November 2022
 Latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center for Subtropical Storm Nicole
As of this morning, Monday, November 7th, we have our 14th named storm in the Atlantic. Subtropical storm Nicole currently has winds of 45mph. Nicole could be at or near hurricane strength when it moves near the northwestern Bahamas and the east coast of Florida Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the potential for a dangerous storm surge, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall to a portion of these areas. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas, and additional watches could be required for the coast of Florida later today.
Impacts to Virginia look to be heavy rain on Friday and Saturday of this week, though make sure you stay up-to-date with local forecasts as the amount of rain, timing and impacts could change. The picture below shows one computer model's forecast for rain in Virginia this Friday.
 Computer model forecast showing prediction of rain in Virginia this Friday afternoon (11/11) from remnants of Nicole
Here's a message from Bruce Sterling, VDEM's hurricane program manager:
With the peak of the 2022 hurricane season behind us, we find the beginning of November to be relatively active. As mentioned above, we now have Subtropical storm Nicole that is currently active in the Atlantic. On November 2, both Tropical Storms Lisa and Martin became hurricanes, and for only the third time on record we had two simultaneous hurricanes in November. The only other two years this happened since 1851 (when we started keeping records) was in 1932 and 2001.
 In April, expectations were of a busier than average hurricane season. An average season would see 14 named storms, of which 7 would be hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). The initial forecast from Colorado State University, which began seasonal hurricane forecasts in 1984, called for 19 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes and in June was increased to 20 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. All of the ingredients were in place for a busy hurricane season, but fortunately, dry air, Saharan dust, and upper level wind shear were in place to inhibit tropical cyclone formation. At the end of August, we were well below an average hurricane season, and on September 1 we saw Tropical Storm Danielle form, followed by five additional tropical storms in the month of September, four of which became hurricanes. So here we are with only a few weeks left in the hurricane season, and we have so far seen 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes, which is almost right on target for an average hurricane season. There is still time left for another named storm and hurricane or two, but it looks at this point we will have an average hurricane season this year. The one thing to always remember is it only takes one, so regardless of how slow or active a hurricane season is, the only one that matters is the one that impacts us (or anyone else).
Since hurricane season ends November 30, this will be the last article from the VDEM Hurricane Program until next hurricane season. During the offseason, we’ll be preparing for the 2023 hurricane season by reviewing and updating our plans and processes and attending the National Hurricane Conference where we will learn from the experiences of those who endured and responded to Hurricane Ian in Florida. Over the winter, I hope each of you will take the time to enhance your personal hurricane preparedness. A good place to start would be to see if you are in an evacuation zone by going to the Know Your Zone website, located at www.knowyourzoneva.org and click on the “Find Your Zone” button, where you can type your address in and see if you reside in an evacuation zone. This will be a good start to your hurricane planning. Until June 2023, hope everyone is safe.
- Bruce
 Merely a few weeks into flu season, and nationally, we are already worse-off than we were at this point in every other season since 2015.
This week's flu stats in Virginia (from VDH):
Virginia is at a Very High level for Influenza-like illness (ILI) activity.
Virginia reported 6.8% of emergency and urgent care visits were for ILI. The largest proportion of visits by age group was observed in 0-4 year age group with 19.1% of visits.
VDH has reported 0 influenza-associated pediatric deaths during the 2022-2023 flu season.
 Chart from CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm
Here are some flu basics from the Virginia Department of Health:
Period of Contagiousness: You may be able to spread flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as when you are sick with symptoms.
- People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins.
- Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick.
- Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.
Influenza Symptoms
Symptoms of flu can include a sudden onset of:
- Fever* or feeling feverish/ having chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (feeling very tired)
- Some children may have vomiting and diarrhea
Influenza Complications
Flu illness can range from mild to severe. Certain people are at greater risk for serious complications if they get the flu – older people, young children, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses.
Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
Although most people are ill for less than a week, serious complications can lead to hospitalization and even death.
How Influenza Spreads
Influenza spreads mainly from person to person by droplets from the nose or throat that are released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. Sometimes, people may become infected by touching something with influenza virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or possibly their eyes before washing their hands.
Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems. This means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Symptoms usually appear 1 to 4 days after exposure to the influenza virus.
What should I do if I think I am sick with influenza?
If you become ill with influenza symptoms, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to seek medical care. Most people are able to recover at home without medical care.
