 

 

# 6436

 

 

Disasters don’t always happen suddenly, with the ferocity of a tornado or earthquake.  Some disasters – like droughts - happen over weeks, months, or even years and insidiously exact their toll in lives lost, crops destroyed, and economies shaken.

 

The United States is no stranger to extreme drought conditions. Most famously, the nation saw an eight-ear drought that caused the horrific `dust bowl’ conditions across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas in the 1930s.

 

Dust storm Elkhart, Kansas 1937.

 

 

While not as dramatic or prolonged, according to A Climatology of 1980-2003 Extreme Weather and Climate Events (Ross and Lott, 2003), an intense drought & heat wave in 1980 caused:

 

1980

Drought/Heat Wave - June-September 1980: Central and eastern U.S. drought/heat wave caused damage to agriculture and other related industries.

Total Estimated Costs: $20.0 (55.6) Billion; 10,000 Deaths

 

And again, eight years later:

 

1988

Drought/Heat Wave - Summer 1988: 1988 drought in central and eastern U.S. with very severe losses to agriculture and related industries;

Total Estimated Costs: $40.0 (77.6) Billion; 7,500 Deaths

More people die from heat-related disasters in the U.S.  than from all of our hurricanes, tornados and blizzards combined.

The drought of 2012, which resulted in the declaration by the USDA last week of 1,016 primary counties in 26 states as natural disaster areas, is already being compared to the 1988 disaster.

 

The trend across the U.S. this year has been hot and dry. According to NOAA’s  State of the Climate National Overview (6/12):

 

• The January-June period was the warmest first half of any year on record for the contiguous United States. The national temperature of 52.9°F was 4.5°F above average. Most of the contiguous U.S. was record and near-record warm for the six-month period, except the Pacific Northwest. Twenty-eight states east of the Rockies were record warm and an additional 15 states were top ten warm.
• The first six months of 2012 were also drier than average for much of the contiguous U.S., with a nationally-averaged precipitation total 1.62 inches below average. Drier-than-average conditions stretched from the West, through the Central Plains, into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. Fourteen states in total had precipitation totals for the six-month period among their ten driest.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of summer left to go, and the forecast is for continued drought conditions across roughly 60%  of the United States.

Corn, soybean and wheat futures prices have been rising for weeks in anticipation of lower-than-normal crop yields and last week the USDA has slashed its 2012 corn production forecast by about 12% from earlier estimates.

 

And along with drought inevitably come wildfires, which have destroyed millions of acres of woodland so far this year, and the fire season is far from over.

 

Credit US Forestry Service

 

Ready.gov has advice for preparing for a variety of disasters, including drought, heat, and wildfires.

 

Natural Disasters

Drought >

Extreme Heat >

Wildfires >

 

September is National Preparedness Month, but being prepared is a year-round endeavor.  Rather than focus on one single threat, the smart move is to work towards `all-threats’ preparedness, since you never know what you and your family may be faced with.

 

For more on how to get, and stay, prepared you may wish to revisit:

 

Inside My New Bug Out Bag

Picking Up The Pieces

When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough

In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?

An Appropriate Level Of Preparedness

The Gift Of Preparedness 2011

»» Read More

Your Daily Risk Assessment Briefing

 

Photo Credit- NOAA Know your Risk

 

# 6407

 

Every day busy CEOs along with investors, emergency planners, politicians- and even the President of the United States - receive  specialized Daily Intelligence briefings outlining current or anticipated threats, along with other vital information.

 

While you may not hold the fate of nations, a billion dollar portfolio, or a fortune 500 company in your hands you do have a need to know your risks if you want you and your family to be prepared for a disaster. 

 

And those risks can, and do, change on a daily basis. Particularly those involving climate and weather. 

 

Fortunately, the Internet makes it easy to create a short list of websites to visit each day (I do so early each morning) that in a few short minutes will give you an early warning of what threats might be expected in the next few days.

 

Depending where you live, and where your personal interests lie, you will probably want to customize your `daily briefing’.  But to get you started, a quick tour of mine.

 

Note: I quickly scan these websites for news, alerts, or forecasts of interest for my region.  I certainly don’t attempt to read them in depth each day. 

