Just eight days ago, I wrote about the beginning of the recovery phase of #HurricaneHarvey, the “H” hurricane. Today, I write about the “I” hurricane, the impending disaster known as #HurricaneIrma or just #Irma. #Irma is the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever, at this point. Coming right on the heels of …
The eastern portion of Bastrop County TX was hard hit by #HurricaneHarvey and the recovery phase is just beginning. That means volunteers, donations, food and lots of coordination. Often, without well planned management of needs and supplies, second wave disasters set in. Second wave disasters are those caused by well-meaning …
Rain gauges show portions of Bastrop County TX with up to 18″ of rain yesterday. More is due today. Shelter in place if you can. If not, the county has two shelters open now and a third opening this afternoon. Check the Bastrop County OEM page for the current status …
We want to provide you with some information about preparedness and where to get information about #HurricaneHarvey. I live in Bastrop County, TX, just east of Austin. And, I was in the EOC during Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. These links and comments are based on those experiences, with a …
On Tuesday, Rebecca Williams and I are presenting “Whole Community Digital Communications Planning” and “The Proper Tool is Everything: Affordable Social Media Tools” at #APCO2017. These are critically important topics for any local government. It’s no longer a question of whether your jurisdiction will face a crisis. It’s a question …
About an hour ago, as I was getting ready to hem my skirt and my husband’s pants for my daughter’s wedding six days from now, my phone rang. It was Rebecca. McDonald County and Newton County in southern Missouri were flooding badly. She was almost out of cell battery and …
In researching information for a grant we’re writing, I had the opportunity to review articles and documentation from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Just two days later, the one that sticks out in my mind is the “winners and losers” in the communications arena and why. When presenting, I often …
I’ve never put together a poster presentation. I’ve always presented at sessions, with PPT slides as my guide. So, when my proposal to present “The Double-Edged Sword of the Social Network” was accepted as a poster presentation, not a session presentation, I was a bit disappointed. It is, however, an …
I typically start my presentations by joking about how long I can talk… and on the topic of emergency communications using digital and social media, I could talk for days. So, imagine how hard it was to put together a few slides for a 45 minutes session, during which I’m …
Disaster Info Team and Stormzero LLC have been accepted as NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors. What is this program and what does this mean? According to NOAA, “The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ initiative is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation’s …
