WASHINGTON – The DHS released the following statement regarding its response to the recent Mid-Atlantic flooding:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is providing personnel and assets from two key operational component agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Coast Guard, in support to state and local response efforts to ongoing flooding in the Mid-Atlantic region. State and local authorities have primary responsibility for disaster response, and no formal disaster assistance requests of the federal government have been made by governors of impacted states at this time.

FEMA has activated the Regional Response Coordination Center in Philadelphia to integrate federal support for state and local response efforts. This center is staffed with approximately 30 FEMA personnel to monitor events as they unfold in the affected region. FEMA is in contact with state emergency management officials in the impacted states and it is deploying liaisons to state emergency operations centers in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia, to provide assistance to state officials as requested. In Maryland, FEMA has deployed four teams, of three members each, to conduct disaster assessments.

The United States Coast Guard has two Jayhawk helicopter rescue crews conducting ongoing search and rescue operations. These crews rescued four people in the New Milford, Pa. area earlier today.

This severe weather emphasizes the need for all Americans to take some basic steps to prepare for emergencies. DHS’ Ready Campaign urges individuals to get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan and be informed about local emergency plans.  More information and resources are available at www.ready.gov or by calling 1-800-BE-READY.

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