AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Monday Briefing: The WHO to Hold Meeting on Zika, El Nino Storms Batter CA, Dengue Fever Spreads in Hawaii

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for February 1, 2016: The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting on Zika virus to discuss ways to battle the recent outbreak, strong El Nino-fueled storms hit Southern California yesterday and should continue today, and Hawaii is considering options as confirmed cases of Dengue Fever rise.

  1. The World Health Organization (WHO) will [link url=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/31/who-hold-emergency-meeting-monday-zika-virus/79603364/” title=”hold an emergency meeting today on Zika virus“]. The virus is especially dangerous to pregnant women, as it is [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/Health/microcephaly-details-alarming-birth-defect-linked-zika-virus/story?id=36550631″ title=”linked to birth defects“] and has reportedly been [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/01/28/zika-virus-who-announces-formation-of-emergency-committee-level-of-alarm-extremely-high/” title=”‘spreading explosively’“] in recent weeks. The WHO could term the Zika outbreak a [link url=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/31/who-hold-emergency-meeting-monday-zika-virus/79603364/” title=”‘public health emergency of international concern,’“] which would put a spotlight on the virus and attempt to spur a coordinated global response.

    2. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/zika-the-new-aids/”]

  2. A powerful storm slammed Southern California yesterday, with [link url=”http://www.latimes.com/local/weather/la-me-ln-powerful-storm-southern-california-sunday-20160131-story.html” title=”wind gusts topping 115 mph“] in a region north of Los Angeles. [link url=”http://www.latimes.com/local/weather/la-me-ln-powerful-storm-southern-california-sunday-20160131-story.html” title=”One person died“] after a tree fell on a car in the San Diego region. Weather experts expect more heavy rain and strong winds today, with flash floods and mudslides a possibility.

  3. Yesterday’s storm in California is the latest in a series of [link url=”http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/el-nino-is-here-but-california-is-still-in-drought/” title=”El Nino-fueled storms“] to hit the state in recent weeks — including the storms that battered [link url=”https://amuedge.com/pacifica-california-the-mt-st-helens-effect/” title=”Pacifica, resulting in a bizarre situation for residents“]. But despite the recent heavy rain and snow, [link url=”http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/el-nino-is-here-but-california-is-still-in-drought/” title=”drought conditions have barely budged“] in California, with almost two-thirds of the state still severely parched.

    4. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/water-management-too-much-or-too-little/”]

  4. New cases of Dengue Fever surfaced late last week in Hawaii, bringing [link url=”http://www.hawaii247.com/2016/01/30/one-new-dengue-fever-case-total-rises-to-242-friday-jan-29/” title=”the total number of confirmed cases to 242“] in the state. Dengue Fever is a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes, and it cannot be spread directly from person to person. This weekend, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard urged Hawaii Governor David Ige [link url=”http://www.hawaii247.com/2016/01/30/rep-gabbard-wants-gov-ige-to-declare-state-of-emergency-for-dengue-fever-outbreak/” title=”to declare the Dengue Fever outbreak a state of emergency“] and deploy state resources to help stop the spread of the virus.
  5. A recent [link url=”http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/674829.pdf” title=”U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report“] highlighted how the he Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Cybersecurity Protection System (NCPS) is only partially meeting its stated system objectives. The GAO report specifically pointed out that improvement could be had in [link url=”http://healthitsecurity.com/news/dhs-cybersecurity-protection-system-can-improve-finds-gao” title=”intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, analytics, and information sharing“] as we move into an age where cyber security is an ever-increasing concern.

    6. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/a-look-at-cyber-security/”]

  6. Thousands marched on the streets of Paris [link url=”http://www.france24.com/en/20160130-france-paris-protest-state-emergency” title=”in protest of a proposed extension of a state of emergency“] in the city. Authorities introduced the state of emergency following the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks that left 130 dead. French authorities do not want to lift the state of emergency due to the ongoing terrorist threat and the risk of attacks, but some human rights experts argue that the state of emergency places [link url=”http://www.france24.com/en/20160130-france-paris-protest-state-emergency” title=”‘excessive and disproportionate’ restrictions on key rights“].

    7. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/paris-in-perspective/”]

  7. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin [link url=”http://www.newson6.com/story/31097325/oklahoma-governor-requests-disaster-declaration-for-december-2015-storm” title=”requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government“] for help recovering from December storms that destroyed more than 100 homes, damaged nearly 100 more, and caused an estimated $48 million in infrastructure damages. In other news, Governor Fallin also approved $1.4 million in funding to support [link url=”http://newsok.com/article/5475308″ title=”earthquake research efforts“] in the state.

  8. A group of unrelated airline emergencies occurred this weekend: A [link url=”http://bnonews.com/news/index.php/news/id3469″ title=”British Airways plane“] en route to Chicago made an emergency landing at London’s Heathrow Airport due to an unspecified technical issue; An [link url=”http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-29/american-airline-passengers-fall-ill-on-second-flight-this-week” title=”American Airlines plane“] traveling from Miami from Rio de Janeiro diverted to Brasilia after three crew members and one passenger reportedly became ill with an unknown ailment; An [link url=”http://www.vancouversun.com/news/vancouver+bound+plane+makes+emergency+landing+toronto/11686052/story.html” title=”Air Canada flight“] en route to Vancouver made an emergency landing in Toronto after reportedly experiencing a sudden drop in air pressure; And a [link url=”https://www.rt.com/usa/330820-delta-flight-attendants-fight/” title=”Delta Airlines flight“] traveling from Los Angeles to Minneapolis diverted to Salt Lake City after flight attendants reportedly got into a fist fight in the cabin.

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