The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its 2017 State of U.S. High Tide Flooding with a 2018 Outlook report. The study looks at coastal high tide flooding around the U.S.
Brokers of terrorism insurance say they are seeing more interest in their policies from clients in suburban and rural communities. Market analysts believe this is because clients in these areas are reacting to changes in the nature of attacks, which are increasingly focusing on inflicting mass casualties as opposed to substantial property damage.
Harris County, Texas, which includes the city of Houston, has completed an after action report (AAR) on its response to Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall near the city on August 25, 2017. Harvey brought high winds and floodwaters and became tied with Hurricane Katrina as the costliest tropical cyclone on record. The AAR includes a summary of Hurricane Harvey, including the storm’s timeline and its impacts on Harris County, before embarking on discussions of strengths and areas for improvement observed during the incident.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) has published the latest version of its Partnership Bulletin, which provides a snapshot of upcoming training and exercise opportunities, critical infrastructure events, and key announcements. Some of the upcoming events include:
- The Corporate Security Symposia hosted by the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and the FBI, with convenings in Detroit, Michigan on June 13; Las Vegas, Nevada on June 27; Washington, DC on July 18; and Nashville, Tennessee on August 23;
On July 17, EPA will conduct a webinar on considerations for evaluating and selecting data communications systems that meet the unique requirements of smart utility infrastructure, including remote water quality and security monitoring equipment. During this webinar, the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati will present a case study about its smart sewer network. A flyer posted below provides additional information on this webinar.
The EPA has just produced a guide to how water and wastewater utilities and emergency management agencies (EMAs) can work together to better respond to emergencies. The guide offers six recommended actions, which include building relationships, sharing emergency capabilities, and developing joint messages, among others. Each action is accompanied by a series of steps, resources to assist with implementation, and a case study that demonstrates how a utility worked with its EMA to improve their emergency response capabilities.
On June 14, EPA will conduct a webinar to discuss how utilities can prepare for drinking water contamination emergencies. Planning for these potential events includes identifying activities that utility personnel can be trained to perform in an emergency, planning with local emergency response partners, developing procedures, and conducting drills and exercise. Attendees will learn more about these activities and where to find additional resources for planning and training.
On June 5, EPA will conduct a webinar to discuss design considerations for implementing and operating online water quality monitoring in a drinking water distribution system. Also, Philadelphia Water Department will present a case study about its online distribution system monitoring program. Register at EventBrite.
An article from Domestic Preparedness identifies five steps emergency managers can take to put their organizations on the path to weather and climate disaster resilience. As argued by the article’s author, the time is now to take these preventative measures given that 16 extreme weather and climate disasters had losses exceeding $1 billion in 2017. This compares to the annual average of $5.5 billion weather and climate disasters between 1980 and 2016. And more notable than the high frequency of these events is the cumulative cost, which exceeded $300 billion in 2017 – a new U.S.
1620 I Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20006
1-866-H2O-ISAC (1-866-426-4722)
© 2024 WaterISAC. All Rights Reserved.
