September is National Preparedness Month. And Delaware’s Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) is preparing for hurricanes and other potential emergencies.
Every year, DEMA receives needs-based federal grant funds to prepare for a variety of emergency scenarios.
“It’s an all-hazards approach for all of us in emergency management: whether it’s weather related, radiological, chemical, terrorism…all types of threats that we have to sit down and assess how we can prepare for them," said Gary Laing, with DEMA.
Sub-recipients of that funding include the city of Wilmington, all First State counties, Delaware’s Department of Education, the Delaware Geological Survey and UD’s Environmental Observing System.
Laing says that right now, some of those over $3.2 million funds are being used to implement its current preparedness plan in anticipation of a potential hurricane.
“If you look at some of the maps it just looks like spaghetti strings all over it," Laing said. "As there are various forecasts, tracks that the hurricane will take…it’s not an exact science. And the only way you know where it’s going to go is as you get closer to the time it’s approaching your geographical area.”
DEMA is also utilizing social media platforms like Facebook to reach out to residents in care of an emergency. Last month, Laing says DEMA’s annual full-scale exercise focused on hurricane recovery efforts.
