At the end of each week, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Image of projected rainfall totals over the next 48 hours, courtesy of the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical storm Andrea & the threat of flooding

We’ve been closely monitoring Tropical Storm Andrea all week long, and forecasts from the National Weather Service are calling for a wet weekend for much of the East Coast.  While Andrea may not bring powerful winds, the main threat from the system will be localized flooding.  If you’re along the East Coast, remember to keep a close watch on your local weather conditions – especially if flooding could be a possibility.  A few flood safety reminders to keep in mind over the weekend:

• Don’t walk or drive through flooded areas – the water depth can be misleading and the current can be unpredictable.  It only takes a small amount of standing water to make you lose control of your vehicle, so be prepared to take alternative routes if you drive upon flooded areas.
• Avoid streams, storm drains, and other low-lying areas that can flood easily and quickly.  Flash flooding can occur very quickly and these areas can be very dangerous.
• Listen to any directions given by local officials.  A NOAA Weather Radio is a great way to receive severe weather updates 24/7, and you can also tune in to local radio/TV for updates for your area.
• Visit Ready.gov/floods on your computer and m.fema.gov/floods on your phone for a full list of flood safety tips.

“Hacking” to raise fire safety awareness

Last weekend’s National Day of Civic Hacking drummed up some great energy and enthusiasm around the country.  The event brought together technology enthusiasts, developers, and community organizers to solve problems and challenges in their neighborhoods by using technology.  As one of the government sponsors of the event, FEMA posed a challenge for developers to create an online visualization of fire incidents across the U.S. using data from the U.S. Fire Administration.

It was inspiring to see a few groups start to tackle our challenge - developers around the country came up with three prototypes after the weekend was over.  Here are the links - visualization one, visualization two, visualization three - you can see how each one has a unique approach to visualizing the data.

In addition to the prototypes using our fire data, there were other awesome initiatives focused on emergency preparedness.  One in particular was “Hack the Rock” – a citizen-driven group in Rockaways, NY who used Hurricane Sandy as the impetus for developing easy-to-use apps that could help keep residents safe.   One app they came up with is a checklist that customizes safety information based on the scenario you’re in.  (For more on the Hack the Rock group’s efforts, visit their project page)

Reflecting on Missouri Buy-Outs

Earlier this week, an event that didn’t receive much fanfare across the country demonstrated a success story for preventing flood damages.  A levee breach occurred in West Alton, Missouri, flooding the area around the levee.  However, due to property buyouts that have happened in recent years in the flood-prone areas around the levee, minimal flooding impacts were felt by homeowners and businesses.  Here’s what Beth Freeman, FEMA’s Regional Administrator in Region 7 (covering Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska) had to say about it:

Last spring, during our annual Bring Your Child to Work Day, a youngster asked me about the “feel good” in what I do, and the work of FEMA. As I left the office yesterday I had that “feel good” moment I think that young person was referring to.

Every time a state receives a federal disaster declaration, money is set aside for projects that will help to reduce the impact of future disasters. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the benefit these projects bring to a community, but yesterday, when news of the impending levee breech in West Alton came across my email, I knew the money the State of Missouri invested in flood mitigation in St. Charles County was paying a dividend.

Through the work of local emergency mangers, community planners, and Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency, over 200 flood prone properties within West Alton have been acquired since 1994 through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).  And throughout St. Charles County 1,437 properties have been purchased.   

When the river goes below flood stage once again, we will have additional data to study the cost of these acquisition projects compared to the projected cost of disaster recovery that would have been needed over the years had the buy-outs not occurred. But today, the value of this work is much more personal. It is measured in the well-being of the families who are safe and not wondering what will be left of their homes and way of life once the floodwaters recede.

Visit fema.gov for more on FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Program, or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website for info on the ongoing flood fight efforts in Missouri.

Practicing emergency response

Practicing is an important part of emergency management.  It’s something FEMA and our federal, state, and local partners do on a regular basis to make sure we’re prepared to respond in the event of an emergency.  Over the past several months, we’ve been getting ready for the Atlantic hurricane season (which started June 1) by going through several simulated disaster scenarios.  These scenarios, or exercises as we call them, help us practice coordination, test our equipment’s capabilities, and ensure we have a thorough understanding of what works well and where we can improve. 

