Blog

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.

illustration of page of paper

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.

illustration of page of paper

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.

illustration of page of paper

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.

illustration of page of paper

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.

illustration of page of paper

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.

illustration of page of paper

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.

illustration of page of paper

As a part of FEMA, you will solve tough problems, working directly with emergency management, subject matter and policy experts. Far beyond shifting a KR or KPI a fraction of a percentage, your work will help communities prepare for disasters and survivors recover from one of the worst days of their lives. See your skills bring complex, public facing, nationwide-scale systems to life.

illustration of page of paper

Four years ago, engineer Tyler Billingsley woke up after taking his kids trick-or-treating to dozens of texts: Dugway Road in Richmond, Vermont, had washed out. Over Halloween night, heavy rain had swollen the Huntington River, destroying 60 feet of an old stone retaining wall and the eastbound lane over it.

illustration of page of paper

Greg is an Incident Workforce Unit Leader at FEMA Region 8.

illustration of page of paper
Last updated