Latest news with #emergencyplanning
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires can happen anywhere in Colorado. Are you ready? Here's how to prepare
As the western Colorado wildfires are getting closer to being contained, it's a good time to think about how prepared you and your family are for a disaster. You can't completely eliminate the risk of wildfires, but there are many things you can do before a disaster strikes to help keep your home and family safer. Whether you make prudent decisions about landscaping to create defensible space, have emergency supplies ready or in a 'go bag,' or develop plans for what to do in an evacuation, preparation gives you the best chance to protect your home and your family. As a bonus, the same steps you take to prepare for wildfires can help you in other natural disasters or situations where you could need to be evacuated. Here are tips based on guidance from the Department of Homeland Security, Habitat for Humanity and Cal Fire on how to best prepare for an emergency before you need it. What is a 'go bag?' What should be in a 'go bag?' A go bag is what the name implies — a bag you can quickly grab that is packed with critical items you need if you can't come home for a few days. The bag should be small and light enough that you can sleep comfortably in your vehicle with it if you have to. It should also be kept somewhere easily accessible. Recommended items include: Important documents such as birth certificates, IDs and medical records, either copies or originals and as hard copies or on a thumb drive. Keep them in a zipper-sealed gallon bag to protect them from water. Necessary prescriptions or medications. If they need to be kept cold, keep a supply of those together in your fridge, ice packs together in your freezer and a small cooler with your go bag. Changes of clothes, possibly for multiple days. Extra eyeglasses/contact lenses. Extra car keys. Credit cards, cash or traveler's checks. A first aid kit and sanitation supplies, including diapers and wipes for those who need them. A flashlight and battery-powered radio with extra batteries. A charged power bank and cable for your cellphones. N95 masks to protect you from smoke inhalation. Calorie-dense, nonperishable snacks that don't take up much space, such as granola bars and energy bars, and a few bottles of drinking water. Mylar emergency blankets, which are smaller than a deck of playing cards when folded up. Maps of at least two evacuation routes. How much food and water should you keep in an emergency kit? Beyond the supplies in your go bag, you can prepare a larger emergency kit for longer periods of time. You may want to keep it in a wheeled tub that you can quickly drag or carry to the trunk of a car or bed of a truck. These supplies are also useful if you are going to be isolated in your home by damaged or blocked roads. Kits should have at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food. Lean heavily towards items that are ready-to-eat or require little cooking, as you may not have power or gas to cook with and clean water could be at a premium. Consider items like: Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables. Protein or fruit bars. Dry cereal or granola and dried fruit. Peanut butter. Canned juices and non-perishable pasteurized milk. Comfort snacks. Experts also recommend three gallons of water per person. The water may be needed for hygiene and purposes, not just drinking. Keep a can opener with the supplies as well. Make sure to periodically check expiration dates — even nonperishable food can eventually go bad. And don't forget about your pets. Make sure you have a few days of food for them. More: How can you help during and after the Colorado wildfires? Here's what you need to know What supplies should be in an emergency kit? In addition to food and water, hygiene supplies are important. Toilet paper, diapers and wipes again are good items to stock up on. If you or someone in your household has a disability, make sure you have supplies or necessary equipment. Backup mobility devices, a pump for wheelchair tires and communications tools for deaf or blind people are all examples. How do I make an emergency plan for my family? Whether your family is together when an evacuation is ordered or in different places, a good emergency plan can help everyone get to safety and reunite quicker. Make sure everyone in your household knows and understands what to do if the time comes. Consider the following parts of a plan: Know at least two evacuation routes from home, school, offices and other places you frequent. The middle of an evacuation is not the time to have to figure out how to get away if your usual route is closed. Choose two rendezvous points. One should be outside your neighborhood for a smaller fire or local emergency that requires you to leave home but possibly won't keep you away for an extended period of time. Have a second point out of town agreed on in case you face an extended evacuation or the scale of an emergency clears out larger areas. Have a contact outside of the area for everyone to check in with. Telecommunication systems can