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Hurricane Sandy Situational Awareness Statement (SAS) #6

 

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

Hurricane Sandy Situational Awareness Statement (SAS) #6

Date: October 26, 2012

Time: 7:30 PM

Situation:

Hurricane Sandy, currently a Category 1 hurricane, has nearly passed the Bahamas and is projected to move northward off the eastern Florida and Carolina coasts over the weekend before curling inward towards the Eastern Seaboard early next week. Current predictions by the National Hurricane Center show Sandy making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near the Delmarva Peninsula or the southern tip of New Jersey sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, but the National Weather Service (NWS) advises that a more northerly track for Sandy with a landfall as far north as Long Island remains very possible.

Given the large geographic size of Sandy, even a landfall well south of New England will have major impacts on Massachusetts, including damaging winds, associated power outages, and freshwater and coastal flooding. Landfall closer to New England will potentially cause a historic degree of freshwater and coastal flooding, significant beach erosion, wind damage, and associated widespread power outages. In this scenario, impact from Sandy could be comparable to or even worse than past events such as Tropical Storm Irene, Hurricane Bob, or the 1991 "Perfect Storm".

Potential impacts of Sandy include:

High Seas: Sandy is predicted to cause unusually high seas (25-30 feet or greater) off the coast of New England beginning Sunday and peaking Monday and Tuesday. Seas will be dangerous and potentially life-threatening, even for large vessels. Winds are expected to be at least gale to storm force with occasional hurricane force gusts.

Winds: Damaging winds and associated widespread power outages lasting several days or more are likely, with the winds becoming stronger the closer to Massachusetts Sandy makes landfall. Wind damage will be exacerbated in southern New England as most trees still have foliage at this time of year. In a worst case scenario, Massachusetts could experience sustained 40-60 mph winds with gusts of 80-100 mph or more, with the strongest winds occurring near the coast.

Coastal Flooding: Both east- and south-facing coasts in southern New England have a high risk of minor to moderate coastal flooding lasting through Monday and Tuesday high tide cycles. Moderate to major coastal flooding (up to 4 to 6 feet of storm surge over and above normal tide levels) and severe beach erosion are possible if Sandy makes landfall closer to New England.

Rain/Flooding: While it is still too soon to determine where the heaviest rain will fall, confidence is rising that southern New England will see potentially flooding rainfall from Sandy. Rain could begin as early as Sunday and potentially last through mid-week. In a worst-case scenario, southern New England could receive as much as 4 to 8 inches or more of sustained rainfall. Areas at particular risk of flooding include the Worcester Hills and the eastern slope of the Berkshires. There is a significant risk of small stream and river flooding associated with Sandy, but still a high degree of uncertainty at this time as to the location and extent.

The latest 5-day forecast map from the National Hurricane Center is included below.

State Actions:

MEMA is actively monitoring the storm and conducting preparedness activities. MEMA held a coordination meeting with state agencies yesterday afternoon. Today, MEMA held two coordination calls with local public safety officials and started conducting pre-incident planning with its public- and private-sector partners, focusing on the following functional areas:

· Commodities

· Debris Management

· Transportation

· Staging

· Mass Care / Shelters

· Search & Rescue

· Communications

· Energy/Utilities

· Rapid Impact Assessment Teams

· Air Operations

· Public Information / Social Media

· Military / Law Enforcement

MEMA will continue to monitor Sandy's progress, hold twice-daily coordination calls with local officials and NWS, continue to conduct preparedness activities, and issue additional SASs at least daily until the threat to New England has passed. Depending upon the track of the storm, MEMA anticipates activating the State Emergency Operations Center prior to landfall.

MEMA's Activation Status: MEMA is currently at Level IV (Steady State).

Information for Local Officials:

MEMA encourages local officials to monitor Sandy's progress and predicted track closely and undertake preparedness activities such as:

· Reviewing emergency plans and procedures

· Assessing areas that may be subject to flooding and developing plans for communicating with, and potentially evacuating people in these areas

· Updating emergency contact lists

· Testing communications and warning systems

· Reviewing emergency contracts and available resource inventories

· Testing generators and ensuring emergency fuel supplies for them

· Assessing local emergency shelter readiness and capacity.

MEMA also strongly urges local officials to review their Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) inundation maps to pre-identify areas particularly at risk from storm surge flooding. SLOSH maps and other hurricane preparedness resources can be found on MEMA's website at http://www.mass.gov/eopss/home-sec-emerg-resp/plan-prep/natural-hazards/hurricanes/. Please note that you will need to have Google Earth installed on your computer to access the online SLOSH maps that are available through MEMA's website.

MEMA has posted a debris clearance and removal guidance document for local officials under the "Hurricane" link on its website at http://www.mass.gov/eopss/home-sec-emerg-resp/plan-prep/natural-hazards/hurricanes/.