 

First stop, NOAAWatch’s Daily Briefing which provides an excellent overview of the natural threats facing the nation.

 

 

An excellent example of some of the forecast tools available is this heat index map for this coming weekend, which shows extreme heat conditions are expected in the south eastern United States.

 

 

My second stop is usually NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, which looks ahead as far as a week for areas that may expect severe weather.  At a glance I can see when, and where, weather trouble is expected.

 

 

And during hurricane season, I also swing by the National Hurricane Center website each morning (and if there is an active storm, several times each day).

 

Since we are approaching the 11 year solar maximum, and since I have a deep interest in astronomy, I also swing by Spaceweather.com or NOAA’s SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER for the latest on solar activity. 

 

As I mentioned last January in Situational Awareness: Google Public Alerts, with the help of Google Earth you can also monitor real-time emergency alerts from all around the world.

 

 

And last, but not least, I visit the FEMA Blog to see what they are keeping an eye on.

 

During the day and overnight, I rely on NOAA WEATHER RADIO (NWR) and Twitter to follow @FEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, @NOAA and @CraigAtFEMA for real-time emergency alerts.

 

Like having an emergency kit and a first aid kit - having a weather radio is an important part of being prepared.

 

Of course, just knowing about the threats isn’t enough. You have to make use of that information.

 

To learn how to prepare as an individual, family, business owner, or community I would invite you to visit the following sites and use THIS LINK to access some of my preparedness blogs.

 

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/

 

While some people lie awake at night worrying about disasters, I’ve discovered that being prepared is the key to sleeping well.

Preparing is easy.

 

It’s worrying that’s hard.

»» Read More

A Matter Of Respect

 

 

# 6348

 

 

 

As a second generation Floridian, one who has spent roughly a quarter of his life living aboard boats, I have developed a deep and abiding respect for hurricanes and tropical storms.

 

My `first hurricane’ was the infamous Donna of 1960, which I rode out at the age of six in St. Petersburg, Florida. She put part of a large oak tree through our roof, but otherwise we came away unscathed.

 

In the years that followed I had brief but memorable encounters with several storms, including Betsy in 1965, the fringes of Abby and Gladys in 1968, Agnes in 1972 and Elena in 1985.

 

I also saw the devastation first-hand after Camille tore through Mississippi in 1969, and Katrina swamped New Orleans in 2005. 

 

While hurricanes sometimes fail to live up to the pre-landfall hype, every once in awhile we get an Andrew, Camille, or Katrina, and they can exceed all expectations.

 

 

It may be hard for folks to believe it today, but as recently as the late 1950s - before weather satellites  - hurricanes could get `lost’ . . . sometimes for hours or days  . . .  and could show up unexpectedly and with little warning.

 

It was a very big deal, I can tell you, when on April 1st 1960 Tiros I - the world's first weather satellite - was launched into Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

 

Our view of our world changed, practically overnight. It was a wondrous day for everyone, except possibly for members of the Flat Earth Society.

 

The pictures were grainy, and the resolution laughable by today's standards, but for the first time we could watch from aloft and observe how and where hurricanes formed.

It meant we were no longer solely dependent on ship's reports and Hurricane Hunter aircraft to know if disaster lay just beyond the horizon.

 

For some truly remarkable real-time satellite photos (and loops), the National Hurricane Center’s website maintains links to an extensive list of Latest Satellite Imagery.

 

But knowing a disaster is coming, and being prepared to deal with it, are two different things.  

 

Which is why every year agencies like NOAA, NWS, FEMA, READY.GOV and organizations like the American Red Cross, work every year to get people to prepare.  Not just for hurricanes, but for all manner of emergencies.

 

Today begins National Hurricane Preparedness Week, and as I do every year, I’ll be devoting a fair amount of blog space to this campaign.

 

This from the NHC website:

 

 

Hurricane Preparedness Week

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Preparedness Week | Hazards | Watches & Warnings | Be Ready

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History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster.

