Dry conditions return to East Tennessee

Monitoring effort resumed by awareness group

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly Drought Monitor now indicates that portions of East Tennessee have again reached Severe Drought status, the second highest level of concern. In response, a group of interested parties – state agencies with regulatory or emergency response responsibilities, the National Weather Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Corps of Engineers and municipal water utilities – will again be providing regular reports aimed at creating a consolidated situational awareness of drought issues in Tennessee. This task force, which will meet twice a month, serves as a clearing house for drought-related issues.

According to the current U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme (D3) drought conditions exist in the mountain portions of Polk, Monroe, Blount, Severe, Cocke, Greene, Unicoi and Carter Counties, as well as in counties across the border in North Carolina. Severe (D2) drought conditions range from the areas around the Knoxville to the Tri-Cities metro area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports approximately 51 percent of the state is currently experiencing some level of drought conditions.

Last year, a prolonged exceptional drought – the highest category of drought – caused extensive agricultural losses, led to mandatory water restrictions in some communities and impacted the power generating ability of some utility companies in the southeastern United States.

In the intervening time, state government, local governments and municipal water utilities have taken several proactive steps and drought conditions are not expected to impact any major metropolitan areas of the state.

“The inter-connection between water utilities, as well as the efforts to reduce water losses from leaks, means that Tennessee should be better prepared this year if drought conditions return to levels we saw last year,” said Jeremy Heidt, public information officer for TEMA, which hosts the group’s meetings at its facility in Nashville.

The State Drought Task Force current situation report will be posted every other Thursday on TEMA’s website. The Task Force’s previous reports are available in the current and previous year’s releases pages in the Media Section of the website.

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Beware of Summer’s Heat

Extreme temperatures and outdoor activities require caution

As always with summer, Tennesseans need to make wise decisions to protect themselves against heat-related illnesses.

Each year about 400 persons nationwide die from heat stroke. In Tennessee, 132 people were hospitalized for heat related illness in 2005 and 10 died, while 1,373 people visited the emergency room, according to the State’s Department of Health.

Heat stroke, the most life-threatening heat-related illness, occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature, which rises quickly without the ability to cool down. If emergency treatment is not provided, heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability. Symptoms include body temperature above 103 degrees Fahrenheit; red, hot and dry skin without sweating; rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and loss of consciousness.

Other illnesses caused by extreme heat include heat exhaustion, heat cramps, sunburn and heat rash. Symptoms include dizziness, heavy sweating, muscle cramps, rapid heart beat, nausea, headaches and cold/clammy skin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer a few simple steps to avoid these preventable illnesses.

Drink plenty of fluids. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink. Remember to consume non-alcoholic, low-sugar drinks in hot weather.
Replace salt and minerals. Heavy sweating from increased temperatures can deplete your body’s salt and minerals. Non-alcoholic drinks, like sports drinks, can help you replenish these reserves.
Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen. Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, as well as a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection. Wear SPF 15 or higher sunscreen every day.
Schedule outdoor activities carefully. Try to limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours with rest breaks in shady areas, if available.
Pace yourself. If you are unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and increase effort gradually. If your heart is pounding or you are gasping for breath, stop the activity and rest in a cool, shady area.
Stay cool indoors. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the mall or library to cool off. Cool showers or baths, as well as keeping your stove and oven off, are other ways to cool down inside.
Use the buddy system. Partner with a friend and watch for signs of heat-related illness in each other. Senior citizens are more susceptible, so if you are over 65, ask a friend to check on you over the phone twice a day. If you know someone in this age group, remember to check on them at least twice a day.
Monitor those at high risk. Infants and children under 4 years of age, people over 65, people who are overweight, those who overexert themselves during work or exercise and people who are physically ill (especially those who have heart disease or high blood pressure, take certain medication, or suffer from insomnia, depression or poor circulation) are especially at risk.

Call for immediate medical assistance if you believe you or another person is experiencing heat stroke. While waiting on emergency assistance, get the victim to a shady area, cool them rapidly using cool water and monitor body temperature until it reaches 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and do not give the victim any fluids to drink.

For more information about heat-related illnesses, including prevention and treatment tips, visit the CDC’s Extreme Heat Safety Web site at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp.

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State receives $16.9M for public safety Radio Systems

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen has announced the release of $16,946,107 in Public Safety Interoperability Communications (PSIC) grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These six PSIC projects will help state and local first responders by improving emergency communications and coordination during a natural or man-made disaster.