One exercise we participated in recently was called “Ardent Sentry”, hosted by our partners at NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command.  The exercise simulated a complex disaster scenario – multiple hurricanes that had cascading impacts.  Administrator Fugate and General Chuck Jacoby, of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, wrote up a summary of the exercise with details on how the federal family is getting prepared for an active 2013 hurricane season.

Photos of the week

Finally, here are a few of my favorite photos that came into our Photo Library this week:

Moore, Okla., June 5, 2013 -- Plaza Towers Elementary School first grade teacher Sarah Tauscher, writes on a brick from the school during a healing arts project. The project called {HOPE} raisers is a group of individuals, businesses and causes that care about the community from all over the country. Together they use their time, talent and treasures to create community engagement and Raise Some Hope. Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Moore, Okla., May 30, 2013 -- A Moore resident visits the memorial shrine at Plaza Towers Elementary School. The area was struck by a F5 tornado on May 20, 2013. Andrea Booher/FEMA

Have a safe weekend!

At the end of each week, we post a "What We’re Watching" blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Springtime severe weather

The variety of weather we’ve seen across the U.S. this week has been amazing. Every day there have been wildfires, floods, blizzards, droughts, and thunderstorms.  We continue to support our state, local and tribal emergency management partners as needed – and you can do your part by making sure you’re prepared for whatever weather spring throws at you.

• Wildfires
  • If your home or business is in an area susceptible to wildfires, create a 30 to 100 foot “safety zone” around your home. Within the zone, remove leaves, brush, or any flammable vegetation.  And be sure to keep gasoline cans, oily rags, or other flammable materials away from the base of buildings
  • Have an evacuation plan. If local officials give the order for your neighborhood or area to evacuate – don’t stay.  If you have pets, make sure to bring them with you.   
  • Don’t drive to the fire – give emergency crews ample space to do their work and stay off access roads that are frequently used by firefighters or emergency vehicles.
  • Get more tips at www.Ready.gov/wildfires or on your phone at http://m.fema.gov/wildfires
• Floods
  • Don’t drive or walk through flood waters, they could be contaminated with gasoline, oil, or raw sewage.
  • When water levels are high, stay from streams, drainage channels, canyons and other areas that could flood suddenly
  • Don’t try to drive through flooded roads. The depth of water is not always obvious.  Remember, turn around, don’t drown.
  • More flood safety tips online at www.Ready.gov/floods and on your phone at http://m.fema.gov/floods
• Blizzards and snow
  • Be extra cautious while driving. Travel during the day and make sure to have some emergency supplies in your vehicle.  Things like extra blankets, road flares, a shovel, a battery-powered radio, and extra food and water will come in handy should you get stuck.
  • Stay up to date on your local conditions. Weather.gov is a great place to get your weather forecast each day, or tune in to local radio or TV for an update.
  • Two sites to bookmark for winter safety tips: www.Ready.gov/floods for your computer and http://m.fema.gov/winter-storms-extreme-cold for your phone

Sandy recovery continues to be a full team effort

CAPTION: Breezy Point, N.Y., March 22, 2013 -- Residents of this Queens neighborhood are rebuilding their homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy. This house is in the process of being elevated above the new flood level to prevent damage from future storm surges and flooding.

In case you missed it earlier this week, Mike Byrne, FEMA’s lead in New York after Hurricane Sandy, offered his thoughts on the progress made six months after the storm. His key message: the work is far from over, and a full recovery will continue to require a full team effort.  Here is some of what Mike had to say (you can find the full article here):

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, thousands were without power, the subways and tunnels were filled with water; many hospitals shut down, including Bellevue, Coney Island and NYU Langone hospitals; and thousands of homes were unlivable.

But this is New York. We bounce back. State, tribal and local governments have joined forces with a host of federal agencies, as well as businesses, volunteers and survivors, to get things up and running again. oday the signs of recovery can be seen across Long Island and the city, and more than $6.6 billion in federal assistance has been distributed to New York communities and survivors.

Are we done? No. This is just the beginning.

Now we turn to the next phase in recovery. Just as we brought together every sector of the federal government immediately after the storm, in the months that followed, we've brought together a roster of partners to help rebuild New York.

Video to share this weekend

As I mentioned earlier, spring has arrived and brought warmer weather to most of the country.  If you’re anything like me, I always look forward to firing up the grill as soon as I can stand to be outside.  Grills are great, but misusing outdoor cooking equipment is the cause of many home fires each year.  So check out this video from FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration to make sure you’re a grill master that’s also an expert on preventing grill-related fires:

Have a safe, enjoyable weekend!