Severe storms

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008
400 AM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

...GUSTAV NEARING THE LOUISIANA COAST...HEAVY RAIN BANDS APPROACHING
NEW ORLEANS...

AT 4 AM CDT...0900 UTC...THE HURRICANE WARNING EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER HAS BEEN
CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS
IN EFFECT FROM JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE
MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY
SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE    » read more »

HURRICANE GUSTAV INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 28A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008
100 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2008

...GUSTAV WEAKENS A LITTLE MORE...BUT STILL A MAJOR HURRICANE...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST
FROM CAMERON LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER...
INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A
HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF THE
ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER TO THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER....AND FROM WEST OF
CAMERON LOUISIANA TO JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS. A TROPICAL    » read more »

26 August 2008 -- Tropical Storm Gustav has slightly weakened as it moves towards the Caribbean island nations of Jamaica and Cuba, but forecasters say it will grow stronger during the next few days.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Gustav is has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers an hour. Forecasters say the storm is heading northwest on a path that will take it between Jamaica and the southeastern coast of Cuba between Wednesday and Thursday.

Gustav is expected to regain hurricane strength today once it clears the southwestern peninsula of Haiti. Forecasters said late Tuesday it could become a Category Two storm on the scale that measures a hurricane's power and potential destructiveness.    » read more »

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008
500 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008

...GUSTAV STRENGTHENING SOUTH OF HAITI...SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL LATER
TODAY...

AT 5 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A
HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF LAS TUNAS...
GRANMA...HOLGUIN...SANTIAGO DE CUBA...AND GUANTANAMO. ALSO THE
GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA HAS CHANGED THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH TO A
HURRICANE WATCH FOR JAMAICA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BARAHONA IN THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC WESTWARD TO LE MOLE ST NICHOLAS HAITI. PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.    » read more »

August 24, 2008 -- George W. Bush today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Florida and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by Tropical Storm Fay beginning on August 18, 2008, and continuing.

Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Tropical Storm Fay in the counties of Brevard, Monroe, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.    » read more »

23 August 2008 -- Authorities in the the southeastern U.S. state of Florida say Tropical Storm Fay has killed at least 10 people since it began pounding the state with torrential rain last Monday.

Fay became the first storm of its kind in recorded history to make landfall four times in Florida - coming ashore again Saturday along the state's Gulf of Mexico coast.

Flooding in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fay: Photo by J.S. Clark (CC)

Its winds never have been strong enough to declare it a hurricane, but Fay has dumped more than 63 centimeters of rain on parts of Florida, flooding hundreds of homes and forcing numerous evacuations.    » read more »

August 21, 2008 -- The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Florida and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Fay beginning on August 18, 2008, and continuing.    » read more »

22 August 2008 -- Tropical Storm Fay has come ashore on the Florida coast for a third time since Monday, bringing more of the torrential rain that has flooded hundreds of homes and prompted numerous evacuations. Fay began moving west across mainland Florida Thursday, after stalling along the northeast Atlantic coast for hours, lashing the area with rain.

Major flooding in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fay: Photo by Jeremy G. (CC)    » read more »

Disaster Designation Comes Amid Efforts By Clinton To Push USDA And Senate Leadership To Take Action And Provide Relief For New York's Farmers

August 13, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed the decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to declare a federal disaster area in response to the damage caused in New York’s Southern Tier by high winds and hail.    » read more »

85 Iowa counties covered by Presidential Disaster Declaration

August 13, 2008 -- (DES MOINES) – Today, Iowa Governor Chet Culver received word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that seven additional Iowa counties – Adair, Audubon, Cass, Grundy, Guthrie, Henry and Winnebago – were granted a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance, and Cherokee County was granted Public Assistance.

Governor Culver said, “As we move forward with our statewide rebuilding efforts, assessments will continue to be made to better identify the total damages in the state, and the resources available to citizens in their time of need. In the aftermath of our severe weather, these additional declarations are an essential part of helping all Iowans recover.”    » read more »

AUGUSTA, Maine, July 22, 2008 -- According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), more than $5,139,716 in assistance has been approved following the severe storms and flooding that struck the northern and mid-coast regions of Maine this spring. Of that total, more than $1.9 million in grants and loans have been provided to Maine households.    » read more »

LINCOLN, Neb., July 22, 2008 -- More than $2.6 million in disaster aid is approved for Nebraska individuals and business owners who sustained damage during the storms, tornadoes and flooding that hammered the state from May 22 to June 24, 2008. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said to date, more than 2,000 people registered for disaster aid.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has allocated well over to $1.4 million of the approved amount in the form of low-interest home and business loans.    » read more »

LINCOLN, Neb., July 22, 2008 -- Nebraskans who were affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that swept the state from May 22 - June 24, 2008 have less than four weeks to apply for disaster aid. The last day to register is Tuesday August 19, 2008.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials said anyone who had disaster losses should call FEMA's toll free number, 1-800-621-FEMA. People with hearing or speech impairments can call TTY 1-800-462-7585. Registration can also be done online at www.fema.gov/assistance.    » read more »

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 3, 2008 -- The long Fourth of July weekend offers an excellent opportunity to take a break from the stress and intense emotions caused by the recent storms, tornadoes and floods.

Everyone is affected by a disaster, even if they don't suffer direct losses. Emotions such as grief, sadness, shock, anger, helplessness and hopelessness are natural. Experts say it is important to talk about those emotions.

Stress caused by loss or traumatic experience can sneak up on people, too. It may not be recognized for weeks or months after the experience.

Here are warning signs of stress to be aware of:

* Trouble concentrating or remembering things;
* Difficulty making decisions;    » read more »

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va., July 3, 2008 -- Like moths to a candle, disasters seem to attract slippery predators skilled at preying on the pain and misfortune of others.

That is a warning by officials of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) to residents affected by the storms, tornadoes, flooding and other severe weather of June 3-7.

"In disaster situations, there are often those who are ready to take advantage of such situations," said State Coordinating Officer Jimmy Gianato. "Be especially alert for phone or door-to-door solicitors who hand out flyers and promise to speed up the insurance or building permit process, and those who ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full."    » read more »