Hurricane Preparedness Tips for the General Public:

· Stay informed by monitoring the storm via the media.

· Be sure to have a well-stocked Family Disaster Kit in the event you lose power or are isolated for a number of days.

· Clear clogged rain gutters. This storm brings the potential for torrential rain. Providing clear drainage will help prevent misdirected flooding.

· Secure outdoor items such as lawn furniture, trash barrels, hanging plants, toys and awnings that can be broken or picked up by strong winds and potentially become a projectile.

· Elevate articles in your basement that could be damaged from even minor flooding.

· Keep your vehicles fully fuelled.

· Have a certain amount of cash available. If power is lost, ATMs may not be working.

Ping4alerts!:

MEMA encourages smartphone users to download the free ping4alerts! app. This app is available free of charge for iPhone and Android phones and receives severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service and emergency information from MEMA based on the user's location. Learn more at http://www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.

Online Resources:

For additional information and resources, visit:

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at www.mass.gov/mema (Hurricane preparedness tips and other preparedness information are available through the "Hurricane" link on MEMA's homepage).

MEMA's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA

MEMA Twitter: @MassEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov

National Hurricane Center website at www.nhc.noaa.gov

National Weather Service/Taunton at www.weather.gov/boston

National Weather Service/Albany, NY at www.weather.gov/albany

Mass211 at www.mass211.org

National Hurricane Center 5 Day Forecast Map (current as of 5:00PM 10/26/2012):

 

 

--
Lee Ann Delp, RPL
Lead Dispatcher/ Director of EMA
Program Manager Northern Essex REPC CERT
Adjunct Instructor, APCO Institute
West Newbury Public Safety
401 Main Street
West Newbury, MA 01985
978-363-1103 Tel
978-363-1114 Fax
978-361-5232 Cell
http://www.wnema.org/

http://www.ma911.org/

This email message is a private communication. The information transmitted, including attachments, is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential, privileged, and/or proprietary material. Any review, duplication, retransmission, distribution, or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is unauthorized by the sender and is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender immediately by return email and delete the original message from all computer systems. Thank you.

MEMA Sandy Preparedness Tips News Release

MEMA OFFERS TIPS AS HURRICANE SANDY APPROACHES

 

FRAMINGHAM, MA – With the possible threat of Hurricane Sandy following a track that could have a major impact on New England early next week, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) recommends actions that people can take to minimize the potential damage from this storm.

 

"Early planning and preparation can be the key to your safety," states MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz.  "It is important to use your time wisely and not wait until the last minute to ensure your family's safety."

 

Here are some examples of steps you should be taking:

• Make sure you have a well-stocked Family Disaster Kit in the event you lose power or are isolated for a number of days.
• Trim back trees and shrubbery around your home. Remove diseased or damaged tree limbs that could be blown down, causing damage, during a storm.
• Clear clogged rain gutters. This storm brings the potential for torrential rain. Providing clear drainage will help prevent misdirected flooding.
• Bring in outdoor items such as lawn furniture, trash barrels, hanging plants, toys and awnings that can be broken or picked up by strong winds and used as a missile.
• Make sure storage sheds, children's playhouses or other outbuildings are securely anchored, either to a permanent foundation or with straps and ground anchors.
• Elevate articles in your basement that could be damaged from even minor flooding.
• Make temporary plywood covers to protect windows and sliding doors. Drill holes for screws or lag bolts in each cover and around each window. Note: Taping of windows does not prevent them from breaking.
• Keep you vehicles fully fueled.
• Have a certain amount of cash available.  If power is lost, ATMs may not be working.
• Make a record of your personal property.  Keep an itemized list of your furniture, clothing and valuables to assist adjusters in case of a claim. Back it up with photographs or video.
• Protect your insurance policies and other important documents in a secure place like a safe deposit box or a watertight box. Many people back up important documents online.
• Learn where gas pilots and water mains are located and how to safely shut off all utilities.
• Lock doors and windows to ensure that they are closed tight to help protect against strong winds and rain.
• Boat owners, who plan on taking their vessel out of the water soon, should consider doing so this weekend.
• Download the free ping4alert! app to your Smartphone to receive important weather alerts and messages from MEMA.  Easy instructions are available at www.mass.gov/mema/mobileappp.

 

 

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Storm Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema.

 

Also, continue to follow MEMA updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MassEMA; Facebook at www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA; and YouTube at www.youtube.com/MassachusettsEMA.

 

--
Lee Ann Delp, RPL
Lead Dispatcher/ Director of EMA
Adjunct Instructor, APCO Institute
West Newbury Public Safety
401 Main Street
West Newbury, MA 01985
978-363-1103 Tel
978-363-1114 Fax
978-361-5232 Cell
leedelp@gmail.com
http://wnema.com/


This email message is a private communication. The information transmitted, including attachments, is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential, privileged, and/or proprietary material. Any review, duplication, retransmission, distribution, or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is unauthorized by the sender and is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender immediately by return email and delete the original message from all computer systems. Thank you.

