National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)      

October 3, 2022 --
Tropical Cyclone Ian – Response -- National Watch Center -- Lifeline Impacts: (NRCC SLB as of 6:00 a.m. ET)
Current Situation: FEMA and federal partners mission priorities remain focused on search and rescue operations, emergency debris removal, commodity distribution, restoration of critical utilities, including power and water, and damage assessments. Federal resources are prepositioned across the Region to support all impacted states.
Safety & Security:
▪ 3,404 (+674) people /155 pets rescued by FL National Guard, US Coast Guard, and US&R
▪ Civil Air Patrol scheduled 22 flights for imagery for US&R assessments
Food, Water, Shelter:
▪ 39 (-5) shelters open with 3,418 (-139) occupants
▪ FEMA pre-staged commodities at Maxwell ISB, AL: water, meals, infant/toddler kits, blankets, cots, tarps, consumable and durable medical supplies
▪ Points of Distribution (POD) began distributing food, water, and ice in Lee and Charlotte counties
▪ 132 (+10) boil water notices issued for 23 counties (pop 2m)
Health and Medical: 128 (-10) healthcare facilities impacted
Energy: FL: 644k (-216k) customers without power
Transportation:
▪ Most major highways open; debris removal crews working on secondary and urban routes
▪ Southwest FL International Airport remains closed
▪ 24 of 28 ports are fully operational; 1 open with restrictions; 3 ports closed
▪ Most Amtrak / railroad services resumed normal operation

Hazard Monitoring-
• Rain/Thunderstorms – Southwest to Upper Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic

Tropical Activity:
• Atlantic:
    ○ Disturbance 1: High (70%)
    ○ Disturbance 2: Medium (40%)
• Eastern Pacific:
    ○ Hurricane Orlene (CAT 2)
    ○ Disturbance 1: High (80%)
    ○ Disturbance 1: Low (30%)

Five Day Tropical Outlook
Atlantic
Disturbance 1 (as of 8:00 a.m. ET)
▪ Located several hundred miles SSW of the Cabo Verde Islands
▪ A tropical depression is likely to form during the early or middle part of next week
▪ Formation – 48-hour: Medium (50%); 5-day: High (70%)

Disturbance 2 (as of 8:00 a.m. ET)
▪ Located several hundred miles E of the Winward Islands
▪ Tropical depression could form within the next few days while it moves generally westward
▪ Formation – 48-hour: Low (30%); 5-day: Med (40%)

Eastern Pacific
Hurricane Orlene (CAT 2) (Advisory #19A as of 8:00 a.m. ET)
▪ Located 45 miles S of Mazatlán, Mexico
▪ Moving N at 9 mph; Maximum sustained winds 100 mph
▪ Weakening is expected during the next day or so
▪ Hurricane-force winds extend up to 15 miles; tropicalstorm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles

Disturbance 1 (as of 8:00 a.m. ET)
▪ Located SSW of southern tip of the Baja California, Mexico Peninsula
▪ Tropical depression is likely to form later today or tonight while the system moves slowly northward-northwestward or northward
▪ Formation – 48-hour: High (80%); 5-day: High (80%)

Disturbance 2 (as of 8:00 a.m. ET)
▪ Located several hundred miles S of the Gulf of Tehuantepec
▪ Gradual development during the next several days
▪ Formation – 48-hour: Low (20%); 5-day: Low (30%)

To provide information and resources to Hurricane Ian survivors, FEMA published a Hurricane Ian webpage that includes information on how to donate, volunteer, dispel rumors and find assistance.

Key Highlights

    State and federal search and rescue operations continue in Florida with a priority on hospitals, healthcare facilities, and barrier island communities. Visit missing.fl.gov if you or someone you know needs assistance or a safety check. Federal search and rescue teams including FEMA Urban Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, Customs Border and Protection, and the state of Florida are coordinating rescue efforts with local officials.
    More than 100 FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Team staff are working in the hardest hit communities to help survivors apply for assistance and identify immediate and emerging threats.
    After a disaster, there often are many rumors and misunderstandings. Do your part to the stop the spread of rumors by finding and sharing information from trusted sources and discouraging others from sharing information from unverified sources. Find facts about common disaster related rumors at Common Disaster-Related Rumors | FEMA.gov.
    Call your insurance company right away. Take photos to document damage and keep receipts from all clean-up and repair related purchases. These steps may help maximize insurance and federal disaster assistance and payments. If you’ve evacuated, you can still start a claim now and provide specifics later.