go down or be overloaded locally during an emergency. A friend or family member outside the area can share your updates and plans with people who are concerned or need to know without straining the local networks. If you lack reliable transportation or would need help evacuating, consider relocating before an evacuation order comes down. Someone who offered to help you might not be able to come to you or wait for you. How do I prepare my property? How do I make defensible space? The way you build on your property and landscape can have a big impact on whether your home makes it through a wildfire. Your decisions can also give firefighters a better chance to make a stand safely. Keep a zone of defensible space around your home that is free of leaves, debris or flammable materials. It should be between 30 to 100 feet in every direction — at least twice the size of the tallest near tree. Use fire-resistant materials to build, renovate or make repairs. Make sure every part of your property can be reached by a hose connected to an outdoor water source. What online resources should I know about? There are several ways to get up-to-date information about emergencies that you can access on your phone as quick references: Check here for a list of open Red Cross shelters in your area. Bookmark InciWeb, which posts evacuation notices, closures and other critical information during wildfires. Each incident reported to the site will have its own page with updates, maps, photos and more. Follow local emergency agencies on social media. Have several ways to receive alerts. The Department of Homeland Security has a page where you can learn about tools you can get like the FEMA app and NOAA weather radios, along with systems such as Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Emergency Alert System that you don't have to do anything special to receive. Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado wildfires 2025: Here's how to prepare for blazes
Associated Press
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
Texas inspectors approved Camp Mystic's disaster plan 2 days before deadly flood, records show
Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning just two days before catastrophic flooding killed more than two dozen people at the all-girls Christian summer camp, most of them children. The Department of State Health Services released records Tuesday showing the camp complied with a host of state regulations regarding 'procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster.' Among them: instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counselor. Five years of inspection reports released to The Associated Press do not offer any details of those plans at Mystic, raising new questions about the camp's preparedness ahead of the torrential July 4 rainfall in flood-prone Texas Hill Country. The National Weather Service had issued a flood watch for the area on July 3 at 1:18 p.m. That danger prompted at least one of the roughly 18 camps along the Guadalupe River to move dozens of campers to higher ground. Camp Mystic, established in 1926, did not do that and was especially hard hit when the river rose from 14 feet (4.2 meters) to 29.5 feet (9 meters) within 60 minutes in the early morning hours of the disaster. Flooding on that stretch of the Guadalupe starts at about 10 feet (3 meters). A wall of water overwhelmed people in cabins, tents and trailers along the river's edge. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. The uncertainty about what happened at Mystic comes as local officials have repeatedly dodged questions about who was monitoring the weather and what measures were taken ahead of the flooding. At least 27 campers and counselors died during the floods, and officials said Tuesday that five campers and one counselor have still not been found. Among the dead was Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the camp's beloved director described by campers as a father figure. The potential for heavy rains had put precautions in motion as the state activated an emergency response plan and moved resources into the central Texas area. The state inspected Camp Mystic on July 2, the same day the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated emergency response resources ahead of the anticipated flooding. The inspection found no deficiencies or violations at the camp in a long list of health and safety criteria. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. The disaster plans are required to be posted in all camp buildings but aren't filed with the state, said Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services. 'We do not have them,' Anton wrote in an email. 