 

Hurricane hazards come in many forms, including storm surge, heavy rainfall, inland flooding, high winds, tornadoes, and rip currents. The National Weather Service is responsible for protecting life and property through issuance of timely watches and warnings, but it is essential that your family be ready before a storm approaches. Furthermore, mariners should be aware of special safety precautions when confronted with a hurricane.

 

Download the Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide (PDF) or follow the links for more information. But remember, this is only a guide. The first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense.

National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2012 runs from May 27th through June 2nd.

 

To start off the campaign, NOAA has prepared this short PSA.
 

 

 

 

Every year I give hurricane preparedness a prominent place in this blog because for more than 50 million Americans living in coastal areas (and millions more in other countries), hurricanes and their byproducts (flooding, tornadoes, lightning) are probably their greatest natural disaster threat.

 

From Escambia County Hurricane Preparedness Information

While South Florida and the northern Gulf coast are at highest risk of direct hurricane impact, even those areas not shaded in – even hundreds of miles inland – can still feel the effects of a hurricane.

 

All this week we’ll be focusing on the specific hazards from these tropical systems, and how you can prepare your home, family, an business for their arrival.

»» Read More

NOAA: `Near Normal’ Hurricane Season Predicted

 

 

# 6344

 

In late May, just before the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season, we get a number extended outlooks that attempt to predict the amount of tropical activity we might expect to see over the next six months. 

 

Earlier this year Professor William Gray and Phillip Klotzbach of Colorado University’s Department of Atmospheric Science released their updated 2012 Extended-Range Hurricane Forecast for the Atlantic Tropical basin, where they called for a below-average hurricane season (see It Only Takes One).

 

Gray and Klotzbach will provide an updated outlook again in early June.

 

 

Today, NOAA has released their extended outlook, and after several very active years, they are calling for a 70% chance of seeing a `normal’ hurricane season.  

 

Here are some excerpts from today’s story.

 

NOAA predicts a near-normal 2012 Atlantic hurricane season

Anniversary of Hurricane Andrew underscores necessity to prepare every year

May 24, 2012

Conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean favor a near-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this season, NOAA announced today from Miami at its Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, and home to the Hurricane Research Division.

 

For the entire six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there’s a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms (with top winds of 39 mph or higher), of which four to eight will strengthen to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher) and of those one to three will become major hurricanes (with top winds of 111 mph or higher, ranking Category 3, 4 or 5). Based on the period 1981-2010, an average season produces 12 named storms with six hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

 

“NOAA’s outlook predicts a less active season compared to recent years,” said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. “But regardless of the outlook, it’s vital for anyone living or vacationing in hurricane-prone locations to be prepared. We have a stark reminder this year with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew.” Andrew, the Category 5 hurricane that devastated South Florida on August 24, 1992, was the first storm in a late-starting season that produced only six named storms.

 

Favoring storm development in 2012: the continuation of the overall conditions associated with the Atlantic high-activity era that began in 1995, in addition to near-average sea surface temperatures across much of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, known as the Main Development Region. Two factors now in place that can limit storm development, if they persist, are: strong wind shear, which is hostile to hurricane formation in the Main Development Region, and cooler sea surface temperatures in the far eastern Atlantic.

 

“Another potentially competing climate factor would be El Niño if it develops by late summer to early fall. In that case, conditions could be less conducive for hurricane formation and intensification during the peak months (August-October) of the season, possibly shifting the activity toward the lower end of the predicted range,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

(Continue . . . )

 

 

Next week will kick off Hurricane Preparedness Week, and again this year I’ll have a number of blogs on the subject.

 

 

 

And just as a reminder:

 

The NHC has two Twitter accounts, one for the Atlantic basin (which includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea):

U.S. National Hurricane Center (Atlantic) - @NHC_Atlantic

 

and one for the Eastern North Pacific basin:
U.S. National Hurricane Center (Eastern Pacific) - @NHC_Pacific

 

In addition to the Twitter notifications, NHC also provides product notifications by email. Please visit hurricanes.gov/signup.shtml to sign up for this service.

And if you aren’t already following

• FEMA
• CraigAtFEMA
• Ready.gov
• Red Cross

on twitter, you might want to add them to your list.