Rest, liquids, and over-the-counter medicine for fever (e.g., acetaminophen) are the usual treatments. Some prescription drugs may reduce the severity of influenza. Aspirin should not be given to children with fever-causing illnesses because of the possibility of a complication called Reye’s syndrome. Antibiotics are not effective at fighting the flu.
Although some people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications, it is also possible for otherwise healthy people to develop severe illness. People who are concerned about their illness should consult their doctor for advice. Experiencing any of the emergency warning signs listed below means that you or your child should seek medical evaluation without delay.
Emergency Warning Signs In Children:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
Emergency Warning Signs In Adults:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
(Learn more at Influenza Basics - Epidemiology (virginia.gov))
Follow this link to read more about the flu and other illnesses in different languages: Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dzongkha, Farsi, Karen, Kirundi, Nepali, Oromo, Somali, and Spanish.
 Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) will take place November 14-18 and this year’s theme is “Respect Our Roadside Heroes.”
We hope you'll take the time to remind people of the importance of slowing down and moving over.
The week is a time to educate the public about the importance of staying alert, slowing down, and moving over when passing a roadway incident as well as providing critical traffic incident management (TIM) training to all stakeholders involved in TIM. These stakeholders in the emergency services include firefighters, EMS providers, rescue workers, law enforcement, emergency managers, who often coordinate with other disciplines such as towing and recovery operators or transportation officials.
The CRSW Daily Calendar is organized around daily themes:
Each day of the Calendar provides sample social media messages you can use or customize for your agency. Use #RoadsideHeroes when posting on social media.
 Picture courtesy of Shutterstock of a destroyed beach house in FarRockaway, NY in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy Nov. 4, 2012
From the FEMA Blog...
Ten years ago, Hurricane Sandy became one of the most-powerful storms to strike the most densely populated areas of our nation, killing 160 people and causing more than $65 billion in property damage. FEMA led a large-scale response that involved federal, state and local officials and resources to help the millions impacted from Florida to Maine and inland to West Virginia and Ohio, particularly those in the harder hit areas of New York and New Jersey.
The “superstorm” caused disruptions in 24 states, bringing heavy rains, flooding, strong winds and even snow. Millions along the Eastern Seaboard lost power, tens of thousands lost homes and needed shelter, and the debris removal process continued for months. FEMA mobilized a then-unprecedented amount of resources before, during and after the storm to support the recovery. Here are some of the numbers:
- More than 17,000 federal personnel deployed (including 7,500 FEMA staff), in addition to over 11,000 National Guard personnel across the impacted states.
- More than $1.2 billion in housing assistance delivered to more than 174,000 survivors.
- More than $800 million obligated for debris removal and infrastructure restoration.
- More than $4.4 billion in flood insurance payments were made to 68,000 policyholders.
As the Sandy response continued, FEMA continued to provide needed supplies and commodities to affected areas. By the first two weeks after the storm, FEMA had shipped 20 million liters of water, 16 million meals, 1.7 million blankets, 79,000 cots, 138,000 tarps, 568 generators, 105 infant and toddler kits (capable of serving 1,050 children for one week), 5 Durable Medical Equipment kits (capable of serving 1,250 survivors), and 4 Consumable Medical Supply kits (capable of serving 1,000 survivors for one week).
Hurricane Sandy placed a spotlight on FEMA’s ability to respond to disasters and provided lessons that continue to inform our work as severe weather events have increased in frequency and intensity.
 Left, Graduate of Basic Academy Patrick Lam, Emergency Management Coordinator, Augusta County; Center, Instructor and region 3 Disaster Response and Recovery Officer Lucy Carter Smith; Right, Instructor and region 2 Disaster Response and Recovery Officer Alexa Hussar-Boggs
We have three new graduates of the Emergency Management Basic Academy! VDEM is excited to welcome these new graduates who will go on (or continue) to serve their communities, now armed with more knowledge about emergency management.
The Emergency Management Basic Academy is a program of FEMA's Emergency Management Institute. Students have to take 120 total course hours to graduate, then they can go on to the Advanced Academy.
Courses include:
- Foundations of Emergency Management
- Science of Disaster
- Planning: Emergency Operations
- Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP)
- Public Information Basics
Region 3's Disaster Response and Recovery Officer (DRRO) Lucy Carter Smith partnered with region 2's DRRO & Interim Chief Regional Coordinator, Alexa Hussar-Boggs to instruct the FEMA Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP) course in Culpeper last week.
