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Millions of Americans across the country have been affected by disasters, from Alaska to Puerto Rico, from Florida to South Carolina. FEMA is not slowing down as it continues to respond and help disaster survivors.
When a disaster strikes, it is people coming together to help that brings hope to survivors. Hurricanes Fiona and Ian left trails of catastrophic destruction, uprooting the lives of millions. The recovery will be long, grueling and costly. It will take the efforts of countless people to help affected communities recover – from all levels of government to non-profit organizations to generous individuals like you.
People may face different challenges during a disaster, depending on their individual circumstances. As we recover from Hurricane Ian, there are some actions people with disabilities and older adults with medical conditions can take to care for their unique needs.
Hurricane Ian is bearing down on Florida, bringing life-threating storm surge, powerful winds and the possibility of flash floods. Most of Florida, as well as southern states, will be affected by the hurricane. It is important to listen to local officials if they recommend that you evacuate. If you are unable to evacuate or if you are told to shelter-in-place, here are some last-minute ways you can prepare.
Carson City became Nevada’s second community to participate in FEMA’s High Water Mark Initiative. This initiative helps communities increase local awareness of flood risk by posting high water mark signs to help educate the public and encourage mitigation action.
Guest author Holly Nett, Director of Child Care Emergency Partnerships at Child Care Aware® of America, shares how the organization partnered with FEMA to build a disaster ready toolkit focused on child care needs.
Each September, FEMA uses National Preparedness Month to emphasize how vital it is for the Nation and everyone to be prepared in the event of an emergency.
At the core of FEMA’s workforce are the talented hard-working people eager to assist when disaster strikes. This includes FEMA Reservists, our largest segment of employees. These on-call employees play an important role in fulfilling the agency’s mission to help people before, during and after disasters.
Five years ago, three back-to-back hurricanes caused major devastation across six Southern states and two U.S. territories. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria took lives and caused property loss and damage to critical infrastructure. For each of these disasters, FEMA answered the call to respond and help residents and communities recover and rebuild.
FEMA recently held a virtual disaster preparedness brief with a cross section of national faith-based and community organizations to reinforce our commitment to working with these leaders who build and strengthen underserved communities. This event was an opportunity to connect on how the agency’s work can help advance a people first approach to disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
Last updated September 9, 2021