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New K72 App Launched in Portugal to Enhance Emergency Preparedness

New K72 App Launched in Portugal to Enhance Emergency Preparedness

A new mobile application, K72 SMPC Montijo, has been launched in Portugal to help citizens prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies. Developed in collaboration with the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Montijo, the app is designed for nationwide use. The 'K' stands for 'kit' and '72' refers to the 72-hour period for which individuals should have emergency provisions, considered the most critical phase after a disaster. The app's creator, Carlos Batista, a documentary filmmaker and coordinator of the Local Civil Protection Unit of Montijo and Afonsoeiro, aimed to create a tool that prompts concrete action rather than just providing information. The app guides users on assembling an emergency kit, including items for staying at home, evacuation, car, and even pets. It allows users to track what they have and what they still need, and can redirect them to online shops for missing items. The K72 app also helps users create a family emergency plan, serves as a channel for Civil Protection alerts...

Preparing for an El Niño Winter: Essential Safety Tips

Preparing for an El Niño Winter: Essential Safety Tips

The Survival Mom has shared a comprehensive guide to preparing for the upcoming El Niño winter. The guide emphasizes the importance of creating defensible space around homes before fire season, keeping a fully stocked winter kit in vehicles for mountain travel, and understanding local flood risks. Residents in areas prone to mudslides, particularly in California, are advised to take warnings seriously and evacuate early if necessary. The guide also includes practical steps for organizing evacuation plans and maintaining safety during extreme weather events.

Explosion at steel plant in western Turkey leaves 10 dead and 4 missing

Explosion at steel plant in western Turkey leaves 10 dead and 4 missing

Turkish officials say that a huge explosion and fire at an iron and steel works in western Turkey have left at least 10 people dead

Chile's Codelco Seeks Private Partnerships to Counter Copper Output Decline

Chile's Codelco Seeks Private Partnerships to Counter Copper Output Decline

Chile's Codelco Seeks Private Partnerships to Counter Copper Output Decline

FEMA and FCC Announce Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test for November 17

FEMA and FCC Announce Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test for November 17

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have scheduled a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for November 17 at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time. This test will broadcast an alert on television and radio, lasting approximately one minute, and will not affect cellphones. The test is part of FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which is designed to deliver emergency alerts to the public during crises via various devices, including phones, radios, and televisions. This particular test focuses on EAS alerts, which are intended to allow the President to address the American public within 10 minutes of a national emergency. The system also includes Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) for mobile phones and NOAA Weather Radio for weather and public safety hazards. Nationwide EAS tests are conducted at least once every three years, with the last WEA test occurring in 2023. This year's test coincides with global advisories for citizens t...

How to Prepare for a Winter Storm Power Outage

How to Prepare for a Winter Storm Power Outage

Learn how to prepare your home and supplies for a winter storm power outage. From protecting plumbing to stocking essentials, this guide ensures you're ready to stay safe and warm.

Hawaiian Electric Issues Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch for Leeward Oahu Amid Wildfire Risk

Hawaiian Electric Issues Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch for Leeward Oahu Amid Wildfire Risk

Hawaiian Electric (HECO) has expanded its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) watch to include Leeward Oahu due to increased wildfire risk from dry conditions across the state. The utility announced that potential power shutoffs in Leeward Oahu could occur on Sunday, November 8, with the highest risk period anticipated between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. This PSPS watch is already in effect for Hawaii Island and Maui County throughout the weekend. HECO emphasizes that a watch does not guarantee a power shutoff but indicates that crews are closely monitoring conditions. The utility may de-energize power lines in high-risk areas to mitigate the potential for wildfires. Customers in these designated high-risk zones are advised to prepare for possible extended power outages and to review their emergency preparedness plans. Hawaiian Electric also cautioned that outages unrelated to the PSPS program could still occur due to high winds and other adverse weather conditions. If outages happen during nighttime hours, power re...

BC Hydro Continues Storm Response Amidst New Outages Caused by Strong Winds

BC Hydro Continues Storm Response Amidst New Outages Caused by Strong Winds

BC Hydro crews are working continuously to restore power across British Columbia following a storm that began Friday night. As of Sunday afternoon, over 160,000 customers have had their power restored, but approximately 30,000 customers remain without electricity. Strong winds are causing new outages, complicating restoration efforts. Hardest-hit areas include Prince George, Port Hardy, and Courtenay. Due to extensive damage and difficult access in some regions, some customers are expected to be without power overnight. BC Hydro has entered an extended storm response phase, with crews addressing current outages, responding to new damage, and preparing for additional weather systems anticipated throughout the week. The utility is also advising customers to prepare for further potential outages.

How to Prepare Your Home for Winter Storm Power Outages

How to Prepare Your Home for Winter Storm Power Outages

Winter storms can cause prolonged power outages due to ice buildup on power lines. Learn how to prepare your home and ensure safety during these events.

Drought Monitoring Training Course Focuses on Vulnerability Profiles and Impact Assessment

Drought Monitoring Training Course Focuses on Vulnerability Profiles and Impact Assessment

A drought monitoring training course in Namibia is emphasizing the development of vulnerability profiles and comprehensive impact assessments. The course aims to equip participants with the skills to identify direct, indirect, and cascading drought impacts across various key sectors. It covers building vulnerability profiles by analyzing sensitivity, coping capacity, and adaptive capacity within communities and ecosystems. Practical sessions include designing assessment tools for households, livelihoods, ecosystems, and assets, as well as triangulating data from administrative records, surveys, field observations, and community knowledge. Participants learn to score impact severity, confidence, and reversibility to prioritize interventions and document assumptions and limitations in drought risk assessments. The curriculum also includes modules on rainfall monitoring, standardized indices like SPI, SPEI, NDVI, and VCI, and the use of remote sensing and GIS to map drought conditions and exposed populations.

Kelantan Rescue Agencies Coordinate Operations to Prevent Overlaps During Floods

Kelantan Rescue Agencies Coordinate Operations to Prevent Overlaps During Floods

In Kelantan, Malaysia, the Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysia Civil Defence Force, and the Royal Malaysia Police have implemented a coordinated strategy to allocate operational areas by district. This initiative aims to prevent overlapping responsibilities during flood response operations, ensuring that emergency calls are handled efficiently and resources are optimally utilized. According to Kelantan Fire and Rescue director Farhan Sufyan Borhan, this arrangement allows each agency to provide an initial response within its designated area, while also ensuring that calls from other locations are not neglected. Without such coordination, multiple agencies could be dispatched to the same location, leading to a shortage of resources elsewhere and delays in redeploying equipment. Joint training sessions, discussions, and meetings have been conducted to ensure all teams understand their roles. The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued severe- and alert-level continuous rain warnings for...

Chile's Codelco needs private partners to halt output fall, board chairman says

Chile's Codelco needs private partners to halt output fall, board chairman says

SANTIAGO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Chilean state-owned miner Codelco's copper production will continue falling unless the company partners with private firms to develop new projects, board chairman Bernardo Fontaine told a local radio station on Monday.