Safety Considerations for Residents

    Beware of frauds and scams. All FEMA employees carry an official badge. Federal and local disaster workers do not solicit or accept money. Don’t trust anyone who offers financial help and then asks for money or personal information. Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 right away if an inspector comes to your house but you haven’t applied for assistance because this might be a sign of identity theft.
    Stay out of floodwater. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines or contain hazards such as human and livestock waste, contaminants that can lead to illness, sharp debris, or wild or stray animals. Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters.
    Be careful when cleaning up. Wear protective clothing, including work gloves and sturdy thick-soled shoes. Do not try to remove heavy debris by yourself. Use an appropriate mask if cleaning mold or other debris. People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled.
    Be safe using generators. Generators can help during a power outage but can present serious health and safety concerns. Only use a generator outdoors and far from open doors and windows. Visit ready.gov/power-outages to learn how to use a generator safely.
    Avoid downed power or utility lines. They may be live with deadly voltage. Stay away and report them immediately to your power or utility company.
    Stay off the roads. Emergency workers may be assisting people in flooded areas, restoring electricity, or cleaning up debris. You can help them by staying out of the way and off the roads. If you evacuated, do not return home until local officials tell you the area is safe.
    Place debris wisely. Never place debris near trees, structures, or downed powerlines. This makes removal difficult.
    Keep paying attention to local officials. If you evacuated because of Ian, keep in mind that flooding is still happening in many locations. Roads may be blocked and power is still being restored. Only return once local officials say it’s safe and you have access to food and water.

State, Federal Response Actions


Here’s advice on donating wisely and avoiding charity scams:

Donate to charities you know and trust with a proven track record with dealing with disasters.

If you get a request to donate on social media, research the organization yourself before you give. Don’t assume that charity messages posted on social media are legitimate. Check out the charity on the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or Candid. If the message was from a friend, ask them if they know the organization themselves.

Be cautious about giving to individuals on crowdfunding sites. If considering crowdfunding, it’s safest to give to someone you personally know and trust, and to review the platform’s policies and procedures. Keep in mind that while some crowdfunding sites take measures to vet postings for help after a disaster, others don’t.

If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, by wiring money or cryptocurrency, don’t do it. Pay by credit card, which offers more protections.

When texting to donate, confirm the number with the source before you donate. The charge will show up on your mobile phone bill, but donations are not immediate.

You can find this information and more at ftc.gov/charity. Looking for information to help prepare for, deal with, and recover from a natural disaster or severe weather event? Visit ftc.gov/weatheremergencies.

August 21, 2022 ---Digital money movement fraud on the rise. A scammer can contact you requesting payment through a Wire Transfer --these methods allow money to be sent quickly, and the funds are often hard to trace and recover.     
You should never wire money or send money to:           
    * Anyone who claims to be from a government agency
    * Any stranger, no matter what reason they give
    * A telemarketer trying to sell you something
    * Anyone claiming your account is compromised
    * Unauthorized, unverified cryptocurrency sites or salespeople
    * Anyone asking you to send money to yourself

A kindle version of the Supreme Court Ruling in: “NY RIFLE & PISTOL Assoc. Inc v. BRUEN, of NY State Police” is available as an Amazon Kindle Book and as a paperback.

A kindle version of the Supreme Court Ruling in Supreme Court in: 'DOBBS,. v. JACKSON: The ruling overturning Roe V Wade" is available as an Amazon Kindle Book a paperback version and a hardcover edition are also available.  The justices cite legal precedent that was developed when almost all people were serfs or slaves, and when all women were treated as the property of their father or husband, instead of a class of people who vote and make the law.
If you want to understand the operation of the legal process at its highest level, this Supreme Court opinion will do the job.

July 8, 2022 --FTC.

When your credit is pulled for your home loan, credit bureaus could share your personal information!

Put an end to unsolicited credit offers. It's far too easy for identity thieves to steal your mail or your garbage and use a pre-screened credit card offer to obtain credit in your name. Opt-out so this won’t happen to you.

Put an end to telemarketing. Once your credit has been pulled, the credit agencies actually sell this information to "trigger lead" companies. As a result, you can find your phone ringing regularly even if you're on the "Do Not Call" list. Worse still, the companies that resort to purchasing these leads have been known to misrepresent themselves or engage in bait and switch tactics.

Put an end to fraud. Trigger leads get re-sold many times over. Shady characters might contact you under the guise of being your lender and try to extract important personal information. NEVER provide SS #, mother's maiden name, etc., over the phone. Want to do more? Tell your Congressional representatives at (202) 224-3121 to stop the credit agencies from selling your information.

Assure your security and peace of mind. Fraud and identity theft are not things you want to face at any time. Opting Out is free and takes only a couple of minutes. That's far less than the time you could spend shredding unwanted mail or dealing with unwanted calls.

Go to www.OptOutPrescreen.com to opt out today. OptOutPrescreen.com. is the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website to accept and process requests from consumers to Opt-In or Opt-Out of firm ...

If you believe you may have already been targeted or defrauded, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1 (877) 382-4357.

To join the National Do Not Call Registry, go to www.donotcall.gov or call 1 (888) 382-1222. 

May 24, 2022 ---NOAA predicts above-normal 2022 in its Atlantic Hurricane Season
Outlook.  An ongoing La Niña and above-average Atlantic temperatures set the stage for busy season ahead. Three to six major hurricanes are forecast.  Up to ten hurricanes of all types and 14 to 21 named storms.
The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane names are: Alex - Bonnie - Colin - Danielle - Earl - Fiona - Gaston - Hermine - Ian - Julia - Karl - Lisa - Martin - Nicole - Owen - Paula - Richard - Shary - Tobias - Virginie - Walter
FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2022 --    FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2021 --    FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2020 --    FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2019 --   FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2018 -- FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2017 --  FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2016 -- FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2015 --  FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2014  --  FEMA Daily Situation Report Archive 2013
Volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service -- it is a volunteer network.