»» Read More

Everyday Preppers

 

 

# 6284

 

 

After watching Doomsday Preppers on the National Geographic Channel some may come away thinking that all preppers are crazed fanatics gearing up for an impending apocalypse. But for the vast majority of those who embrace the preparedness lifestyle - it is the far more common localized disaster that spurs them on.

 

Of course, if you want decent cable TV ratings, you don’t profile people who maintain a 14 day supply of necessities in their pantry, volunteer for CERT, have a family emergency plan, or take pride in keeping a well stocked first aid kit.

 

No . . .  you focus on families with elaborate underground bunkers, a 20 year supply of freeze-dried foods, and a firm belief that the end is nigh.

 

It is TV, after all. 

 

While we collectively wait for doomsday (and I’m perfectly content to wait a long, long time for mine) we are nonetheless faced with an ongoing parade of lesser - but no less burdensome to those affected – localized disasters.

 

Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes . . . .

 

They happen with surprising regularity - and unlike an abrupt 30 degree shift of the earth’s crust or the eruption of the Yellowstone Super Volcano - are something being prepared for is actually likely to help.

 

Later today parts of the Midwest will be under the gun, with a high risk of severe weather. NOAA’s  Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK has released the following forecast.

 

 

For a sobering look at the disaster potential of a `high risk’ day like today, I can heartily recommend a recent blog post by Minnesota Meteorologist Paul Douglas.

 

Tornado Warning: "One of These Days a Single Tornado Will Claim Over 1,000 American Lives"

Posted: 04/ 4/2012 3:44 pm

 

Today the residents of Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Omaha, Nebraska, and surrounding areas find themselves at a high risk of severe weather, including possible tornadoes.  Hundreds of thousands more will find themselves at moderate risk.

 

While we can hope that these predicted storms do not materialize, hope is not a plan.

 

The smart move for those in harm’s way this morning is to review their emergency plan with all family members, double check their supplies, and ensure that they can keep tabs on approaching threats by way of a battery powered NOAA weather radio.

 

You don’t have to suffer a direct hit from an F5 tornado to be glad you were prepared.

 

A severe storm can knock out electrical power and phone service for days, sometimes weeks. Public services (including 911) can be severely disrupted, and something as routine as obtaining food and potable water for your family may be difficult for several days.

 

There are many legitimate disaster threats out there, which is why FEMA, READY.GOV, and many other agencies actively promote personal, family, and business preparedness.

 

To that end the Federal government has produced copious toolkits, brochures, pamphlets, and even mobile apps designed to help citizens prepare . . . for just about anything.

 

One such toolkit is FEMA’s Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) – which, at 204 pages – ranks as one of the most comprehensive guides to public preparedness available.

 

 

FEMA describes this guide as:

 

An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) is FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family and community preparedness. The guide has been revised, updated and enhanced in August 2004 to provide the public with the most current and up-to-date disaster preparedness information available.

 

Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness by walking the reader through how to get informed about local emergency plans, how to identify hazards that affect their local area and how to develop and maintain an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit. Other topics covered include evacuation, emergency public shelters, animals in disaster and information specific to people with access and functional needs.

 

Are You Ready? also provides in-depth information on specific hazards including what to do before, during and after each hazard type. The following hazards are covered: Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms and Lightning, Winter Storms and Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Landslide and Debris Flows (Mudslide), Tsunamis, Fires, Wildfires, Hazardous Materials Incidents, Household Chemical Emergencies, Nuclear Power Plant and Terrorism (including Explosion, Biological, Chemical, Nuclear and Radiological hazards).

<SNIP>

 

For more publications on disaster preparedness, visit the Community and Family Preparedness  webpage.

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness Full Document (PDF - 21Mb)

(Continue . . . )

 

Disasters happen.

And while they don’t often occur on a national or international scale (an assumption with which residents of Haiti, Pakistan, and Japan might take exception), they can be devastating to large segments of our population.

 

While some of the more elaborate preparations shown on cable TV admittedly look more than a little screwy (even to this committed prepper), the greater delusion is in doing nothing and simply hoping for the best.

 

Some disaster plans may be screwy, but having no plan is just plain nuts.

»» Read More