In this episode, we delve into the high-stakes world of emergency management with Anna McRay. As the Assistant Director of Emergency Management for New Hanover County, Anna shoulders the responsibility of safeguarding lives and property during crises. Located in North Carolina, New Hanover’s coastal territory presents many challenges - experiencing hurricanes and floods over the years, and over 1,600 tornadoes since 1950. We explore how her team coordinates efforts across cities, counties, and state agencies, and even with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), when needed.

Anna’s passion for protecting her community shines through. She discusses the rewards and hurdles of emergency management, emphasizing the importance of collaboration. From disaster planning to rapid response, her leadership exemplifies the spirit of “It takes a village.”

Tune in as we unravel the intricate web of emergency preparedness, resilience, and community support. Whether you’re a seasoned emergency management professional or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes work, this episode promises valuable insights. Give it a listen!

Emergency Management | New Hanover County, NC (nhcgov.com)

https://weatherheroes.buzzsprout.com
weatherheroesrock@gmail.com

Hurricanes, heavy storms, tornadoes, floods, and similar disasters can lead to problems with a variety of insects and other creepy crawlies. With two broods of cicadas emerging and bugs in the news we talk with Paul Bello -entomologist extraordinaire. Paul has been battling bugs and creepy crawlies for decades. As the rains and flood waters abate, these pests become unwelcome guests in and around our homes and disrupt the response and recovery to the event. It’s fascinating how nature’s smallest creatures can become such significant challenges.

Paul’s insights are invaluable for dealing with these post event pest issues and his stories provide both practical advice and a touch of humor - some of these insects can be very persistent and invasive…but, hey, don’t let that “bug” you. Listen on!

Paul J. Bello ACE, BCE, MBA Author, Consultant, Speaker, & Educator (pjbpestconsultant.com)

Pest Problems After Storms and Other Disasters | NC State Extension (ncsu.edu)

2024 cicada map: Emergence updates; where to find Brood XIII, XIX (usatoday.com)

Samaritan’s Purse is an international, nondenominational, evangelical Christian disaster relief organization. Founded in 1970, it provides aid to people in need across the globe. Following the example of the Good Samaritan as found in the Bible, the organization provides assistance in crisis areas throughout the world. After a disaster they help with immediate needs as well as long-term recovery assistance. This humble and dedicated group partners with local and state officials to get the right help in the right place.

Today we are joined by Bruce Poss. Bruce is the Incident Response Manager for US Disaster Relief at Samaritan’s Purse discusses details about this non-profit organization’s response and recovery efforts as well as some of the international projects. Join me as Bruce shares some of the heart warming stories that make Bruce and all of Samaritan’s Purse Weather Heroes.

Samaritan’s Purse Web Site

As we enter the 2024 hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts an above-average year for named storms—somewhere between 17 and 25. Effective planning is crucial for successful disaster response, especially considering the likelihood of a named storm hitting the US coastline this year. One key partner in this process is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We recently had an insightful conversation with FEMA’s Hurricane Program Director, Brandon Bolinski. Brandon’s meteorology background, experience in emergency planning at the state level, and tenure at the National Weather Service make him a valuable resource. His expertise will undoubtedly contribute to effective disaster management this hurricane season as he coordinates with officials at all levels. Brandon shares a lot of valuable knowledge and insights, so, have a listen!

As always, input welcome at Weather Heroes (weatherheroesrock@gmail.com).

NOAA predicts above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Plan Ahead for Disasters | Ready.gov

Meet Brandon Bolinski | FEMA.gov

I've been on a bit of a hiatus camping out, communing with nature. There was a lot of rain and mud involved! The good news is I did catch (and release) a couple of speckled king snakes!

I try to get episodes out roughly every two weeks, so I’m a little behind… but, no need to fear, there are several exciting episodes coming up in the next few weeks.

We’ll be having a bug fest when we interview an entomologist on the challenges after disasters – what creepy crawlies and other pests are the biggest challenges and what can we do to reduce the impacts!

We're also going to be talking with Samaritans Purse and the great work they do both nationally and internationally as they respond to disasters as well as their heavy involvement in rebuilding efforts.

Finally, to kick off hurricane season we interview the hurricane coordinator for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He shares a lot of great information around FEMAs role and there's also a lot of discussion around evacuations and disaster planning.

Thanks for continuing to be part of the Weather Heroes team and keep a lookout for the next episode!

Email: Weatherheroesrock@gmail.com

The episode starts with the trailer of the exciting 1996 film “Twister,” featuring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. It sets the stage for our interview today with Mark Fox. As the Meteorologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma—a notorious tornado hot-spot – Mark’s mission is the preservation of lives and property. As a seasoned tornado expert, he is the right person in the right place, putting the pieces of the weather puzzle together quickly so lives can be saved. Today he shares insights into a vast array of tornado-related topics and maybe a little insight into the sequel of Twister being released in July of 2024.

Mark Fox's Biography
Mark Fox is the Meteorologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma He earned his meteorology degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1989, after growing up fascinated by the weather in north central Oklahoma. Mark has experience across the entire integrated warning team, starting his career working for a private meteorology company in college. He then worked for ten years as a broadcast meteorologist, mostly at KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls, Texas before moving to the National Weather Service in 1999. Since moving to the NWS, he has worked in the Fort Worth, Amarillo, and Lubbock offices, and served four years at Southern Region Headquarters as the Regional Training Officer. In 2009, he became the Warning & Coordination Meteorologist at WFO Dallas/Fort Worth before serving as the Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Amarillo Weather Forecast office from Late 2018 through September 2021.

Each type of disaster presents unique challenges and in these critical moments, logistics plays a pivotal role. Today we talk with Angela Ruth Corbett. She has extensive experience in disaster response logistics and can shed light on the many challenges involved in setting up and supplying disaster sites. She is widely recognized as a leader and innovator. I met Angela while she worked at a major insurance company. Today she is working for a major power company.

In addition to comparing and contrasting the logistics needs for an insurance company versus a power company, Angela shares real-life experiences which help emphasize the need for planning, teamwork, and communications…and being creative doesn’t hurt either! She reminds us that there are great responsibilities in logistics, but also great rewards.

So next time you see a power line being repaired or a claims adjuster assisting after a disaster, you’ll know about the intricate logistics web that supports them.

Did you know that the National Weather Service has a SWAT Team? Well, not quite SWAT, but pretty close! Today we talk with Robert Rickey who is an IMET – an Incident Meteorologist. They are a group of about 100 forecasters who go to where the danger is, in harm’s way. They primarily get deployed to wildfire events, but have worked at floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and even oil spills. Their main goal is to provide weather information that keeps emergency responders, firefighters, and the public safe while adding valuable insight into the many pieces of the response puzzle. Robert and the other IMETs are invaluable part of our nations’ response operations and we are grateful for their dedication to our safety!

Robert joined the Incident Meteorologists program in 2017 and when he is not deployed, he serves as the Information Technology Officer at the NWS Flagstaff Weather Forecast Office. He started at the NWS in 2011 and his military background well prepared him for his IMET assignments.

A lesser known, but equally important duty IMETs have is to provide real-time forecasts for prescribed burns, also called beneficial fires. These burns help mitigate the potential for catastrophic wildfires.

Finally, we’ll hear why Smokey the Bear is still right. Thank you for joining us today.

National Weather Service Incident Meteorologists