MDEM Newsroom - Page 52 MDEM Newsroom
2011 Hurricane Hunters Tour
April 3rd, 2011Everyone is invited to this one of a kind event
2011 Hurricane Hunters Tour
Tuesday May 3rd, 2011
Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD Everyone is invited!
- TOUR on-board one of the unique NOAA “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft.
- LEARN what it is like to penetrate a hurricane from the pilots who fly it.
- SPEAK with National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center forecasters.
- LEARN what you and your family can do to prepare before a hurricane strikes.
Update: Maryland’s Ongoing Monitoring of Radioactive Material in Rainwater Following Japanese Nuclear Incident: No Public Health Risk
March 28th, 2011Update: Maryland’s Ongoing Monitoring Detects Trace Amount of Radioactive Material in Rainwater Following Japanese Nuclear Incident: No Public Health Risk
Baltimore, MD (March 28, 2011) — The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) reported today that a very small amount of radioactive Iodine – 131 was detected in a rainwater sample from Baltimore. The reported level of Iodine – 131 (32 picoCuries per liter) was consistent with the findings in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts as reported yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This very small level is not surprising and does not pose a public health risk,” said Frances B. Phillips, DHMH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services. “We will continue to monitor and update the public.”
Rainwater is diluted by water in reservoirs and rivers or filters through the ground before reaching groundwater and is treated before reaching consumers in drinking water. As a result, it is not expected that I-131 levels of concern of would appear in public water systems. Yesterday the Department reported negative results in public water systems and milk.
For additional information, see the Department’s website:www.dhmh.state.md.us.
WJZ: Japan Disaster Prompts Concerns For MD Nuclear Safety
March 16th, 2011The unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan has raised concerns over how vulnerable Maryland would be in a similar disaster.
REISTERSTOWN, Md. (WJZ)—The situation in Japan continues to worsen as crews attempt to reverse what’s happening at a damaged nuclear power plant. The crisis is now having a ripple effect on the use of atomic energy worldwide.
Mike Hellgren reports from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency with more on how Maryland inspects its nuclear facilities.
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency annually takes a look at the disaster plans, including evacuation routes and the potential impact.
The unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan has raised concerns over how vulnerable Maryland would be in a similar disaster. Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactors are located in the southern part of the state. Peach Bottom nuclear plants are just a few miles north of Maryland on the Susquehanna.
See Full Story Here: CBS Baltimore – http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/
Justice Department’s New ADA Rules Go into Effect on March 15, 2011
March 15th, 2011WASHINGTON – Revised regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will take effect March 15, 2011, the Department of Justice announced. The revised rules are the department’s first major revision of its guidance on accessibility in 20 years.
The regulations apply to the activities of more than 80,000 units of state and local government and more than seven million places of public accommodation, including stores, restaurants, shopping malls, libraries, museums, sporting arenas, movie theaters, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, hotels, jails and prisons, polling places, and emergency preparedness shelters. The rules were signed by Attorney General Eric Holder on July 23, 2010, and the official text was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2010.
The department is also releasing a new document, “ADA Update: A Primer for Small Business,” to help small businesses understand the new and updated accessibility requirements. In addition, the department is announcing the release of a new publication explaining when the various provisions of its amended regulations will take effect. Both documents will be available tomorrow on the department’s ADA website, www.ada.gov.
“The new rules usher in a new day for the more than 50 million individuals with disabilities in this country,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “The rules will expand accessibility in a number of areas and, for the first time, provide detailed guidance on how to make recreation facilities, including parks and swimming pools, accessible.”
The new ADA rules adopt the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which have been retooled to be more user-friendly for building code officials, builders, and architects, and have been harmonized with state and local accessibility codes. The 2010 standards also include, for the first time, standards on making swimming pools, parks, golf courses, boating facilities, exercise clubs, and other recreation facilities accessible for individuals with disabilities. Entities covered by the ADA have until March 15, 2012 to comply with the 2010 Standards. In addition to adopting the new ADA 2010 Standards, the amended regulations contain many new or expanded provisions on general nondiscrimination policies, including the use of service animals, the use of wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices, selling tickets for wheelchair-accessible seating at sports and performance venues, reserving and guaranteeing accessible rooms at hotels, providing interpreter services through video conferencing, and the effect of the new regulations on existing facilities. The compliance date for the all the new nondiscrimination provisions, except for those on hotel reservations, is March 15, 2011. Compliance with the hotel reservation provisions is not required until March 15, 2012.