Class attendees included local Emergency Managers and professionals from other agencies throughout the Commonwealth. Upon completion of the HSEEP, several individuals earned the Basic FEMA Emergency Management Academy credential. Among those receiving the Basic Academy certificate were Patrick Lam, Emergency Management Coordinator for Augusta County (pictured above).
 Left, Candice Brown, Academic Support Technician in VDEM's Training, Education and Exercise Division; Right, Graduate Richard McEachin, VDOT Program Administrative Specialist
Another graduate was Richard McEachin, a Program Administrative Specialist with VDOT.
 Left, Candice Brown, Academic Support Technician in VDEM's Training, Education and Exercise Division; Right, Jack McGovern, Battalion Chief, City of Fredericksburg
The third graduate, pictured above, is Jack McGovern, the Battalion Chief for the City of Fredericksburg.
This accomplishment represents a commitment to excellence in the profession of Emergency Management by not only students, but their organizational leadership as well as VDEM TEED and instructors who strive to provide VDEM “top quality” experiences in the classroom.
Congratulations to all who work tirelessly to enhance professionalism within the field of Emergency Management!
 The federal government has provided more than $1.74 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments has been provided to the state of Florida and households to help survivors jumpstart their recovery after Hurricane Ian. FEMA has provided more than $684 million to households and $322 million to the state for emergency response.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has provided $464 million in disaster loans and the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $273 million in claims.
For more information, please visit FEMA.gov.
 This National Native American Heritage Month, FEMA is celebrating a “year of firsts,” with the appointment of the agency’s first-ever National Tribal Affairs Advocate, the release of the agency’s first-ever National Tribal Strategy, the first National Advisory Council meeting in Indian Country and the first tribal citizen to hold the position of council chair in FEMA history.
At FEMA, Tribal Nations and tribal citizens are daily partners in emergency management and disaster resiliency. Tribal Nations are often the first and sometimes only responders to disasters that occur in Indian Country. The agency celebrates and honors the Nation-to-Nation relationships between FEMA and the 574 federally recognized Tribal Nations across the country. “As we reflect on the achievements, contributions, sacrifices, cultures and traditions of Tribal Nations and tribal citizens -- past and present -- we are also looking to the future,” said FEMA’s National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Ms. Kelbie Kennedy. “We are committed to ensuring that FEMA improves our coordination with, and support of, all Tribal Nations across the country. When Tribal Nations have the support and resources they need, everyone in Indian Country, both Native and Non-Native, become safer.”
To ensure FEMA continues to advance its commitments to align the agency’s capabilities to the needs of Tribal Nations, FEMA has appointed the first tribal affairs political appointee in both FEMA and Department of Homeland Security history. Ms. Kelbie Kennedy, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma who was born and raised in her Nation’s reservation in Southeastern Oklahoma, joined FEMA in October of this year.
As the first FEMA National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Ms. Kennedy advises the FEMA Administrator and the agency on all matters pertaining to tribal affairs, ensures that Tribal Nations and tribal citizen needs are front of mind for FEMA and aims to ensure the agency lives up to its treaty and trust responsibilities to all Tribal Nations.
Last week, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell attended the National Advisory Council year-end meeting hosted by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, making it the first-ever council meeting held in Indian Country. During the meeting, the council held focused discussions on improving Nation-to-Nation relationships and supporting tribal sovereignty. At the end of the meeting, the Administrator appointed Jeff Hansen, Director of Community Protection for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, as the National Advisory Council chair. Mr. Hansen is the first tribal citizen to hold the position of council chair in FEMA history.
Earlier this year, the agency also released the first-ever 2022-2026 FEMA National Tribal Strategy to focus engagement and collaboration on the unique needs of sovereign tribal nations. The strategy is designed to foster stronger collaboration and information sharing between FEMA and Tribal Nations by providing the agency with a roadmap to refine and elaborate on major strategic goals and objectives we are working to achieve. Key issue areas were added to address requests from tribal leaders and tribal emergency managers, including tribal-specific technical assistance and tailored resources to support tribal emergency management programs.
To further address the unique needs and considerations of Tribal Nations, FEMA is also creating a Tribal Cybersecurity Grants Program, led by FEMA in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The new grants will address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, Tribal Nations. Earlier this year FEMA consulted with Tribal Nations per its Federal trust and treaty responsibilities and has improved the program as a result. Tribal leaders provided important input during the tribal consultation that will significantly improve the final grant program. Detailed information about the tribal cybersecurity program will be available soon.