 Crime Reports pages.  The new pages integrate crime and imprisonment by year and States.

To volunteer or donate to a National VOAD member organization

by Bridget Small
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Every year, people report fraud, identity theft, and bad business practices to the FTC and its law enforcement partners. In 2021, 5.7 million people filed reports and described losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud — a $2.4 billion jump in losses in one year. You can learn about the types of fraud, identity theft, and marketplace issues people reported by state, and how scammers took payment — including $750 million in cryptocurrency — in the FTC’s new Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. Here are some of the highlights:

More than 2.8 million people reported spotting a fraud, and one in four said they also lost money. Their combined losses were over $5.8 billion. Imposter scams, when someone pretended to be a trusted person or business, led to losses of $2.3 billion.
Almost 600,000 people filed reports about credit bureaus in 2021, an increase of more than 80 percent over the previous year. This jump in reports made credit bureaus, information furnishers, and report users the #3 most-reported category of 2021, behind imposter scams (#2) and identity theft (#1).
People ages 20-29 reported losing money to fraud more often than people ages 80 and over. While younger people lost money 41 percent of the time they experienced fraud, older adults lost money only 17 percent of the time. But when older people did lose money, they lost a median amount of $1,500, or three times the median amount younger people lost.
If you spot a scam, please report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
We've been working on updating the State disaster pages.  Here they are, a work in progress:
Alabama -- Alaska -- Arizona -- Arkansas -- California -- Colorado -- Connecticut -- Delaware -- Florida -- Georgia -- Hawaii -- Idaho -- Illinois -- Indiana -- Iowa -- Kansas -- Kentucky -- Louisiana -- Maine -- Maryland -- Massachusetts -- Michigan -- Minnesota -- Mississippi -- Missouri -- Montana -- Nebraska -- Nevada -- New Hampshire -- New Jersey -- New Mexico -- New York -- North Carolina -- North Dakota -- Ohio -- Oklahoma -- Oregon -- Pennsylvania -- Rhode Island -- South Carolina -- South Dakota -- Tennessee -- Texas -- Utah -- Vermont -- Virginia -- Washington -- West Virginia -- Wisconsin -- Wyoming
If you have any suggestions about how it can be improved, please send an email to host@disastercenter.com
 
Ready Rating: A FREE Service from the American Red Cross
The Red Cross, Salvation Army and other volunteer organizations move resources into position so as to be able to respond to disasters. Please consider a donation to the Red Cross  You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation or call 1-800 RED CROSS     
There are several ways you can donate to the Salvation Army .  By phone: Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY   By text: Text “GIVE” to 80888.  Also, consider volunteering or donating with  Disaster Relief Agencies and Nongovernment Organizations. 
Red Cross -- After a disaster, letting your family and friends know that you are safe and well can bring your loved ones great peace of mind. This website is designed to help make that communication easier.

FBI's "Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes"

If you want to suggest a link, please post to host@disastercenter.com

The people affected will not lack clothing for long and more will be donated than will ever be used.  It will end up in the local landfill, because there is no place to store it.  If you are going to collect clothing have a garage sale with the proceeds going to the victims.  Be responsible, if you collect money get proof that it was donated and make evidence available to those who gave.  Consider volunteering or donating with  Disaster Relief Agencies and Nongovernment Organizations. 
WHO's CRED is reporting that in 2010 a total of 385 natural disasters killed more than 297,000 people worldwide, affected over 217.0 million others and caused US$ 123.9 billion of economic damages. Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2010: (PDF 4.2 MB) The Numbers and Trends. Brussels: CRED; 2011-Guha-Sapir D, Vos F, Below R, with Ponserre S.   

There is only one weather authority in the United States, and that's the National Weather Service  For emergency information consult with your local NWS office or your local emergency management agency.  If you want to suggest a link, please post to host@disastercenter.com
SaferProducts.gov: A New World for Consumers, Businesses, and Researchers -- This is a site that the US Chamber of Commerce wants the government to shut down.  Take a Look...

States: 10 Leading Causes of Death
Vital Records: Locate your States' sources for Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce Records

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September 19, 2011 -- We have added the FBI's 2010 State Uniform Crime Reports to our State data which now covers from 1960 to 2010, 50 years of crime statistics.

The National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) has replaced the color codes of the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). The new alert system is currently active, active alerts are also available on Twitter and Facebook

 Established 14 years ago, the Disaster Center site has gone through a number of evolutions.  A big part of this work has provided coverage for disasters affecting the United States.  Big stories were Hurricane Dennis, Rita, Katrina, Wilma, Floyd, Mitch, Bret and many others.  One of the most linked to areas on the web site has been our graphics. The most popular of these Hurricane Floyd as it approached the US coast. Current and Historic Atlantic Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

 Our work of mitigating disasters involves the preparation for them, responding to them, and recovering from them.  In an ideal world we would be working on ways to mitigate risk

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