“ADA Update” and “ADA 2010 Revised Requirements: Effective Date/Compliance Date” are the first of several planned publications aimed at helping businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and state and local governments understand their obligations under the amended Title II and Title III regulations. Individual print copies of the Effective Date/Compliance Date publication can be ordered from the ADA Information Line (800-514-0301 voice or 800-514-0383 TTY).
For more information about the ADA, call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY), or access the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
MEMA Activates to LEVEL 3 in support of Statewide Operations Due to Heavy Rains
March 11th, 2011RESISTERSTOWN, MD (March 10, 2011) – The Maryland Emergency Management Agency will activate to a Level 3 at 12:00noon today due to the forecast of heavy rains that will impact Maryland this afternoon and this evening. Level 3 means representatives of state agencies involved in firefighting, rescue, law enforcement, transportation, hospitals, utilities, evacuation, sheltering, and emergency medical response will join MEMA staff in the state emergency operations center. MEMA’s 24/7 Joint Operations Center has been monitoring the weather and has been in contact with local jurisdictions to address any needs or concerns they have with regard to the impending weather.
MEMA’s preparedness officials remind citizens to plan accordingly. Residents are urged to listen to local news, weather and traffic prior to travelling and further encouraging Marylanders to be prepared and use caution as the National Weather Service is reporting the potential for 1.5″-3″ of rain that could cause flooding. Flooding may occur anywhere and cause road closures, downed trees or power lines. Drivers are asked to exercise caution when driving and be aware of firefighters, State Highway crews, power crews, and law enforcement handling emergencies on state and county roadways.
For more information on preparedness, please visit www.mema.state.md.us. It is also suggested travelers check with Maryland Transit Administration atwww.mtamaryland.gov for mass transit travel plans or log into the Maryland Department of Transportation web site http://www.mdot.maryland.gov or www.roads.maryland.gov and click on the CHART ICON.
Emergency managers suggest the following preparedness actions:
· Report any EMERGENCY by dialing 911
· Check your route to insure roadways are open and passable
· Allow extra travel time as downed trees and wires may be blocking roads
· Do not drive or walk thru standing water
· If power goes out in your community, check on your neighbors to make sure they are ok
· If you use a generator in a power outage, make sure it is properly vented and kept away from the house
· If you are using a chain saw to remove downed trees, practice chain saw safety. If you are not experienced in the use of a chain saw, have someone else perform the job
· Remember floodwaters take days to make their way downstream and continue to do so even when the rain stops and the sun shines. Never underestimate the power and speed in which floodwaters can rise and impact property and the safety of residents
Follow MEMA on TWITTER at www.twitter.com/MEMA_feeds.
MARYLAND RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR BROADCASTS AS SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY
February 28th, 2011REISTERSTOWN, MD (February 28, 2011) – Maryland residents should monitor local television, radio and weather radio broadcasts throughout the day today, Monday, February 28, as there is a potential for severe weather. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible in conjunction with an approaching cold front that has caused outbreaks of severe weather in the Midwest and Ohio Valley over the last 36 hours.
Much of the state is under a tornado watch until late this afternoon. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form. Severe thunderstorms also are possible throughout the day. Additionally, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch in Garrett County until 7 p.m. tonight.
Residents and media members should check the following website to learn about current National Weather Service watches and warnings throughout the state:http://www.weather.gov/alerts-beta/md.php?x=1.
For information on how to prepare for severe weather, go to www.mema.state.md.usand click on the Be Prepared tab on the left side of the home page. That will display a menu with preparedness information for a variety of emergencies. Preparedness information also is available for www.ready.gov.
If you are traveling during a storm, please use extreme caution. Drivers should never try to drive through high water, even with four wheel drive vehicles. Rushing water is extremely powerful, causing loss of control of a vehicle, putting drivers and passengers at risk for drowning.
Additionally, drivers must avoid downed wires and trees and stay alert for falling debris in the roadway. All loads should be secured, preventing debris from flying out of pickup trucks and other truck beds. The State Highway Administration recommends delaying travel during the storm. Log onto www.roads.maryland.gov and click “CHART” to view traffic cameras and current traffic conditions.