FEMA Not Taking Any Chances With Hurricane Earl

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), desparate to renew its legacy five years after it was heavily scrutinized for its slow response to Hurricane Katrina, is delivering a no-nonsense message regarding Hurricane Earl.

“The message today is this is a day of action,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate during a conference call on Thursday. “Conditions are going to deteriorate rapidly. Many people people will start out with clear skies, but we expect conditions along the East Coast will deteriorate. People should not be lulled into a false sense this will be steered away from them. Time will be running out for people who have not gotten ready.”

Currently, Earl is moving up the Atlantic Coast as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds near 115 mph. It had been scored as a Category 4 earlier in the week, with the potential to become a 5.

By this morning, the center of the storm was hundreds of miles off the coast of South Carolina. Most forecasts predicted the storm would keep a relative distance from the eastern shore as it moved north, but Fugate warned residents and holiday weekend travelers to be prepared for anything.

“I encourage everyone along the eastern seaboard to visit Ready.gov and take steps now to keep their family safe and secure,” he said. “The most important thing for people to do right now is to listen to and follow the instruction of their local officials, especially for evacuation orders.”

Already, the Governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland have declared states of emergency, qualifying them for whatever federal assistance they may need to protect against the storm.

Hurricane Earl is expected to approach the Outer Banks of North Carolina tonight, and the Delmarva penninsula by tomorrow. A hurricane warning was issued earlier today for parts of the southern New England coast, where the storm could hit Friday night.

FEMA Chief Cautions East Coast States To Prepare For Hurricane Earl

By AJ Swartwood - Talk Radio News Service

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Craig Fugate urged coastal states on Tuesday to take precautionary measures against a potentially destructive Hurricane Earl, currently a Category 4 hurricane.

Fugate assured that his agency will be well prepared for Earl itself. 

“We’re taking steps to aggressively prepare should a hurricane make landfall along the East Coast,” he said.

According to FEMA’s tracking technology, the storm should move along the U.S.’ northeast coast without ever making landfall.

However, Fugate cautioned residents in those areas to be prepared for a worst-case scenario without going immediately into panic mode. 

“We want to have people ready to go,” he said, adding that although the center of the storm may not make landfall, its impact could result in inconveniences such as storm swells, fallen trees and power outages.

Fugate stressed the fact that FEMA has taken a more proactive role in preparation for this storm, likely hoping to ease the bad memories of a heavily scrutinized response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.