Mitigating for Wildfires: A California Community’s Response to Wildfires
Release Date: 11/03/2020
The Origin of Miami Dade’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Program
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
Recent disasters this summer including the devastating condominium collapse in north Miami, the Haiti Earthquake, deadly floods in central Tennessee and Hurricane Ida’s impact in the Gulf Coast and Northeast have demonstrated the crucial role of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams. In this episode of Disaster Recovery Roundtable, we discuss the origins of Miami-Dade’s USAR program and how it led to the national program we have today.
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The Weather Channel’s Stephanie Abrams
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
An interview with The Weather Channel's Stephanie Abrams. Stephanie Abrams grew up in Florida and the first time she considered a career in meteorology was after witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew’s impact to south Miami Dade County in 1992.
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A Look Back at the 2021 Hurricane Season and Kickoff to the 2021 Season with Dr. Phil Klotzbach
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University has been releasing a seasonal hurricane forecast every year since 1984 under Dr. William Gray. Dr. Phil Klotzbach currently leads the research program and is well known among the emergency management community for his annual forecasts. Dr. Klotzbach will share the latest update for the 2021 season and indications on how the forecast might be changing on the eve of an updated forecast, which will be released by Colorado State on June 3, 2021.
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Listos California Preparedness Campaign
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
A California campaign is helping to engage the most vulnerable in that state as they promote five steps for safety and survival from disasters. In this episode of Disaster Recovery Roundtable, we hear from Justin Knighten, the previous co-chair of the Listos California Preparedness Campaign, about how it is reaching targeted audiences to support personal preparedness.
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California on the Road to Recovery After Most Active Wildfire Season in State History
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
The state of California continues recovery efforts from a historic wildfire season which included some of the largest fires (in acreage burned) in state. The August Complex Fire has been classified as the first “gigafire”- burning over 1 million acres across seven counties. It was one of several large-scale fires and ranked as the Top 5 of the 6 largest fires in California’s recorded wildfire history.
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Challenges for States Managing the COVID-19 Vaccination Process
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
As the first vaccines start rolling out, each state will be required to manage the vaccine distribution process to ensure targeted populations, health care workers, nursing home patients, etc. are able to receive the initial doses.
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Challenges for States Managing the COVID-19 Vaccination Process
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
As the first vaccines start rolling out, each state will be required to manage the vaccine distribution process to ensure targeted populations, health care workers, nursing home patients, etc. are able to receive the initial doses.
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Challenges for States Managing the COVID-19 Vaccination Process
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
As the first vaccines start rolling out, each state will be required to manage the vaccine distribution process to ensure targeted populations, health care workers, nursing home patients, etc. are able to receive the initial doses.
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Challenges for States Managing the COVID-19 Vaccination Process
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
As the first vaccines start rolling out, each state will be required to manage the vaccine distribution process to ensure targeted populations, health care workers, nursing home patients, etc. are able to receive the initial doses.
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How Local United Ways Disaster Services Program is Supporting Communities After Hurricanes, Wildfires, Pandemics, and Other Events
Disaster Recovery Roundtable
The United Way has a dedicated Disaster Services division to support local chapters and the communities they serve in preparing and recovering from disasters. This support includes preparing the chapters and their staff to be prepared for events in their community, in addition to positioning their resources to support the recovery of the entire community from events.
info_outlineSonoma County California has been impacted by numerous weather-related disasters in the last few years — from a historic drought to devastating wildfires in three of the last four years. In between the county experienced flooding and mudslides. These events have changed how Sonoma County prepares for disasters by improving mitigation efforts, expanding community outreach programs, increasing funding for emergency management, and providing multiple sources to alert the public of threats. Sonoma County District 4 Supervisor, James Gore shares how the county improved response to recent wildfires in 2020 as it continues to build community resilience.
Key Takeaways
- Mitigating for disasters is key to ensuring communities can survive and recover from events including: How do you pre-defeat fires, How do you address sea level rise, etc.
- The Tubbs and Sonoma Complex fires of 2017 were a wake-up call for Sonoma County. It identified the need to better alert and for notification systems to warn the public of potential threats. It was resulted in changes to how Sonoma County prepares including additional funding for its emergency management program, development of public education campaigns, and establishing mitigation programs to prevent harsh impacts from disasters.
- Climate factors have impacted how wildfires are fueled in California including historic droughts, and changes in wind patterns.
- Significant improvements were made to expand communication systems across the county to enhance alert and warning capabilities.
- Community Resilience needs support from both elected officials and the emergency management community in order to be successful.
- Emergency Operations Centers need to operate as a preparedness center and not as a “bunker.”
- Dedicated funding to support mitigation and preparedness efforts is essential.
- Reviewing evacuation procedures and exercising for potential disasters is crucial to being ready for the next disaster.
- It's crucial for communities to routinely test their early warning and notification systems on a regular basis.
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