“It is critical that emergency responders have the tools to communicate,” said TEMA Director James Bassham.

The PSIC grant program is designed to assist public safety agencies in the acquisition, deployment, or training in the use of interoperable communications systems for emergency responders. Under the PSIC program, Tennessee will receive a 5-to-1 match in federal dollars.

The PSIC projects approved for Tennessee include:

· Tennessee Valley Regional 700/800 MHz System, $14 million

· Linked Emergency Telecommunications System, $412,007

· Strategic Technology Reserve, $1,358,500

· Obion County, Hand-held radios for first responders, $285,600

· Department of Corrections P25 Master Switch, $275,000

· Portable Towers and Cache, $615,000

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency applied for the PSIC grants in December 2007.

A news release with more information about the specific grants award can be found here.

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TEMA meets National Standard for Disaster Preparedness

From Left to Right: TEMA Deputy Director Elgan Usery; TEMA Executive Officer Donnie Smith; Tennessee Adjutant General Major General Gus Hargett; EMAP Executive Committee Member Beth Zimmerman; Governor Bredesen; TEMA Director James Bassham; TEMA Public Information Officer Jeremy Heidt; TEMA Director of Planning, Training and Exercises Mac Purdy

NASHVILLE – Governor Bredesen accepted an award today signifying Tennessee’s achievement in meeting national standards for disaster preparedness. Tennessee is now one of only 15 states under the Emergency Management Accreditation Program to achieve full accreditation under the national standards for Emergency Management Preparedness.

Tennessee Adjutant General Major General Gus Hargett and Tennessee Emergency Management Director James Bassham were joined by Beth Zimmerman, EMAP Executive Committee member and Arizona Division of Emergency Management, to present the plaque commemorating the state’s accomplishment to Bredesen.

“Tennesseans should be assured of our continued commitment to readiness and to maintaining a first-rate system for handling disasters,” said Governor Bredesen. “This accreditation signifies that commitment and I commend our Military Department and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for their achievement.”

Tennessee is one of five states that recently achieved full accreditation under the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. The Volunteer State, as well as Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and Missouri have joined Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Montana, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia on the forefront of emergency management preparedness. These 15 states have demonstrated, through program assessment, documentation and on-site assessment by an independent team, that their programs meet the national standards. EMAP accreditation is valid for five years.

“These states have accomplished a huge milestone, and we are pleased to see their success,” said Dewayne West, chairperson of the EMAP Commission and director of Johnston County Emergency Management, North Carolina. “States that work toward and achieve compliance with these standards are at the forefront in ensuring their residents are served by a comprehensive system to deal with disasters.”

Emergency management accreditation represents a significant achievement. To achieve accreditation, each state must fully document how they meet each standard of disaster preparedness and response within EMAP standards and undergo a peer-review assessment by EMAP trained assessors. TEMA’s compliance documentation for the EMAP assessors filled two full-size bookcases with more than 40 binders.

EMAP is a voluntary accreditation process for state, territorial and local government programs that coordinate preparedness and response activities for disasters, from tornadoes to terrorist acts. It recognizes the ability of a state or local government to bring together personnel, resources, and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to an emergency. EMAP is the only accreditation process for state and local emergency management preparedness.

The EMAP process evaluates emergency management programs on compliance with requirements in 15 functional areas, including: planning; resource management; training; exercises, evaluations and corrective actions; and communications and warning.

The full news release, which includes links to images suitable for publication, is in the media section.

Corps puts maps online for Wolf Creek

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released flooding maps related to a possible failure at the Wolf Creek Dam in Somerset, Ky. The maps can be found online at the Corps’ website at this link: http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/WolfCreek/maps_online.htm

Persons wanting to purchase flood insurance should contact their personal insurance carrier and request a National Flood Insurance Program policy. The program is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Mitigation Division. More information on the program can be found here (www.fema.gov/business/nfip) and a list of Tennessee communities that are participating in the program can be found here (www.fema.gov/cis/TN.pdf).

If you have any flood insurance-related questions about your community, please contact Stan Harrison, regional director for the State Planning Offices in Tennessee. He is the state’s primary point of contact for the National Flood Insurance Program and can be reached at (423) 434-6476 or via e-mail at stanley.harrison@state.tn.us.