Get Emergency Information on Your Smartphone

Ping4alerts! is a new mobile communications app for alerting the public in emergencies and disasters. Through geofencing technology, ping4alerts! enables the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to send highly targeted, instant multimedia alerts to iPhone and Android devices to notify citizens about situations and events happening near them. Theping4alerts! FREE mobile app is one way that MEMA sends emergency information and messages.

Sample screenshots of National Weather Service and MEMA alerts:

     

Watch this short video to learn more about how Ping4alerts! app works:

The Ping4alerts! app is currently available for iPhone and Android platforms. Download it today: 

iPhone QR Code	Android QR Code	App icon that you will see on your phone after downloading:

FAQ for Ping4alerts! App

Q: What is Ping4alerts?

A: Ping4alerts! is a FREE smartphone application (app) that was developed by Ping 4 Inc. and is used by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to send emergency information based on your location.  Currently the app is available foriPhone and Android platforms.

Q: Where do I get the app or get more information?

A: The app can be downloaded from iTunes or the App Store for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) and the Google Play online storefor Android devices. More information can also be found on the Ping4 website.

Q: What are the options when I download the app?

A: 1) During the installation you may be asked to activate location services for this app.  You must enable location services on your smartphone in order to receive emergency location-based information.

2) You may be asked if you want Public Safety Alerts on or off. We strongly encourage users to leave this alert type “on” so that they can receive public safety alerts and severe weather alerts.  You will NOT receive emergency information if Public Safety Alerts is turned off!

3) You may also be asked if you want deal notifications on or off. This option by Ping4 allows users to receive deals and offers if you are nearby certain merchants.  Users can turn this feature on or off depending on if they want to receive these notifications.

These options can also be changed after downloading the application either in the phones settings for location services or within the app’s “settings” section for types of alerts.

Q: What type of alerts will I receive?

 A: The app receives a data feed from the National Weather Service for certain severe weather events. Messages are sent for watches and warnings for tornados, thunderstorms, flash floods, blizzards, hurricanes, and others. In addition, MEMA also uses Ping4alerts to send important information about potential or actual emergencies.   

Q: How will Ping4alerts! notify me if an alert has been sent about severe weather or other emergencies?

A: When a new alert is sent, Ping4alerts! Will cause your phone to sound an audible alert and it will push a notification to your phone’s screen. In addition, certain severe messages about life threatening conditions may override the phone’s silent or vibrate settings to ensure that the user gets the message.

Q: What do I do after receiving a message?

A: It depends on the nature of the event. The message may contain a recommended course of action.  The message may also provide prompt you to access additional critical information by touching buttons or links on the Ping4alerts! screen.   You might also want to check other sources of information, such as the radio or television.  Do not call 9-1-1 unless you have an emergency.

Q:  Is Ping4alerts! storing or tracking my information?

A:  No, Ping4alerts! uses your location when you have location services enabled on your smartphone.  The location information is used to provide the warnings if you are in the affected area. While Ping4alerts! is aware of your location, it does not receive or store any identifying information from your smartphone. In other words it knows where you are, not who you are.

Q: What functions will the app have if cellular and data networks are down?

A: The app relies on data service to provide situational information. If there is no data service available, the messages will not be received until the data service is operational.

Q: Is this the same as other emergency cell phone alerts that I have heard about?

A: Separate from this app, the wireless industry, the FCC, and FEMA are developing the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system. Certain cell phones are currently WEA compatible with the list expected to grow in the future.  The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency will use Ping4alerts! and the WEA to provide critical information to the public; each system provides certain benefits.  The WEA only pushes text messages while Ping4alerts! has the ability to target a specific area for a message and it has the ability for two way communications and can include images, video and links to more information.  The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency strongly recommends that smartphone users in Massachusetts utilize Ping4alerts and WEA to receive critical information during emergencies.

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) use applications (such as Ping4alerts!) in order to better engage with the public (a current list is below). Your use of third party applications and activity on those third-party sites is governed by the security and privacy policies of the third parties. Users of third-party applications and sites are often sharing information with the general public, user community, and/or the third-party operating the third-party site.  Such information may be used in a variety of ways.  Consequently, you should review the privacy policies of third-party application providers and sites before using them and ensure that you understand how your information may be used.  You should also adjust privacy settings on your account on any third-party application or site to match your preferences.

Third Party sites and applications:

Ping4alerts!

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Reduce the consequences prepare today

@ReadydotGov: The more you prepare today, the more you'll reduce the consequences of a disaster tomorrow. #NatlPrepChat Q&A @READYDOTGOV 10/2 1PM ET

Original Message:
http://twitter.com/ReadydotGov/status/252764733650898947