The heroes of Sydney show the world what disaster preparedness is all about

Attn Mayor Nagin: this is how it’s done

Sydney, Australia deals with a deadly storm and shows the world what good disaster preparedness is all about. It's a grass-roots effort, based on voluntarism and individual responsibility. It relies on local people taking initiative to do the training, planning, and organizing ahead of time. And it is not run by the government!

This same type of grass-roots disaster preparedness organization should exist everywhere in the world where human beings live. Why doesn't it?

Here's a great BIG stein hoist to this informative, entertaining, and wonderfully-named blog, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler.

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Introducing an excellent hurricane and disaster preparedness blog

Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker describes itself as:

A single source reference on tropical weather predictions. We will primarily focus on the upper Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast but are linked to track all Atlantic Basin and Carribean storm systems. The climate is always changing, this is natural, we need to pay attention and take the appropriate actions to the weather patterns as they develop. We cannot control or change the weather. And the climate is nothing more than the long term manifestation of the weather.

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My Florida History: Florida Hurricane Blogs

Florida residents - it's time to check this out:
My Florida History: Florida Hurricane Blogs

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Florida
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Which U.S. locations are most vulnerable in a major hurricane?

AP Pinpoints 5 Vulnerable Hurricane Areas:

Just because Katrina was the perfect storm, a catastrophic combo of the wrong hurricane in the wrong place at the wrong time, doesn't mean that history can't repeat itself, leaving another city obliterated by another tempest. It can.

At least one of these vulnerable locations is one that few people would think of as vulnerable to a hurricane. Oh, yes, south Florida is on the map here, big time - but the details of how a hurricane disaster scenario could unfold may indeed surprise you.

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Are you a twitterer living in a hurricane area?

If you are, it's time to begin following StormTrack and hurricanes.

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Twitter
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Learn the fascinating secrets of storm-tracking, extreme weather, and wildfire fighting

Ever wanted a behind-the-scenes view of how professionals approach hurricanes, tornados, dust storms, wildfires, and other dangerous but exciting phenomena? Here you are:

• Wildfires are an ongoing problem. Wildfires at Jacksonville.com offers an entire section of up-to-date information.
• The U.S. National Interagency Fire Center offers wildland fire maps and firefighting information.
• The Weather Channel blog offers the personal experiences of the weather forecasters themselves, as well as the scientific background explained in layman's terms.
• For storms in the U.S., check out the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
• The MODIS Rapid Response System offers new satellite views of extreme weather and fire events worldwide, including some spectacular photos of smoke from the recent Florida wildfires.
• TheStormTrack.com offers updated satellite views and current information on hurricanes and tropical storms worldwide.
• For information about winter storms, snow and ice, avalanches, and cold-climate regions, check out National Snow and Ice Data Center.
• For those of you who live Down Under, there's Australia Severe Weather.
• For storm-chasing buffs, Stormtrack.org offers a library of storm-chasing information, including maps of recent severe weather phenomena.
• Professional storm chaser Warren Faidley's Stormchaser.com offers data, links, and media information about severe weather and storm chasing, along with some truly wild photos.

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Top ten reasons why South Floridians should prepare for hurricane season

From the blog Sleepless in South Florida, here's a wake-up call for everyone in the area: Top Ten Reasons Why South Floridians
Should Prepare for Hurricane Season. This thought-provoking blog post also offers links for hurricane-preparedness information.

Update: More than half of Florida gas stations on evacuation routes must install generators. These generators are required by law, so that gas stations will be able to continue pumping gas to vehicles on the evacuation routes, even if a storm knocks out power. Too many gas stations have not yet complied. According to the article: "In past years, some stations have had gas in their tanks, but no way to pump it out because of power outages."

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Florida Drought, Wildfire, and Storm Preparedness News Roundup

Lots of news lately, most of it rather worrisome:

• The National Fire News website indicates that some wildfires are still burning in Florida and Georgia. No surprise there; smoke is still visible (and smellable) in south Florida.
• An earlier story explained how the fires got so bad in the first place: Strong winds could fan massive wildfire along Florida-Georgia line.
• Florida's cities scramble to shield scarce fresh water from ocean water contamination.
• Drought forces tighter water use restrictions in Broward, Palm Beach Counties.
• On top of the drought, we've got leaky pipes.
• Fines begin for Florida water wasters.
• There's also dissention among the ranks of U.S. government weather officialdom, as well as disputes about where the money is going; see NOAA confirms cut in Hurricane Hunter funding.
• Not all of the news is bad. Prominent forecasters, including the Florida Power & Light hurricane specialist, are getting ready to launch a one-stop storm help website.

To help prepare yourself, see:

• Learn fascinating details of storm-tracking, extreme weather, and wildfire fighting
• Top ten reasons why South Floridians should prepare for hurricane season

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Florida Power & Light: Getting Ready for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is on its way. South Florida may be exposed to 140 mph winds, so it's time to get ready.

• If you live in Florida, FPL Storm Center can help you prepare for storm season. In fact, anyone who lives in a region prone to tropical storms may find useful information on their site.
• FPL StormSecure shows what Florida Power & Light is doing to make their power delivery system more resilient to hurricane-force winds.
• Especially during high winds, trees that are too close to power lines can cause electrical outages and can become a public safety hazard. Residential Trees and Power Lines shows how to plan your landscaping to avoid problems in the future.
• Update: Governor of Florida experiences "Hurricane Max", FPL's storm preparedness exercise, as the 2007 storm season approaches.

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