"Revolutionary" fire prediction system gets support in CO

(TNS) — Colorado will spend $1.2 million over the next two years on a "revolutionary" fire prediction system that uses atmospheric weather data to predict the behavior of wildfires up to 18 hours in advance.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1129 on Wednesday afternoon at a fire station in Arvada, implementing one of several bills lawmakers drafted in response to wildfires in El Paso County and elsewhere.

"This bill will predict the intensity and the direction of fires 12 to 18 hours ahead of time. That is really important so we know where to direct our planes, the aircraft we had a bill for last year, and our firefighters," said Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada, who introduced the bill. "This is really revolutionary."

Under the new law, the Division of Fire Prevention and Control will contract with a nonprofit Colorado-based research organization with expertise in atmospheric science to predict wildfire behavior. The National Center for Atmospheric Research, a federally funded program headquartered in Boulder, is the only state agency that meets that criteria. NCAR has used modeling to accurately recreate the behavior of historic fires, including the Yarnell Hill fire that killed 19 Arizona firefighters in 2013.

She said the new technology could be in place by next spring and will work with the state's new aerial fire fleet, a multimillion-dollar investment into wildfire detecting and fighting aircraft lawmakers made in 2013.

"As we get more and more sophisticated with how we can predict storms and wind currents, that should allow us to really get a handle on which fires we should be worried about and which ones we don't have to quite get so agitated about," Hickenlooper said. "By spending this money up front, we are going to save money down the road."

©2015 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

Weather Update: Light rain expected beginning this afternoon (May 13) and continuing through tomorrow (May 14)

Overview A storm system is expected to arrive to the Central California coast Wednesday evening. The storm system will be similar to last-weeks storm system that brought generally light rain to the area with a few isolated thunderstorms. This storm system will begin to impact the area with a possibility of light showers as early as Wednesday afternoon with steadier rainfall arriving late Wednesday night early Thursday morning. Moderate showers and isolated thunderstorms will be possible late Thursday morning lasting into the early afternoon hours. The main impact with this storm system will be wet road ways with minor ponding possible. A few lightning strikes will also be possible with the thunderstorm threat. Dry, cool weather is anticipated late Friday morning through the weekend

TIMING

·  Showers arriving as early as Wednesday afternoon.

·  Steadier rainfall expected Wednesday night persisting into Thursday evening.

·  Moderate showers and isolated thunderstorms possible Thursday afternoon.

·   Dry, cool weather expected to return late Friday morning.  

IMPACTS

*Impact 1 (Rain) :

·  Rainfall will be steady with total precipitation ranging between 0.25 and 0.80 inches, heaviest in the hills. The rain will result in wet roadways and minor ponding.  

*Impact 2 (Thunderstorms):

·  Isolated thunderstorms will generate a few lightning strikes.
  

Caregivers, Are You Ready for a Disaster?

Author: 

Amy Goyer

Daddy and I were walking across the living room one night recently when the house suddenly went dark. The power was out, but fortunately, I was prepared.

Plugged into the outlet in front of us was a power-failure light that comes on automatically. It also serves as an automatic nightlight and a portable flashlight. I have the lights strategically plugged in throughout the house, and they lit our way to safety.

I also realized that no electricity meant no air-conditioning, which quickly can become unbearable in Phoenix. Once I got Dad settled, I made plans to move him to an air-conditioned location in case power wasn't rapidly restored.

When you’re a caregiver, it’s crucial to be ready for these kinds of emergencies. Especially with severe summer weather coming — hurricanes, tornadoes, fires — now is the time to think about preparing your loved ones for natural disasters.

When we lost electricity I was prepared with power-failure lights and lanterns.

In addition, here are some things caregivers should focus on when preparing for emergencies:

• Financial and legal preparedness: I’m making sure key documents for Dad’s financial records, health care power of attorney and other advance directives are easy to access in case of an emergency where we need to evacuate quickly. Dad’s attorneys and accountant have copies of everything, and I also have electronic copies available via a secure online storage app.
• Alerts and warnings: I receive wireless emergency alerts automatically on my smartphone, but I've also checked out other options for local alerts. In Monterey County, visit AlertMontereyCounty.org to sign up.

• Emergency communication plans: With contact lists always handy in our smartphones, few of us have memorized key phone numbers. But you can’t always depend on cellphone service under severe conditions, so I also have a written list of key family members’ contact information. Would your loved ones know how to contact you in an emergency?
• Emergency supplies: My power-failure lights in the house are just one way to be prepared. I also have emergency health supplies in our cars and in our home. I always keep some bottled water in the house, and Dad’s medications and mine are in containers that would be easy to take with us. Keeping a basic disaster supply kit in a handy location is a good idea; if you’ve already done that, you need to check the supplies once a year to be sure everything is still in good condition.
• Property and insurance: I plan to take photos of both Dad’s and my property and double-check our insurance coverage. I have digital copies of many family photos, but I realize I need to scan some of the older photos to ensure they wouldn’t be lost in a disaster.

There’s great information on preparing for these and other hazards, as well as advice on how to recover from a disaster, at www.ready.gov. And you’ll find more of my tips on caregiving crisis management in my book, AARP’s Juggling Work and Caregiving.

To get started, here is a GREAT plan template for you to fill out 

Amy Goyer is AARP’s family, caregiving and multigenerational issues expert; she spends most of her time in Phoenix, where she is caring for her dad, who lives with her. She is the author of AARP’s Juggling Work and Caregiving. Follow Amy on Twitter @amygoyer and on Facebook.

