The United States experiences extreme and dangerous weather, and
this winter, parts of the U.S. face a particularly severe threat.
Forecasts are showing a soon-to-peak El Niño that could deliver
drenching conditions to California and throughout the South. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has
developed fact sheets on El Niño available at
NOAA El Niño Impacts by region and the Winter Outlook is
available at
NOAA El Niño Winter Outlook. These predicted conditions come
with an enhanced flood threat and an increase in tornado activity
through the spring.
For the next several months, many areas in the United States are
at an increased flood risk from El Niño as a direct result of
drought and wildfires. Disasters don’t always occur when families
are together in one place. Now is the time to put together a
family communication plan and talk with your family about
ways to contact each other during an emergency, and designate a
safe meeting spot. You can also plan ahead by knowing official
evacuation routes, and keeping important papers in a safe,
waterproof place. Additional tips and resources on how to stay
safe and prepare are available at www.ready.gov.
More information is available about El Niño at
www.fema.gov/el-Niño. The tab labeled
Additional Resources include links to resources from various
federal agencies including NOAA, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
U.S. Department of the Interior, and U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
