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Private Sector Advisory
Residents of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas Urged to Remain Vigilant as Dorian Continues Strengthening
August 31, 2019
WASHINGTON – As Dorian’s strength and path continues to change, FEMA urges residents and visitors along the southeastern coast of the United States to remain vigilant, continue preparations, monitor the storm closely, and follow instructions and warnings of local officials.
Hurricane Dorian is a strong storm that can produce dangerous flooding and damaging winds along Florida’s Atlantic coast, even if the track shifts northward. Residents, tourists, and visitors in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas should prepare now.
Act Now to Prepare Your Family and your Home
- Residents are encouraged to have supplies for several days, to include: water and food, prescription medications, hand sanitizer and first aid products, items for infants and toddlers, toiletries and pet supplies
- Have cash on hand and collect important papers such as property deeds, birth certificates, and rental leases.
- Fill up your gas tank, stock your vehicle with emergency supplies and know your evacuation routes. If evacuation orders are given for your area, evacuate.
- Charge cell phones and backup batteries.
- Download the FEMA App for preparedness tips, shelter information and weather alerts. You also can visit Ready.gov for more information on what you can do ahead of this dangerous storm.
Working in coordination with partners, FEMA is prepared to support multi-state response operations, as needed.
FEMA
- FEMA established staging areas at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Georgia, Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and the North Air Force Auxiliary Field in Orangeburg County, South Carolina.
- Two FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams, a FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Team, three Mobile Emergency Response Teams, and a mobile emergency operations vehicle are at the Florida Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.
- FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams are deployed to Georgia and Florida, and additional teams are being mobilized along with swift water rescue resources. Ambulance strike teams are preparing to support medical evacuations if needed.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft are flying multiple daily missions into Dorian to gather critical observations about the storm’s structure and intensity.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams deployed and ready to support state and tribal requests. HHS and Florida health officials work together to support vulnerable populations, to include more than 169,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Florida who rely on electric-powered medical equipment for independent living.
American Red Cross (ARC)
- The ARC is coordinating with community partners and emergency responders to prepare evacuation centers for people who may seek shelter over the Labor Day weekend.
- ARC mobilized over 600 trained volunteers from all over the country, 20 emergency response vehicles and more than 60 tractor-trailer loads full of relief supplies.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- EPA is performing a preliminary assessment of all Superfund waste sites in Florida. The list of sites will continue to evolve with the path of the storm, and evaluation of other sites in the region is ongoing.
- EPA approved fuel waivers for the state of Florida to help ensure that an adequate supply of gasoline is available in the affected areas until normal supply to the region can be restored.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) priorities remain the preservation of life and safety, resulting in no further immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the storm, except in the event of a serious public safety threat.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- DOE remains in regular contact with government and industry partners to discuss preparations and potential impacts, and will continue to post situation reports on the agency’s Hurricane Hub.
- Utilities along Dorian’s path have activated emergency plans and mutual assistance networks to attain necessary resources
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
- The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing facilities and equipment to withstand potential damage so flights can quickly resume after the storm passes. Travelers should monitor fly.faa.gov for current information about airport status and delays.
- The public can monitor updated road conditions at weather.gov/cys/unitedstatesroadconditions.
National Guard Bureau (NGB)
- The Florida National Guard currently has approximately 2,000 guardsmen on active duty for response efforts with an emphasis on search and rescue, communications and aviation.
- NGB coordinated support from Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin to augment air and ground capabilities.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
- USACE deployed a temporary power team to the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, GA.
- Additional USACE staff are available to support infrastructure and debris assessments.
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)
- VA is regularly posting updates regarding the storm’s impact to operations on their Sunshine Healthcare Network page.
- VA activated the Heritage Health Emergency Pharmaceutical Program throughout the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network for emergency pharmacy services.
- Veterans who have questions may contact the Veteran Disaster Hotline at 800-507-4571.
U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
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The 2018-2022 Strategic Plan creates a shared vision for the field of emergency management and sets an ambitious, yet achievable, path forward to unify and further professionalize emergency management across the country. We invite all of our stakeholders and partners to also adopt these priorities and join us in building a stronger Agency and a more prepared and resilient Nation.
Download the FEMA App to locate and get directions to open shelters across the state, and receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States. Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Acting Administrator Pete Gaynor’s activities at https://twitter.com/fema_pete. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.
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