FEMA: 2018 Hurricane Season Outlook
Photo: NOAA.gov
Arago’s Admonition:
“Never, no matter what may be the progress of science, will honest scientific men who have regard for their reputations venture to predict the weather.”
It is hard to believe, as FEMA and our stakeholders are still very much in active recovery mode from the 2017 hurricane season, that the official start to the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st. Forecasts from leading researchers and meteorologists, including those at Colorado State University, are predicting a busy 2018 hurricane season with a 60% probability for a major hurricane hitting the U.S. coast. Researchers also predict a slightly above average season in terms of number of hurricanes formed and intensity of the storms.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an above average hurricane season would equal over 11 named storms. NOAA continues to monitor weather patterns and will make formal forecasts closer to the start of June when the season officially begins.
Colorado State University added that higher than average ocean waters in the western tropical Atlantic combined with cooler than average ocean temperatures in the north and western Atlantic will contribute to an active upcoming hurricane season.
FEMA offers a number of resources to help to prepare for the upcoming Hurricane season. Visit FEMA.gov or download the FEMA app from iTunes or Google Play today. Before the 2017 Hurricane Season, Acting FEMA Administrator Robert J. Fenton Jr. (now FEMA Region IX Administrator) said, “Regardless of how many storms develop this year, it only takes one to disrupt our lives. Get ready now with these easy, low-cost steps that will leave you better prepared and will make all the difference: Have a family discussion about what you will do, where you will go and how you will communicate with each other when a storm threatens; Know your evacuation route; tune into your local news or download the FEMA app to get alerts, and finally – listen to local authorities as a storm approaches.”
- Determine your Risk
- Develop an Evacuation Plan
- Assemble Disaster Supplies
- Get an Insurance Checkup
- Strengthen Your Home
- Help Your Neighbor
- Complete a Written Plan
(Sources: FEMA.gov, NOAA.gov, Colorado State University Extended Range Forecast of 2018 Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity, http://www.bsc.es/seasonalhurricanepredictions)
Great news: Omnibus Bill has $50M plus for nonprofit security grants
Congressional leaders posted the text of Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (aka the Omnibus Bill)) last night. Its passage will keep the government operating for the remainder of the fiscal year. Included in the bill (besides the Taylor Force Act) is an allocation of $50 million (up from $25M) for the Nonprofit Security Grants Program (NSGP) and $10 million for nonprofits outside of the designated UASI regions (Good news for upstate and Connecticut institutions).
We won’t know when the application package will be available or the deadline for submission until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security releases its guidance. People always complain that they aren’t given enough time to complete their applications so we advise you to click to www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants and follow the instructions to get started now.
The projected increase in the grant allocation would not be possible without our Congressional champions. A major push for the $50 million came in a bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter to the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee (including the Ranking Member, our own Rep. Nita Lowey) circulated by Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. and our own Dan Donovan, Jr. Our New York delegation figured prominently among the signers, including: Representatives Yvette Clarke, Joseph Crowley, Eliot Engel, Adriano Espaillat, John Faso, Hakeem Jeffries, John Katko, Peter King, Carolyn Maloney, Gregory Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, Thomas Suozzi, Kathleen Rice, Claudia Tenney and Nydia Velázquez. Of course, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Democratic Leader Charles Schumer were helpful in the Senate. Please contact their offices to let them know that you appreciate their leadership.
JCRC-NY and UJA-Federation are key members of the dynamic coalition that pushes for this legislation year-after-year. The linchpin of this effort is Rob Goldberg of the Washington, DC office of the Jewish Federations of North America. Our friend, William Daroff, the senior vice president for public policy and director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America, plays an important role.
Webinar: Emergency Preparedness Resources for Houses of Worship
The Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships
the Small Business Administration Center for Faith-based & Community Initiatives
(Both Centers of the White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships)
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
invite you to join us for:
A Webinar on Emergency Preparedness Tools & Resources for Houses of Worship and Community Organizations
WEBINAR________________
Learn more about tools, resources and partnerships strategies to help faith-based and community organizations prepare for emergencies! |
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this webinar is to provide participants with information on emergency preparedness tools, resources and engagement strategies that are available to faith-based and community leaders and emergency managers. Presentations will explain how faith-based and community-based organizations can engage in National Preparedness Month 2014 and National PrepareAthon Day! activities. The presentations will also highlight engagement best practices at the state and local level between faith-based and community leaders and emergency managers to prepare faith and community-based organizations and the larger community.WHO SHOULD JOIN THE WEBINAR? This webinar is for anyone interested in learning more about resources to help faith-based and community-based organizations get prepared for emergencies and help their communities to do the same.
WHEN IS THE WEBINAR? August 19, 2014 HOW DO I JOIN THE WEBINAR? Adobe Connect Web Link: https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/faithtoolsa/event/registration.html Please sign in as a guest. Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting by clicking here. PRESENTERS. Representatives from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, County of Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department’s Office of Emergency Management will present. The Small Business Administration Center for Faith-based & Community Initiatives and Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships, will also provide remarks in support of houses of worship and community organizations engaging in preparedness activities. |
Nonprofit Security Grant: Webinar and more info
|
2013 Nonprofit Security Grant Program Webinar Tuesday, May 28, 2013 Learn about the grant requirements and the NY E-Grants system. Click here to RSVP. You will be sent a confirmation with the connection links. The system requires a high speed computer connection and speakers or headphones. |
Our friends at NY DHSES are hard at work getting out the formal application package. However, you can get started immediately (remember: the grant is due on June 10, 2013). Since the guidance was released:
- Changes from last year. The grant application is essentially the same as last year. We have updated the JCRC Security Grants webpage at: www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants.
- Nonprofit Security Grant Checklist 2013. The checklist is a step-by-step guide to help you complete the application package. Download it here.
- Investment Justification template. Many people (including yours truly) were frustrated that DHS only posted a PDF copy of the template. A working template is now available on the JCRC Security Grants webpage. Click here to download a copy. (Thank you Val!)
- Mission statement. Applicants will be required to upload their organizational mission statements along with their Investment Justification. We haven’t checked this, but it is likely that organizations that have not attached their mission statements will not be considered for a grant. Fear not. We posted What is a mission statement? to guide organizations without a mission statement.
- E-Grants system. New York applicants must submit their grants through the E-Grants system. If you have a E-Grants account and remember your information you need not do anything else. If you need to be reminded of your account name and/or password, send a note to grants@dhses.ny.gov. New applicants must fill out an E-Grants Registration available in two formats: doc pdf.
The NY DHSES package should be available on or before Tuesday, May 28th, but you have plenty to do before then.