AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Monday Briefing: February Breaks Heat Records, Obama Declares Disaster in Texas

Emergency and disaster management briefing for March 21, 2016: The NOAA says that February 2016 was the hottest month ever, President Obama declares a major disaster in eastern Texas due to recent floods, and a Russia-bound plane crashes trying to land.

    1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its State of the Climate, which revealed that this [link url=”https://amuedge.com/noaa-february-2016-was-hottest-month-ever/” title=”February was the hottest month ever.“] Last month set a new record for the highest global temperature — for [link url=”https://amuedge.com/noaa-february-2016-was-hottest-month-ever/” title=”both land and sea surfaces.“]

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    1. President Barack Obama [link url=”http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/03/19/president-obama-declares-disaster-in-southeast-texas/” title=”declared a major disaster in three counties of Texas“] after severe storms hit the state last week and caused historic flooding. All three counties — Jasper, Newton and Orange — lie on the eastern side of the state bordering Louisiana. The Sabine River, which runs along the border of Texas and Louisiana, experienced its [link url=”http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/03/19/president-obama-declares-disaster-in-southeast-texas/” title=”worst flooding since 1884.“]
    2. A FlyDubai plane en route to the city of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia [link url=”http://time.com/4265182/dubai-airplane-crash-russia/” title=”crashed, killing all 62 on board.“] Officials said that the crash may have been caused by a [link url=”http://time.com/4265182/dubai-airplane-crash-russia/” title=”sudden gust of wind.“] Authorities worked yesterday to recover information from flight recorders to shed light on the incident, but [link url=”http://time.com/4265442/russia-plane-crash-recorders/” title=”the recorders are badly damaged.“]
    3. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said that two utility districts in the state [link url=”http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/environment/2016/03/16/two-tennessee-water-utilities-out-compliance-over-lead/81531816/” title=”tested positive for high levels of lead“] in the water. Despite the positive lead tests, state regulators said that [link url=”http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/environment/2016/03/16/two-tennessee-water-utilities-out-compliance-over-lead/81531816/” title=”the state does not have a water quality problem“] and that the positive lead tests are likely [link url=”http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/environment/2016/03/16/two-tennessee-water-utilities-out-compliance-over-lead/81531816/” title=”due to sampling errors.“]

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    1. This weekend, the Alabama National Guard (ALNG) led a [link url=”http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2016/03/19/alabama-national-guard-begins-hurricane-prep/82012860/” title=”Rehearsal of Concept drill (ROC)“] in preparation for hurricane season. ALNG and Emergency Management Agency members [link url=”http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2016/03/19/alabama-national-guard-begins-hurricane-prep/82012860/” title=”monitored a computer-generated hurricane“] and practiced response efforts in a time-based sequence.
    2. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a new set of [link url=”http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2016/03/19/new-jersey-utility-board-approves-cybersecurity-measures/82009708/” title=”cyber security measures“] aimed to protect the state against the growing threat of cyber attacks on utility companies. [link url=”http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2016/03/19/new-jersey-utility-board-approves-cybersecurity-measures/82009708/” title=”New requirements“] will apply to state-regulated electric, natural gas, water and wastewater utilities.

[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/education/cyber-security-the-true-greatest-threat-to-our-future/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/cyber-security-spending-will-skyrocket-in-next-four-years/”]

    1. Winter Storm Regis is expected to drop heavy snow on the parts of the East Coast today, with [link url=”https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-regis-noreaster-snow-new-england-boston-providence” title=”eastern New England getting hit the hardest.“] Some regions of New England can expect up to a foot of snow, and the National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories from New Jersey to Maine. [link url=”https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-regis-noreaster-snow-new-england-boston-providence” title=”Travel impacts“] are likely.
    2. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency approval to a [link url=”http://www.techtimes.com/articles/142410/20160319/3-in-1-test-for-zika-chikungunya-and-dengue-gets-emergency-fda-approval.htm” title=”new test for mosquito-borne infections.“] The three-in-one laboratory kit tests for Zika, dengue or chikungunya all at once, and will be distributed nationwide soon.

[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/saturday-guest-blog-zika-preparation-in-south-florida/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/study-finds-links-between-zika-virus-and-birth-defects/”]

    1. Environment Virginia reported that more than 57 million residents in the U.S. have been [link url=”https://amuedge.com/weather-disasters-in-u-s-impacted-millions-in-past-five-years/” title=”impacted by multiple weather-related disasters“] in the past five years. The citizen-based environmental advocacy organization put together an [link url=”http://www.environmentvirginia.org/page/vae/extreme-weather-map” title=”interactive online map“] that visualizes weather disasters that occurred in the U.S. in that time frame.

[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/weather-disasters-in-u-s-impacted-millions-in-past-five-years/”]

  1. A retired Pennsylvania state trooper reportedly [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/retired-penn-state-trooper-fatally-shot-after-holding-up-a-toll-plaza-police-say/2016/03/20/f467799c-eee4-11e5-a61f-e9c95c06edca_story.html” title=”held up a Turnpike toll plaza“] in Pennsylvania on Sunday morning, fatally shooting a toll collector and a security guard before being [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/retired-penn-state-trooper-fatally-shot-after-holding-up-a-toll-plaza-police-say/2016/03/20/f467799c-eee4-11e5-a61f-e9c95c06edca_story.html” title=”shot and killed by a responding trooper.“] Authorities are still investigating the incident.

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