Three Rivers HAZUS User Group (3RiversHUG)

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External Links

Contact 3RiversHUG

Dr. Thomas Mueller, Coordinator
Department of Earth Science
California University of Pennsylvania
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
p: 724.938.4255
f: 724.938.5780
e: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

What We Do

3RiversHUG is a forum for southwestern Pennsylvania public, private, and academic organizations that use HAZUS software and related technologies to develop public policy and programs for building disaster-resistant communities.

3RiversHUG Mission

To offer a forum for southwestern Pennsylvania public, private, and academic organizations that use HAZUS-MH software and related technologies to develop public policy and programs for building disaster-resistant communities.

3RiversHUG Objectives

To advance opportunities for training in the use of HAZUS-MH software and technology,

To be a resource for hazard mitigation information and data,

To encourage and assist local governments in the establishment of hazard mitigation protocols,

To be a conduit for communication among public, private and third-sector (not-for-profit) institutions for hazard mitigation efforts and best management practices.

News from Region III

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.  Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Pennsylvania
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON -- FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Ida from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, 2021.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York counties.  Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of Hurricane Ida.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures throughout the commonwealth.

E. Craig Levy, Sr. has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of damage assessments.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.

 

zella.campbellSat, 09/11/2021 - 01:12
FEMA to Evaluate Readiness of the State of Maryland
FEMA to Evaluate Readiness of the State of Maryland

PHILADELPHIA– The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will evaluate a Biennial Radiological Emergency Preparedness Exercise at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. The exercise will occur during the week of September 13, 2021 to assess the ability of the State of Maryland to respond to anemergency at the nuclear facility.

 

“These drills are held every other year to evaluate a government’s ability to protect public health and safety,” said MaryAnn Tierney, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 3. “We will assess state and local government emergency response capabilities within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone within the State of Maryland.”

Within 90 days, FEMA will send its evaluation to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for use in licensing decisions.  The final report will be available to the public approximately 120 days after the exercise.

 

FEMA will present preliminary findings of the exercise during a public meeting at 10:00 a.m. on September 17, 2021.  The meeting will be conducted in person and in a virtual format via Zoom.   Planned speakers include representatives from FEMA and the NRC. 

 

The meeting will be held in person at:

Doubletree by Hilton Annapolis

210 Holiday Court

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

 

The meeting may also be accessed via Zoom with the following link:

Join ZoomGov Meeting

https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1619249772

Meeting ID: 161 924 9772

Passcode: 912779

 

At the public meeting, FEMA may request that questions or comments be submitted in writing for review and response. Written comments may also be submitted after the meeting by emailing FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.gov or by mail to:

 

MaryAnn Tierney

Regional Administrator

FEMA Region III

615 Chestnut Street, 6th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19106

 

FEMA created the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program to (1) ensure the health and safety of citizens living around commercial nuclear power plants would be adequately protected in the event of a nuclear power plant accident and (2) inform and educate the public about radiological emergency preparedness.

 

REP Program responsibilities cover only “offsite” activities, that is, state and local government emergency planning and preparedness activities that take place beyond the nuclear power plant boundaries. Onsite activities continue to be the responsibility of the NRC.

 

Additional information on FEMA’s REP Program is available online at FEMA.gov/Radiological-Emergency-Preparedness-Program.

###

FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3

 

amanda.hancherTue, 09/07/2021 - 20:08
Federal Response, Recovery Efforts Continue After Ida
Federal Response, Recovery Efforts Continue After Ida

WASHINGTON -- A week after Ida’s landfall in Louisiana, FEMA and federal agencies, along with non-profit organizations, continue supporting state and tribal governments with their ongoing response and recovery efforts in several states from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast that were affected by the storm.

FEMA has provided more than $135 million in grants to Louisiana survivors to help them begin their recovery. FEMA also received more than 8,600 National Flood Insurance Program claims from the affected states for processing.

More than 1,000 FEMA employees are deployed to support Ida response and recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast and in the Northeast. Additionally, FEMA staff are working throughout the nation to support other ongoing response efforts, including flooding throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and wildfires in the West.

To help support response efforts in Louisiana, FEMA is working with the state to contract for additional responder lodging resources. These efforts may include using cruise ships or building temporary base camps so that responders can help recovery efforts in the area without taking valuable hotel resources from survivors.