 **FEMA has recently established key deadlines for applying for FEMA Public Assistance for eligible work that your organization may have performed that was required to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
December 31, 2022 marks the deadline to submit a streamline project application(s) in FEMA Grants Portal for eligible COVID-19 work and costs that occurred between January 20, 2020 and July 1, 2022. The streamlined project application must include information and documentation sufficient for FEMA to determine whether the work is eligible, and either the actual or estimated cost of the work.
How to Submit a Streamline Application - FEMA Grants Portal
Individuals looking for Individual Assistance, please visit disasterassistance.gov for assistance.
Businesses looking for assistance should visit the Small Business Administration’s disaster assistance website.
REGIONAL NEWS
Region 1: VDEM Region 1 staff participated in a food emergency tabletop exercise held on November 2nd at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center and will participate in a separate exercise for a critical infrastructure facility later this month. The VDEM Region 1 Fall Forum and Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop will be held on November 9th. The Fall Forum serves as an opportunity for local, tribal, and public institutions of higher education partners to hear about new VDEM initiatives and enhance collaboration. The Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop is open to regional public, private, and non-profit stakeholders and will focus on public safety related training and exercise needs in the region. VDEM Region 1 staff will also be monitoring election activities and available to assist localities as needed.
Region 2: Region 2 teamed up with region 3 and hosted the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP) course for local emergency managers, stakeholders and other agencies last week. The class is part of the Emergency Management Basic Academy, and was the fourth out of five classes in the academy to be hosted in the northwestern part of the state. The final class will be held in mid-December, so look for many more graduates being announced in January!
Region 3: The Region 3 team will be meeting with multiple VDOT and VSP districts and divisions to discuss winter weather and its impacts on road closures. The City of Harrisonburg conducted a tabletop exercise in October on this same subject and there were a lot of good discussions on what happens on the interstates and how it can affect surrounding jurisdictions.
Region 3 has several new County Administrative Officers and Emergency Managers, so the VDEM team is going out and meeting with them this month to explain who VDEM is and how we can help them during disasters. It is always better to put a face with someone prior to an incident than the day of.
Region 4: Coming up this month, the region 4 team is having the National Guard come out to do a Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team demonstration, in conjunction with Chesterfield Fire Department, in Tazewell County. This will be a great way for our team and local jurisdictions to see the process of a helicopter water rescue.
Region 5: Region 5 held its popular yearly Fall Forum / Integrated Preparedness Planning (IPPW) in October. This is a time for local Emergency Managers to get together with VDEM and give updates about what's happening in the community. Over 65 emergency management professionals attended the workshop in Williamsburg.
Region 5 is monitoring for any unexpected events on Election Day. In preparation, the Region 5 Team has reached out to localities, developed an on-call schedule for staff, and been involved in planning meetings with State and Federal Partners.
Region 5 is holding a Mass Care Logistics workshop. The intent of this meeting is for VDEM Logistics to:
- familiarize Region 5 localities/tribes with VDEM Logistics Staff - specifically preparedness staff
- demonstrate and outline methodology of historical commodity planning tools, such as the new comprehensive resource planning tool for single day / 7 day event concepts
- establish ongoing partnerships with localities/tribes, VDEM Regional Staff and VDEM Logistics Staff
Region 6:
Region 7: The region 7 team would like to congratulate Robb Hoffower on his promotion to Disaster Response and Recovery Officer at VDEM. Robb was formerly region 7's All Hazards Planner. Congratulations, Robb!
The Region 7 Fall Forum was hosted on November 4, and dozens of VDEM staff and emergency management professionals gathered to collaborate, get/give updates, and network with people we haven't seen in a while. It was a great time to come together and talk about new initiatives, including Partners in Preparedness!
Region 7 staff also supported the Disaster Loan Outreach Center for those impacted by the flooding earlier this year in Buchanan County.
 Lauren Opett, Director of Communications, speaking about Partners in Preparedness at Region 7 Fall Forum
 Our reach is growing!
We currently have over 200 groups signed up for the Partners in Preparedness newsletter. When you consider the reach that each of these groups has in their community, the preparedness message is being amplified to more and more Virginians every day!
 Don't get caught without a plan! Check out these planning resources that will help you kickstart your emergency preparedness and guide you along the way as you make your full plan. You can download these now at Make a Plan | VDEM (vaemergency.gov). We are working on making these available in different languages and also in hard copies to hand out at events.
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