Federal Preparations: Ike Threatens Florida, Heads Towards Gulf
Release Date: September 7, 2008
Release Number: HQ-08-190
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in close communication with its partners in federal, state, tribal and local governments as Hurricane Ike is expected to impact southern Florida early in the week before progressing into the Gulf of Mexico later in the week. It is still uncertain where Hurricane Ike might make landfall along the Gulf Coast so residents from Florida to Texas are again reminded to "Get Serious: Be Prepared."
Evacuations are already underway in parts of southern Florida and residents are strongly encouraged to heed the direction of state and local officials on evacuations and on any other recommendations made by state and local government. Federal assets are supporting these evacuations to ensure that everyone can get to safety.
Individual and community preparedness is the responsibility of everyone. Individuals, families and businesses should prepare emergency supply kits and develop family emergency plans. Emergency preparedness information is available online at www.ready.gov.
Federal agencies maintain multiple teams of key personnel as well as stockpiles of needed supplies and commodities across the country so that a response in one area does not impact on the needs of another.
Snapshot of Federal Activities:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- FEMA has identified and designated specific staff and assets to ensure their availability for any preparations or response activities. FEMA liaisons are on–site in each of the state Emergency Operation Centers along the Gulf Coast.
- FEMA has deployed Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) in Austin, Tex., Jackson, Miss., Atlanta, Ga. and Tallahassee, Fla. IMAT teams provide essential situational awareness and are the initial federal coordinators on the ground.
- Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams are pre–deployed to Houston, Tex., Lafayette, La., Meridian, Miss., Montgomery, Ala., and Jacksonville, Fla. in order to assist in rescue operations in the immediate aftermath of a storm.
- FEMA maintains supplies of commodities and emergency resources placed strategically around the country. Contracts are in place to replenish supplies without shifting resources from other disaster operations.
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
- The Coast Guard is urging the maritime community and boating public to track Hurricane Ike and take early action to protect themselves and their vessels. Extremely high seas, heavy rains and damaging winds that accompany tropical storms and hurricanes present serious dangers to mariners. Rescue and assistance by the Coast Guard and other agencies may be severely degraded or unavailable immediately before, during and after a devastating storm.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- CBP's Air and Marine assets are flying pre–storm assessments in Florida in preparation for Hurricane Ike.
Immigration and Customs Service (ICE)
- DHS' top priorities in any emergency are life–saving and life–sustaining activities, preventing the loss of property to the extent possible, and assisting with a speedy recovery of the affected region.
- All residents should respond to local and state evacuation orders. There will be no immigration enforcement operations associated with evacuations.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- USCIS will continue contacting community organizations and the media to inform them that USCIS will automatically reschedule all appointments in offices that close. USCIS is advising customers to take all necessary actions to protect their documents and inform them that if they are evacuated, or a USCIS office is closed, they can temporarily make an appointment in another USCIS office.
National Protection and Programs Directorates National Communications System (NCS)
- NCS personnel are actively reaching out to the states on Ikes projected path to confirm access procedures for restoration teams, and are adjusting critical communications infrastructure analysis for the Gulf Coast States.
- NCS is actively monitoring Hurricane Ike and its projected path in an effort to evaluate staffing and equipment resource requirements.
- Shared Resources (SHARES) High Frequency Radio Network is on standby.
- NCS is coordinating with the Federal Communications Commission on activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for Hurricane Ike.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- NOAA's National Hurricane Center is monitoring Hurricane Ike, issuing watches and warnings as needed.
- NOAA's WP–3D and G–IV aircraft are conducting flights into Hurricane Ike. A NOAA aircraft is staged in Mobile, Ala. To conduct any damage assessment flights needed.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- DOE is coordinating responders deployed along the Gulf Coast in preparation for Hurricane Ike.
- DOE is working with government agencies and industry partners to address potential cascading effects from Ike and to identify mitigation actions that maybe taken.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
- DOT activated an Evacuation Liaison Team to support evacuations in Florida.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
- The SBA's Disaster Customer Service Center in Buffalo, NY is taking phone calls weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday. The center is also staffed up and is ready to respond to phone calls inquiring about disaster recovery assistance after Hurricane Ike makes landfall. That phone number is 1–800–659–2955 and 1–800–877–8339 for the hearing impaired. Customer service representatives can also be contacted by e–mail at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
U.S. National Guard Bureau (NGB)
- Nearly 400,000 National Guard Citizen–Soldiers and Airmen, to include nearly 110,000 in the Gulf Coast region, stand ready to provide live saving support should Hurricane Ike make landfall.
- NGB units are coordinating efforts to send people and equipment to assist civil authorities and first responders in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
- NGB is sending specialized Joint Enabling Teams to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to provide critical expertise and support.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
- USACE has over 40 specially trained response teams to support National Response Framework missions. These teams are trained and equipped with field guides, mobile response equipment, and prepositioned contracts.
- USACE stands ready to perform debris removal, commodities procurement and delivery, temporary emergency power, temporary housing, temporary roofing, infrastructure assessment, and support to urban search and rescue missions.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- HHS is working with the Florida Department of Health to have a Disaster Medical Assistance Team inserted by helicopter for the area of the Florida keys to assist with the reentry of evacuated patients following landfall of Hurricane Ike.
- HHS is prepared to support Florida as it evacuates special needs patients to a special needs shelter set up in Miami at Florida International University.
- Approximately 250 National Disaster Medical System personnel along with medical assets have been deployed and staged in Florida and Georgia in preparation for Hurricane Ike. Additional personnel have been activated and stand ready for deployment.
- Medical and pharmacy caches are in place to support medical needs of impacted communities.
The American Red Cross (ARC)
- ARC continues to prepare for Ike's landfall in the gulf coast, ensuring supplies such as toiletries, clean–up kits, cots, blankets and more will be available to those in need.
- Evacuees are encouraged to call a friend or family member before leaving home to communicate their plan. Evacuees should ask that individual to register them on "Safe & Well," located at www.RedCross.org, to help keep family updated on their well–being once they have left.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll–free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1–888–MPHotline (1–888–674–6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
- Information on food safety during power outages is available 24 hours a day with SignFSIS video–casts in American Sign Language featuring text–captioning at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/SignFSIS/index.asp.
Department of Labor (DOL)
- DOL has income support and employment resources for workers whose jobs may be impacted – temporally or permanently – by the hurricane.
- Workers who are temporarily or permanently unemployed as a result of the tropical storm can contact DOL's national toll–free hotline, 1–866–4–USA–DOL, or 1–866–487–2365 to connect with state and local officials in their states that can help them apply for income support and employment benefits.
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man–made, including acts of terror. For more information on FEMA activities visit www.FEMA.gov and for more information on personal preparedness see www.ready.gov.
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Last Modified: Thursday, 11-Sep-2008 13:29:17