Visit Hurricane Ida | FEMA.gov for information and resources available for residents in areas that may be affected by Ida. The page is available in French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Federal actions to support areas affected by Hurricane Ida

  • There are eight FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams deployed to support states affected by Hurricane Ida. Five are in Louisiana, one in Mississippi, one in New Jersey and one in New York. Seven AmeriCorps FEMA Corps teams are supporting Louisiana recovery efforts.
  • On Thursday, FEMA announced changes to its Individual Assistance program to better support disaster survivors by reducing the barriers to agency programs that aid underserved populations. Changes in this new policy include expanding acceptance of different forms of documentation to prove ownership or occupancy, while also expanding assistance for a disaster-caused disability.
  • The National Emergency Management Association is helping facilitate additional resources to the Gulf Coast through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Resources from 14 states have been sent to assist with ongoing response and recovery efforts.
  • Commodities, equipment and personnel are working throughout the affected areas. This includes:
    • Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are on the ground in Louisiana providing in-person assistance in New Orleans and other parishes.
    • Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams have completed more than 27,000 structural evaluations in affected areas in Louisiana. Three US&R teams are deployed to New Jersey.
    • More than 190 ambulance crews and 30 air ambulances are deployed and working in Louisiana. Additional ambulances and air ambulances are in Mississippi to support impacted areas.
    • Mobile Emergency Response Support assets including Emergency Operations Vehicles are deployed to support communication needs in Louisiana and New Jersey.
  • The Defense Logistics Agency has been activated for fuel support and leasing of additional generators. High-output generators are in Baton Rouge, La.
  • In Louisiana, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has activated its Operation Blue Roof program for parishes approved for individual assistance. Residents can sign up for the program and complete a Right of Entry form at Blueroof.us. Residents can call toll free 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) for more information regarding this program.
  • USACE debris management experts are conducting assessments in Louisiana. USACE Temporary Emergency Power Planning and Response Teams, contractor support and the 249th Engineer Battalion’s power generation team are mobilized in Mississippi and Louisiana to conduct power assessments and installations.
  • The U.S. Department of Energyauthorized the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to conduct an exchange of 300,000 barrels of crude oil between fuel storage companies in Louisiana to alleviate any logistical issues of moving crude oil within areas affected by Hurricane Ida. This action will help ensure the region has access to fuel as quickly as possible as they continue their recovery.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Louisiana’s request to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to use their benefits to purchase prepared meals and are assisting with program flexibilities needed for mass feeding operations. USDA’s Emergency Food Assistant Program was approved and will provide food packages to more than 800,000 survivors in 19 parishes.
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) deployed more than 180 medical providers and other staff from the National Disaster Medical System to support the triage and treatment of patients in Louisiana. This includes three teams that will be providing Emergency Department decompression to three hospitals in Thibodaux, Kenner and Raceland. The team in Thibodaux will begin to see patients today. A 250-bed healthcare facility federal medical station at the New Orleans Ernest Morial Convention Center will start seeing patients this weekend. Patients must be referred to the station.
    • The station will be staffed by Disaster Medical Assistance personnel and a cadre of credentialed medical volunteers identified by the Louisiana Department of Health.
  • The National Guard Bureau has 15 high-water vehicles in New Jersey to assist in search and rescue.
    • The Salvation Army mobilized feeding kitchens and emergency response vehicles in Albany, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Houma, Thibodaux, Gonzalez, Kenner, LaPlace, Napoleonville, New Orleans and Raceland, La. These operations can feed up to 60,000 people a day.
    • The American Red Cross, with the help of their partners, has provided more than 49,000 meals and snacks for survivors in the Gulf Coast. There are more than 20 Red Cross and community shelters open in affected areas in Louisiana. There are 13 shelters open in New Jersey and three in New York.
    • The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced an Emergency Declaration that provides truck drivers flexibility to move critical freight to areas damaged by Ida.
      • Additionally, USDOT activated an Emergency Relief Docket for railroads so they can get temporary safety regulations waivers to help them speed up service to move goods necessary for emergency relief efforts.
    • The Federal Communications Commission is working directly with wireless carriers so that those in affected areas can roam on any network that may be available while restoration efforts are underway. FCC daily reports and tips for communicating during an emergency, are available in multiple languages at www.fcc.gov.
luther.wills-dudichSat, 09/04/2021 - 18:03

Last updated: March 19, 2024 - 4:51 AM

HUG Announcements

Book Chapter Published
Emergency Management in Higher Education: Current Practices and Conversations includes a chapter by the 3RiversHUG and CHUG leaders.

Dr. Jamie Mitchem Honored
3RiversHug to rename its outstanding service award.

3RiversHUG Biennial Meeting
We hope to have our second annual 3RiversHUG conference in August 2009

Jamie Mitchem HAZUS User of the Year
Congratulations to Jamie D. Mitchem, the first recipient of the National HAZUS User of the Month award.

View all announcements

HUG Resources

3RiversHUG PowerPoint
The 3RiversHUG Past, Present and Future, presentation by Jamie Mitchem.

3RiversHUG: CUP Students Begin A New Chapter in HAZUS History
In March 2006, the 3Rivers HAZUS User Group (3RiversHUG) made history-by voting to initiate a student chapter of the HAZUS user group at the California University of Pennsylvania.

3RiversHUG: Formed by the California University of Pennsylvania
The 3RiversHUG is a forum to develop public policy and programs for building disaster resistant communities.

View all resources

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