'You'd have to get it from the camp.' Camp Mystic did not respond to requests for comment on its emergency plan. In a statement on its website, the camp said it has been 'in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.' Camp Mystic notes that it is licensed by the state and a member of the Camping Association for Mutual Progress, which says its goal is to 'raise health and safety standards' for summer camps. Leaders of that association didn't return messages. The American Camp Association said Tuesday that Camp Mystic is not accredited with that organization, whose standards focus on safety and risk management. Spokesperson Lauren McMillin declined to say whether the camp previously had been accredited with the association, which describes itself as 'the only nationwide accrediting organization for all year-round and summer camps.' One rain gauge located about 1,500 feet (460 meters) from Camp Mystic recorded 9.5 inches (24 centimeters) of precipitation July 4, according to Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority data. Another of the agency's gauges — further south and to the west — recorded 12.2 inches (31 centimeters) of precipitation. The authority told the AP that a review of its equipment found both were functioning during the flood event. However, at least four United States Geological Survey gauges along the Guadalupe River experienced some level of failure July 4. The gauges, located near Hunt and Kerrville, stopped collecting both river levels and the flow rate of water in the early morning hours of July 4. One gauge, about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) east of Hunt and 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Camp Mystic, recorded a level of 29.5 feet (9 meters) at 4:35 a.m. on July 4, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. It was the last recorded river level from the instrumentation until a USGS hydrologist installed a temporary gauge. At the time, the hydrologist measured the high water mark at 37.52 feet (11.44 meters), a preliminary estimate that could change. At that location, a river level of 32 feet (9.75 meters) could lead to 'disastrous life-threatening flooding,' which could cover the roads of the lowest camps and resorts, according to NOAA.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sioux Falls Emergency Manager preparing for the end of FEMA
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — President Donald Trump announced plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the 2025 hurricane season. That means states, counties and cities will have to develop their own plans for handling the aftermath of emergencies. Damage in Sibley, IA after near 70 mph winds Regan Smith knew FEMA's demise was a possibility. So the man in charge of emergency response in Sioux Falls has been doing his homework. He's been talking with other emergency managers, trying to get a handle on what is ahead. 'We don't know, right now there is a lot of uncertainty, a lot of policy debate going on, so we are waiting to hear what might actually happen,' Smith said. Smith says on the local level, not much will change. Sioux Falls has a preparedness, response and recovery plan in place. He says people often misunderstand the role of FEMA during a disaster. FEMA is not first responders, they don't have an army of people that are responding to these types of things that happen at the local level and then at the state level. 'Their role is to coordinate federal resources to assist state and local government, and individuals and businesses with funding,' said Smith. Last week, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden created a state disaster preparedness task force. Without FEMA, states would need to develop their own disaster response teams, manage stockpiles of essential supplies, and coordinate federal assistance. Changes are coming, and during and after disasters, states are trying to figure out what life without FEMA will look like. 'There is a lot of talk and speculation, we just don't know,' said Smith. 'No Kings' protests on Saturday in 8 SD cities Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Disaster response plan agreed on by Lethbridge County and several nearby municipalities
Lethbridge County and surrounding municipalities have agreed on a new disaster response plan to allow for a co-ordinated response in the region. Lethbridge County and surrounding municipalities have agreed on a new disaster response plan. The new plan will allow for a co-ordinated response to disasters in the region. The regional emergency management plans include the county, Coalhurst, Nobleford, Picture Butte and Barons. Some disasters that might call for a group response include grass fires, floods and train derailments. Historically, the neighbouring municipalities have worked together on disaster response. But the new agreement formalizes this relationship and provides a framework for responses. 'It's just a really great opportunity for us to work with our partners. We're stronger, more resilient together,' said Breea Tamminga, Lethbridge County emergency management co-ordinator. 'It also expands our resources that we can tap into in the event of an emergency or disaster.' Lethbridge County and surrounding municipalities have agreed on a new disaster response plan to allow for a co-ordinated response in the region. Lethbridge County and surrounding municipalities have agreed on a new disaster response plan to allow for a co-ordinated response in the region. Smaller, everyday emergencies will still be handled by each community fire and emergency services.
