Hurricanes

June 03, 2008 -- John McCain has some nerve going to New Orleans, site of the Bush Administration’s do-nothing approach to Hurricane Katrina, to announce that he’s a “different kind of Republican.”

From health care and jobs to the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Sen. McCain’s record shows he’s in lockstep with President Bush and the Administration’s corporate allies.

A small and subdued collection of John McCain supporters during his New Orleans speech: Photo by dsb nola (CC)    » read more »

Federal Coordinator Doug O'Dell and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Michael Walsh Discuss Levee Protection in New Orleans

May 30, 2008 -- New Orleans, LA. – General Doug O’Dell, federal coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, along with Brigadier General Michael Walsh of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), recently hosted a media conference call to discuss hurricane protection in New Orleans in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season beginning June 1.

A levee wall in New Orleans: Photo by AuthenticEccentric (CC)    » read more »

HONOLULU -- The Coast Guard is urging all mariners to practice safe boating and be prepared for the 2008 hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

Hurricane preparedness is a shared responsibility. Government agencies have a responsibility to alert citizens and respond to those in distress.

Hurricane aftermath: Photo by Scott Baldwin (CC)

Those in the path of an approaching storm have an individual responsibility to stay alert, heed warnings and insure the safety of themselves and their families.    » read more »

BALTIMORE, Md. (05/28/2008) - Hurricane season doesn’t officially start until June 1, but the Maryland National Guard and the Baltimore County Fire Department aren’t waiting until then to get acquainted.

On May 17, a small detachment of Maryland Guard Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment (Security & Support) in Edgewood, Md., with two, high clearance five-ton trucks and a Humvee traveled to Baltimore County Fire Department’s (BCFD) station #17 to rehearse and train with the counties swift water and flood rescue teams.    » read more »

May 14, 2008 -- FT. LAUDERDALE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today, in his second address to more than 2,600 emergency managers, first responders, and volunteer agencies, praised their commitment to public service. He also encouraged all Floridians to prepare for the 2008 hurricane season during the general session of the 22nd Annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference.

Florida hurricane damage: Photo by Zaylea (CC)    » read more »

EDGEWOOD, Md. -- 05/12/2008 -- Experts are predicting a “well above average” hurricane season for 2008, and the Maryland Army National Guard stands ready to respond.

In addition to attending quarterly flood rescue meetings and continually honing their skills as professional Soldiers by practicing lifesaving rescue techniques, Maryland Army National Guard aviators are now learning how to use a new piece of communications equipment developed specifically to talk to local first responders on the ground and government officials during an emergency.    » read more »

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command will exercise their response abilities to a variety of events during an intensive eight-day national level exercise in May. National Level Exercise 2-08 will run May 1-8 and will exercise national capabilities to prepare and respond to multiple incidents including both natural disasters and terrorist incidents.

C-130H aircraft: Photo by Tech. Sgt. Joe Zuccaro

The exercise will include hurricane preparedness and response and Defense Support to Civil Authorities coordination in response to a weapon of mass destruction terrorist attack.    » read more »

Guard validates emergency plans with disaster response exercise

CAMP BEAUREGARD, La. - The Louisiana National Guard finished months of preparation with a joint Disaster Response Exercise April 2-6 in New Orleans.

The training brought together nearly 600 participants from the National Guard, Coast Guard, local, state and federal agencies to complete an exercise that simulated a category two hurricane hitting the greater New Orleans metropolitan area.

Soldiers help an injured role player during a Disaster Response Exercise: Soldiers were given different missions simultaneously to test the Louisiana National Guard’s ability to respond to an emergency. US Army photo by Thomas Benoit    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- (JACKSON, Mississippi) — More than $41 million in disaster recovery grants is being awarded to 39 Mississippi counties and municipalities for individual projects involving disaster recovery, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Disaster Recovery Division announced today.

Hurrican Katrina damage, Mississippi: Photo by Chris Metcalf (CC)    » read more »

Bureaucratic red tape has delayed first responder reconstruction projects after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

February 26, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent the following letter to FEMA Administrator David Paulison, raising concerns about ongoing reconstruction delays, funding disparities, and bureaucratic red tape for first responder resources and projects in New Orleans.    » read more »

January 25, 2008 -- “From the earliest days after the worst natural disaster in American history, when Coast residents were sorting through the wreckage of their homes and dealing with containers from the port that had been strewn into neighborhoods by the storm, we knew it would be imperative to restore the port not only in the interest of economic development but also public safety. HUD’s approval of this important project will allow that to happen.    » read more »

Jan 23, 2008 -- BATON ROUGE – Today, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed an executive order to maximize the efficiency of Louisiana’s coastal restoration and hurricane protection efforts by requiring all state agencies to comply with the Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast which lays out coastal and hurricane protection priorities as recognized by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, including the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Governor’s Office of Coastal Affairs.    » read more »

Despite urgent housing needs, Bush Administration intends to drastically reduce federal housing in New Orleans

December 18, 2007 -- WASHINGON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent the following letter to President Bush, calling on him to abandon his Administration’s intentions to demolish federally-assisted housing in New Orleans, Louisiana until there is a comprehensive plan to meet the Gulf Coast region’s extensive affordable housing needs.    » read more »

Clinton: Preparedness and Supplies are Vital to Ensure Long Island Residents are Protected in the Event of an Emergency

December 12, 2007 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today renewed her call to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pre-deploy hurricane and disaster preparedness supplies to Long Island for the 2008 hurricane season. In a letter to FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison, Senator Clinton urged FEMA to provide hurricane supplies to the area as was previously done in 2006.    » read more »

Dec 07, 2007 -- BATON ROUGE - Today Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco joined members of the Louisiana Recovery Authority to announce that updated budget estimates for the Road Home show the program is fully funded. Based on these projections, the state will not have to seek new funds from Congress to ensure that every eligible homeowner receives their full grant award from the Road Home.    » read more »