March 3, 2015

Grays Harbor County, WA

Three crews (15 AmeriCorps members) from Washington Conservation Corps responded last week to Grays Harbor neighborhoods affected by flooding in early January. To date, the AmeriCorps members have served nearly 1,300 hours and leveraged an additional 225 volunteers  in efforts to muck and gut damaged homes. 

News: Hundreds of volunteers help Washington flood victims

Train Derailment in West Virginia

AmeriCorps VISTA in West Virginia assisted in disaster response activities with the recent train derailment and explosion in Boomer, WV. Members helped man the Beards Fork Community Center that was opened as a shelter for those evacuated from the explosion area, making sure that people had food, water, a place to sleep, and in some cases, clothes, until such time as they were able to return home. Members also assisted with water distribution from the Page-Kincaid PSD to care facilities that were without water and were unable to move residents.

In addition, AmeriCorps VISTA members and Senior Corps volunteers have been distributing warming station information throughout the state because of multiple days of sub-zero temperatures. 

AmeriCorps VISTA 50th Anniversary

Members of the Disaster Services Unit participated in the 50th anniversary of VISTA in Washington, D.C. last week, highlighting the role AmeriCorps VISTA members play to prepare communities before disasters and help them recover afterwards.

Americans struggling financially find themselves without the means to adequately prepare for and recover from disaster. Often, the only sources for help are community nonprofits and faith-based organizations. AmeriCorps VISTA, the federal program dedicated to alleviating poverty, is a powerful asset for these organizations in strengthening the capacity of communities to respond and recover. 

To learn more about how AmeriCorps VISTA can support disaster preparedness and recovery in your community, please contact the Disaster Services Unit at DSU@cns.gov. 

READY2015

This year's Resolve to be Ready campaign focuses on Seasonal Preparedness. The Ready campaign encourages families to prepare throughout the year for all weather hazards during winter, spring, fall and summer.

Throughout March, FEMA, the Ready campaign, and NOAA will be highlighting a number of preparedness campaigns. 

Severe Weather 

National Severe Weather Week is March 1-7, 2015. 

Flood Safety Awareness 

Flood Safety Awareness Week is March 15-21, 2015. 

Tsunami Awareness 

Tsunami Awareness Week is March 22-28, 2015. 

Remember that all your preparedness actions taken during all three preparedness weeks count as actions for America’s PrepareAthon! Be sure to register you actions at ready.gov/prepare and join the movement to prepare the Whole Community. You can now make your action public and share them with your stakeholders.

• Grays Harbor County, WA
• Train Derailment in West Virginia
• AmeriCorps VISTA 50th Anniversary
• READY2015
• NEW Resources from FEMA Community Planning and Capacity Building

NEW Resources from FEMA Community Planning and Capacity Building

Flood Risk Management Session -  Feedback and Listening Sessions – FEMA and other federal partners will be offering a series of listening sessions on the implementation of the new federal flood risk management standard. These sessions provide the opportunity to learn more about the Standard, ask questions, and provide feedback on how federal agencies implement the Standard. Sessions will be held in Ames, Iowa (3/3); Biloxi, Mississippi (3/5); Mather, California (3/11); and Norfolk, Virginia (3/11). Click here for more information, announcements of additional sessions, and information about providing feedback on implementing the standard.

Mitigation Innovation Webinar – DHS’ Science and Technology Capacity Building Webinar series will offer a discussion of “Mitigation Innovation” on Thursday, March 5, at 1 p.m. EST. This event will offer an overview of a few programs that offer scientific and technological strategies to help communities prevent, protect against, and minimize damages caused by disasters such as floods, earthquakes, high winds and fires. Click here for more information and to register.

Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources guide – FEMA recently announced the release of the new guidance document Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Incidents. This recovery coordination guide outlines best practices and approaches for states, tribes, and territories to help enable a more effective recovery for local communities after an incident of any size or scale.  

Resources

New Disaster Events
For information on new disaster events, please visit FEMA’s daily situation report.

CNCS Disaster Services Knowledge Network
This online network provides a place to share what works at the intersection of disaster services and national service.

Disaster Preparedness
To learn more about how to prepare your family and community, please visit Ready.gov. 

Disaster Distress Helpline:
1-800-985-5990

The Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, year-round crisis counseling and support. The Helpline is staffed by trained counselors from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, all of whom provide:

• Crisis counseling for those who are in emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster
• Information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and families
• Tips for healthy coping
• Disaster-specific resources and referral information.