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Give vegans special rations in national emergency, says crisis adviser
Vegans, vegetarians and Muslims should receive special food rations if disaster strikes Britain, according to a food crisis expert. Prof Tim Lang said people needed to eat familiar food in times of shock, and the government must cater for dietary requirements. An emeritus professor of food policy at the University of London, Prof Lang is an adviser to the National Preparedness Commission, an emergency planning committee set up in the wake of the Covid pandemic. 'If you want people to carry on not being in psychological shock, they need to have things that they're familiar with and comfortable with, not to experience the new,' Prof Lang told an audience at the Hay Festival in Wales. 'They have just experienced a lot of things – explosions, energy outage or whatever it is – and you want them to have things that they know they can eat. 'You don't want people used to a halal diet to eat a non-halal diet, for example, or vegetarians and vegans to have to eat meat. You've got to have some flexibility about what is normal now. It's very different to 1940,' he said. Prof Lang shared the Hay stage with Sir David Omand, a former director of GCHQ and the author of How To Survive A Crisis: Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster. Sir David warned that Britain was more vulnerable than ever to an attack on its infrastructure, saying: 'Historically, crises have arisen and the human race has survived. 'But what's different now is that we're more vulnerable. If you've got complex systems, they are very difficult to fix when things start to go wrong. You just need to think about cyber: would you have guessed that Marks & Spencer would have £300 million taken off their bottom line by a ransomware attack? 'So we are more vulnerable and we will struggle at the moment if some of these things actually happen. You just need to look at extreme weather events, never mind what could happen in the longer term.' Differing diets Prof Lang said planning by other European countries, including Germany and Switzerland, was 'getting into the minutiae about different diets, different ethnicities, different income groups and so on'. Crisis planning should take into account what people eat, he said, adding: 'What are your fears? What are your habits? What are you used to? What do you consider 'normal' food?' In the Second World War, the nation accepted the basic foodstuffs distributed as part of rationing. But Prof Lang said: 'Now, Britain's favourite food for children is pizza. It's a different world today.' He suggested that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had failed to grasp the importance of Britain's diverse eating habits. 'Getting prepared is about anticipating and part of that has got to mean anticipating the public. You can't assume Defra knows what the public is doing, or thinks, or its diversity,' he said. 'I want some new committees, and existing committees like the scientific advisory committee on nutrition, to actually analyse British diets and say 'OK, we need to have different dietary advice for different conditions'.' He also criticised the previous government for issuing basic advice in May last year that every household should stockpile three days' worth of unperishable food. 'This made me tear what hair I had out, because we need to think very carefully about what sort of food in what sort of circumstances,' he said. 'Can you cook? Maybe the electricity system has just gone. Let's think through the detail.' Food storage concerns Prof Lang said the absence of food storage in Britain would be keenly felt in the event of a crisis. 'Britain feeds itself from nine companies who account for 94.5 per cent of all food purchased,' he said. 'Those companies are very competitive, very powerful, they control long supply chains which have all been managed in an increasingly integrated way to get rid of storage. 'They go literally from the farm through to that point when you buy it in the supermarket, and your bill is re-ordering the food. They've spent 50 years, the logistics industry, getting rid of storage. 'What if it had been Tesco [hit by a cyber attack], not M&S? Tesco sells nearly a third of all food. If that goes down…' Sir David referred to the 'paradox of warning', when a known threat is looming but there is no political impetus to solve it until it is too late. He said: 'There is a terrible phenomenon which is that we don't actually think this will happen because it's our policy that it shouldn't happen. This is my explanation of Oct 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. They weren't expecting it, it was a surprise, because in the policy the Israeli government was following, it couldn't happen because that wasn't the policy. 'You can think yourself into hubris, complacency… and my worry is that we are rather complacent, and we'll get the wake-up call when suddenly we flick the switch and the lights don't come on because of some cyber attack or Russian attack or whatever it might be.' Sir David said planning must also take into account 'the psychological resilience of the public' in the event of a crisis, and expressed doubt that Gen Z or Gen Alpha could cope as well as older people. He asked: 'Is this generation or the upcoming generation more resilient than our generation was? You'll get two views but my hunch is probably a bit less, unless the youngsters have actually been abroad and done aid work or whatever it might be. When bad things happen, they're going to feel it more.'
