Beyond Storm Warnings:

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Beyond Storm Warnings Emergency management
perspectives on addressing vulnerable populations
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Overview

• Severe weather preparedness response
• What we do now, what works, what doesnt
• Feedback from federal, state, local emergency
  managers
• Where we are headed
• Vulnerability, lessons learned

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FEMA Region IV Hurricane Program
What we dowho we work with

• Hurricane Evacuation Studies
• Training Outreach
• State and local conferences
• HURREVAC, decision support tools, resources
• Hurricane Readiness preparedness coastal and
  inland communities
• Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT)
• HLT Team Lead
• Other Activities
• Post Storm Assessments
• Subject Matter Expertise

• Partner with
• National Hurricane Center
• River Forecast Centers
• National Weather Service
• Storm Prediction Center
• NOAA Coastal Services Center
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Department of Transportation
• Regional program managers, state hurricane
  program managers

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• Mission
• Support hurricane response operations through the
  rapid exchange of critical information between
  the National Hurricane Center and emergency
  managers at all levels.
• Team
• FEMA staff, National Weather Service
  meteorologists and hydrologists

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Severe weather preparedness response

• Brock Long, Director, Alabama Emergency Mgt

• Collaboration with local weather forecast
  offices
• Southern Linc
• Conference Calls
• National Weather Service deploys to state
  Emergency Operations Center on request
• We need more products available on multiple
  platforms

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Examples
Severe weather preparedness response

• Victor Jones, Director (retired), Sumter County
  EMA
• A proponent of warning systems, weather radios
• Not big on outdoor warnings/sirens people cant
  hear them
• Opened EOC for every watch at modified level
• Easier to coordinate a fast response
• Easier to travel to EOC before storms hit
• It seems like at least 70 of time the major
  damage in my county seemed to have happened
  outside the tornado watch box, outside the
  tornado watch time, or was from the related
  severe weather such as hail and wind damage..

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Examples
Severe weather preparedness response

• Eddie Smith, Deputy City Manager, Kannapolis, NC
• Doesnt have NOAA Wx Radio in office
• Receives watch/warning information from
  Fire/Police chief
• Receives updates from partners Duke Power
• May activate for warnings, situation dependent
• Lesson Learned Mayor has to declare a local
  state of emergency to activate Emergency
  Operations Center
• Not typically done for severe weather dont want
  to alarm the public
• After recent flooding, this policy is being
  re-evaluated
• Promote Cell Phone Notification Service!

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Severe weather preparedness response

• FEMA Region IV
• Timing
• Graphics
• Regional perspective
• Overview (in non-technical terms)
• Multi state impacts
• Difficult to get from NWS/NOAA products
• Started regional conference calls with SPC for
  High Risk events

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What Doesnt
Opportunities for improvement
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Opportunities for improvement
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Opportunities for improvement
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Opportunities for improvement
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Opportunities for improvement
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What works?
Where are we headed?
Thoughts on Vulnerabilityand mitigation Randy
Webster, Director, Horry County Emergency Mgt

• Even though tornadoes can strike anywhere, you
  would not believe how few people understand their
  risk to these and other major storms.
• There has to be better communication regarding
  risks and vulnerability so everyone can
  understand the benefits (of preparation).
• For most people it seems there is a direct
  relationship between preparedness and insurance
  premiums. The better your fire protection, the
  lower your insurance premium.  And this is more
  pronounced in the business industry. We need more
  support for tying homeowner and business
  insurance premiums reductions with mitigation
  efforts to homes and businesses.

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• Who is at risk?
• Many of our most vulnerable populations are often
  those most deeply affected by disaster.
• Vulnerability can be described in many ways
• What is the exposure of a specific community?
• What is the impact to the community?

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FEMA Hurricane Evacuation Studies
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• Vulnerability Analysis
• Helps coastal decision-makers identify
  populations at risk from storm surge and winds
• Customized to meet local needs
• Typically depict storm surge and wind
• Identify vulnerable populations such as mobile
  home densities, critical facilities, tourist
  areas, etc.
• Cross referenced with transportation, behavioral,
  hazard, shelter analyses

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(Wind swath mobile home density in South
Carolina)
(RV Population in Mississippi)
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• Visualizing storm surge inundation

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• Basic Questions - Hurricanes
• What structures will withstand the winds?
• What areas are most susceptible to inland
  flooding?
• Shadow evacuations
• Community isolation
• Shelter capacity
• Who should leave first?
• Local resources response and recovery

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Special Considerations

• Mobile Homes
• Substandard Construction
• Manufactured Housing
• Special Needs Populations, Medical Facilities
• Isolated Areas
• Tourist Areas
• Special Events
• Non-English Speaking Populations
• Public Transportation Network
• Transportation Dependent
• Pets

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Making vulnerability analysis a success

• Local and state buy-in
• Driven at the community level based on their
  needs
• Supported by decision-makers
• Integration of sound analyses
• Good hazard data
• Behavioral component
• All-hazards if possible
• Sufficient Funding

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• Elected officials
• Federal, state, and local government
  representatives
• Emergency management officials
• Military facilities
• Parks and recreation officials
• Hospitals, nursing homes, health care
• Private/public utility representatives
• Transportation representatives
• Public works officials

• School administrators
• News media
• Special needs groups
• Animal welfare organizations
• Hotel operators
• Business representatives
• Tourist industry representatives
• Industrial facility representatives
• Volunteer organizations
• American Red Cross
• Salvation Army

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Questions?
Rebecca Jennings Hurricane Program
Specialist FEMA/Region IV rebecca.jennings_at_dhs.gov