Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 Hurricane Season Presentation 0624251 2025 HURRICANE SEASON Outlook and Readiness Briefing Dave Topczynski | June 24, 2025 2025 Atlantic Outlook 2 •NOAA forecasts a slightly “above average” season. •13-19 named storms; 6-10 hurricanes; 3-5 major hurricanes •“Greater than normal” chance of storms making landfall. •Forecast confidence is 70%. •Regardless, it only takes one storm to cause significant disruptions. •Rainfall from tropical storms was the deadliest hazard over the past decade (NOAA). •Severe impacts can be experienced far away from the storm’s eye and point of landfall – just look at Hurricane Helene. •Storm remnants often cause significant issues from heavy rain, increased tornado risk, and gusty winds toppling trees and power lines. •Leading to power outages, home or facility damage, and roadway impacts. What the Forecast means for VB? 3 •Great reminder to consider what needs to do done before any storm approaches. •Insurance up to date? What does it cover and how much? What about flooding? •What inland location can you stay at if you must evacuate or if your home is damaged? Is it a friend, family, or hotel? •How do you receive official information and updates? Are you registered for VBAlert? •Does any family, friends, or neighbors need help preparing? Would they need help during a storm too? •Visit our Emergency Preparedness webpage for more information and guides. www.virginiabeach.gov/services/emergency-preparedness Federal Changes & Rebalancing 4 What is true • Responsibility for managing and paying for incidents is shifting back to the states and localities. • Shift aligns practices with longstanding disaster policies designed for FEMA to support only 5% of incidents. • Downsizing and turnover since January has degraded FEMA’s readiness heading into this season. • Federal assistance can still be requested. However, the approval process will be longer and more stringent. • There are still more changes to come. Impacts • Must continue building our self-reliance and improving our capabilities for managing larger incidents. • Will need to rely on the state for anything we cannot source ourselves. • Requests for federal assistance must be made much earlier and in greater detail to justify the need. • Recovery process is tightening! We will be expected to fund much larger portions of all costs. Future • Began slowly improving our self-reliance and incident management capabilities the past few years. • There is still much more for us to do, but our recent efforts put us in the best possible position for navigating the federal changes. • Be flexible and patient. More changes are coming. We must be willing to adapt our practices to support our City. Preparedness Efforts 5 •On-going, year-round effort to prepare the City for managing incidents of any magnitude or type. •Participated in: •FEMA Region 3: Senior Leadership Hurricane Exercise •Dominion Energy: Pre-Hurricane Season Outlook meeting. •US Navy: DSCA and Hurricane Season Preparedness meetings. •US Coast Guard: Pre-Hurricane Season Trainings. •Established stand-by contracts for Disaster Services & Disaster Recovery Support. •Exercised opening an emergency shelter with medical friendly and pet friendly components. •Completed a Critical Transportation Needs (CTN) Framework to support evacuations. Preparedness Efforts, Cont. 6 •EOC Modernization Project: •Complete overhaul and upgrade of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). •Added a fully integrated, deployable EOC to our equipment cache. •Developed Phase 1 of an ESRI EM Solution, which is undergoing user testing. •Sponsored a Crisis Communications Seminar to enhance communications during incidents. •Opened the Watch Desk in partnership with ECCS. •Developing the City’s first, comprehensive Recovery Plan. When a Storm is Approaching 7 •Emergency Management is your avenue for accurate, reliable information. •Our goal is to communicate with you early on and keep you updated regularly. UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS IS CRITICAL SO YOU CAN STAY UPDATED AND GIVE RESIDENTS OF YOUR DISTRICT RELIABLE, ACCURATE INFORMATION. 8 Questions?