Editor's note: this post originally appeared on AARP's Take Care blog.

2015 “Wildfire Awareness Week” Declared in California for May 3-9

Sacramento – As drought conditions continue to significantly elevate California’s fire danger, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has declared May 3-9, 2015 as “Wildfire Awareness Week”. During Wildfire Awareness Week, CAL FIRE is reminding all Californians of the role they play in preparing for and preventing wildfires.

“With a record dry and warm winter Californian’s fire activity has been nearly double what it normally is for this time of year,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “Our firefighters continue to meet the challenges posed by California’s historic drought, but we all must do our part to ensure our homes are prepared for wildfire and that residents and visitors to our state take extreme caution to avoid sparking a wildfire.”

On May 1, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that California’s snowpack water content was only 3 percent of normal. The lack of snow and overall rainfall has led to conditions being much drier than normal, lending themselves to the quick spread of wildfire. Between January 1 and May 2, CAL FIRE has responded to over 1,100 wildfires that have charred over 4,200 acres. In an average year for the same time period, CAL FIRE would typically respond to fewer than 650 wildfires burning approximately 1,500 acres.

During Wildfire Awareness Week, CAL FIRE is reminding Californians that when it comes to wildfires, remember “Ready, Set, Go!”. Being Ready for a wildfire starts by maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space and hardening homes with fire resistant building materials. During this drought CAL FIRE is highly recommending residents landscape their yards with drought tolerant and fire resistant plants. Being Set includes have an evacuation plan and an emergency supply kit. Lastly, when a wildfires strikes, residents are urged to Go! and evacuate early.

CAL FIRE is also urging all Californians during Wildfire Awareness Week to learn the steps to prevent sparking a wildfire. Over 90 percent of the wildfires in California are sparked by the activity of people, so CAL FIRE has joined local and federal fire agencies in the “One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire” campaign in hopes of getting the public to practice fire safety outdoors and prevent sparking a wildfire.

Residents looking for additional information on how to prepare themselves, their families and their homes for wildfire can visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org. The site offers tips for residents to make their homes more resistant to wildfires and to ensure that their families are ready to evacuate early and safely when a wildfire strikes.

For more than two years, California has been dealing with the effects of drought. To learn about all the actions the state has taken to manage our water system and cope with the impacts of the drought, visit drought.ca.gov.

Every Californian should take steps to conserve water. Find out how at SaveOurWater.com

PrepareAThon! 2015: Know your hazards

It’s that time again - the Spring 2015 observance of America’s PrepareAThon!, a national campaign that helps us all be a little more prepared for emergency situations.

The goal of the program is to increase the number of individuals who:

v  Understand what kinds of emergency situations or disasters could happen in their communities

v  Know what they can do to protect against them and stay safe &

v  Take any action to increase their personal or family preparedness

Do you know your hazards?

Let’s focus on a few that could happen in Monterey County:

With the prolonged drought continuing to dry out and increase potential fuel sources throughout the county, we must be aware of the increased risk for wildfires to occur and spread quickly.

In fact, Monterey County is home to 2 of the top 10 largest wildfires in modern-day California, with both the Marble Cone and Basin Complex fires each burning over 250 square miles.

“Fire season” is now a lot longer than it used to be. 

A few easy ways to be more prepared for wildfire:

*        Create “defensible space” around your home by reducing the amount of material that can burn easily. Clear away excess yard debris and other flammable materials, and try to use fire-resistant landscaping when able.

*        Review your renters or homeowners insurance policy to check coverage levels for your property and personal belongings.

*        Know your evacuation routes. How can you get out of your neighborhood and community if needed? Find a good way (and a backup route or two) and make sure everyone knows about it.

*        In a dangerous situation, your first thoughts will be about the safety of your family and friends. Know how you all can communicate – keep important numbers written down somewhere safe and designate a meeting spot for everyone to get back together.

*        Know how to stay informed. When “the call” goes out to let you know that your neighborhood is being evacuated, will you receive it? 

Alert Monterey County, our local emergency notification system, allows you to choose how and when you get messages – phone calls to landlines, cell phones and even VoIP, text or email. Go on and register your information today to keep you and your family informed.

Want more detailed information and some great resources? 

Check out this packet on wildfire preparedness 

And while we typically get a break from extreme fire conditions during our rainy periods, earthquake “season” is 24/7/365 for California residents.

As a quick reminder,  we can’t predict these events, but we can prepare for them.

Tips to get and stay ready for an earthquake

Being prepared is all about what works for you.  Think about your daily routine and all that you count on to get you through it. Who counts on you to get through theirs?

The key is being able to then take that daily routine and identify what you and your loved ones will need to be ready.

*        What information do you need access to? What if it wasn’t available? Where else could you go?

*        What “things” do you use? What do they need to continue to function? (Hint: BATTERIES)

*        What about extra clothes? Toiletries? (Hint #2: Kids GROW)

*        Health considerations? Medications?

*        Entertainment and/or comfort items?

The bottom line is that it has to meet your needs. There’s a lot of info out there on “making a plan and having a kit” but it doesn’t do or mean anything if it’s not tailored to you and your own specific requirements.

Except for water….everyone needs water.

Don’t be like Thirsty Cat:

For more resources on getting prepared, visit Ready.gov or the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services

To sign up for emergency alerts, visit AlertMontereyCounty.org

Have a great weekend!