The following guidance was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today:
A Nor’easter is approaching the northeast today, including those areas still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. This Nor’easter is expected to bring strong winds, rain and even snow throughout today into Thursday. As the storm makes its way up the coast, we are asking you to do the following:
- Visit http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather;
- Like and shareFEMA’s Facebook page posts;
- Follow and retweet @ReadyDotGov tweets; and
- Download and share these useful apps: FEMA – Android, Apple, Blackberry
Given the power has not yet been fully restored in some areas, state and local governments are opening warming stations in anticipation of the Nor’easter. To find more about these warming stations and other open shelters, visit:
New York State
New Jersey
Connecticut
For those within an area expected to be impacted by this current storm, below are some simple steps one should take now to prepare:
- Follow the direction of local officials – if told to evacuate, listen to the direction of your local officials and evacuate immediately.
- Know the forecast for your area – listen to your NOAA weather radio and local news reports, or visit weather.gov for conditions in your area.
- Check on your neighbor – make sure they are also prepared for the weather.
- Have an adequate communication plan – be sure friends and family know how to contact you. Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not get through.
FEMA continues to support both recovery operations as a result of Hurricane Sandy as well as preparedness efforts associated with the Nor’easter. Additional commodities including food, water, blankets, and generators are currently being delivered to distribution points across the region impacted by Sandy. FEMA is also pre-positioning even more resources and supplies for its state and local partners to respond, if necessary, to the Nor’easter.
Community Relations Teams are on the ground, going door-to-door, letting individuals know how to register with FEMA for financial assistance and how to prepare for the upcoming storm. More than 277,000 people have applied for financial assistance, and more than $250 million in assistance has been approved.
Prepare for hazards in YOUR area
Although you may not be in the path of this forecasted storm, now is a good time to review the potential hazards where you live. Knowing likely risks for your area, whether snow storms, earthquakes or tornadoes and knowing what to do when a disaster strikes is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds matter.
Local emergency management offices can help you identify hazards in your community and can outline the local plans and recommendations for each. Be sure to share this information with family, neighbors, colleagues and friends – talking about preparedness helps everyone be ready, “just in case.” Use the links below to make your family, business and community safer, more resilient and better prepared for any disaster event.
For further information regarding these safety tips or other post hurricane safety recommendations, visit www.fema.gov or www.ready.gov.
We want to hear your suggestions on how we can improve our communications to you, be sure to email us at [email protected].
