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This week concludes National Preparedness Month. While we often associate preparedness with being ready for disasters at home, it’s equally crucial to extend that mindset to our travels. Whether you’re planning an exotic vacation or a road trip or a weekend getaway, incorporating travel preparedness into your plans can make all the difference in ensuring a safe and enjoyable journey.
Religiously affiliated organizations play a vital role in helping people before, during and after disasters. They are often on the frontlines after a disaster providing essentials like hot meals, water, debris removal, counseling services and more. At FEMA, we work with these faith-based and community organizations year-round to make sure we are reaching the needs of the whole community.
Fifty years ago, the Rehabilitation Act was signed. This historic piece of legislation addressed access and equity for people with disabilities in all federally conducted and funded activities. It laid the foundation for the work that FEMA does today to create equity for our own employees and the public that we serve.
Hurricane Maria brought untold devastation to the island of Puerto Rico, leaving behind nearly $90 billion in damage and upending the lives of thousands in its wake. FEMA and the entire federal government learned many lessons from this tragedy, but chief among them is that the Latino community are on the frontlines of climate change and associated extreme weather events.
Disaster preparedness is not just a precautionary measure, it’s the best way to empower and safeguard our future against any kind of hazard. Whether it’s a hurricane, flood, tornado, nuclear attack or pandemic, having the right information and supplies at the right time can make all the difference.
National Preparedness Month reminds us to keep food safety in our emergency preparedness plans. Having a strategy can help us have resources and peace of mind if or when these events occur.
Every community should take steps to be disaster resilient. However, not every community has the resources they need to make that happen. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Direct Technical Assistance (BRIC DTA) initiative empowers underserved communities and Tribal nations to request hands-on, non-financial technical support from BRIC DTA. FEMA then works with the community to give them the tools they need to build disaster resiliency.
Extreme heat can be life-threatening for some people, especially for older adults and people with disabilities and chronic medical conditions. In this blog post, Director of FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination Sherman Gillums Jr. and Alzheimer's Association Care and Support Senior Director Monica Moreno teamed up to share why it’s important to continue to be #SummerReady.
Since 2003, September is celebrated as National Preparedness Month. This September, it’s more important than ever to be prepared as disasters increase in size and frequency. Hurricanes Hilary and Idalia, as well as recent wildfires in Hawaii and on the west coast, remind us that disasters and emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time and that now is the time prepare.
Hurricane Idalia is strengthening as it moves towards the west coast of Florida. This storm is expected to be a major hurricane and cause catastrophic storm surge, strong winds, and flash flooding to the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia. It is also expected to spread into portions of the eastern Carolinas.
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