COLD INJURY PREVENTION: CDC Webpage on Cold Injury Prevention

[This is an indepth, long version for Cold Injury Prevention.  It is geared for Workplace Safety, but anyone going outside during cold weather, would be smart to re-familiarize themselves with this information.  Be safe.  SDF Blogger]

Types of Cold Stress

cdc.gov

Hypothermia  | Frostbite |Trench Foot | Chilblains

Hypothermia

When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body's stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. A body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and will not be able to do anything about it.    Read more

FREE BROCHURE: NIOSH Cold Injury Prevention

[This is a short and sweet printable document on the signs, symptoms and prevention of cold injuries including:  hypothermia, frostbite, trenchfoot and chilblains.  SDF Blogger]
 
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-115/pdfs/2010-115.pdf

TORNADIC RESEARCH > Scientists on a Mission: Detailed Study of U.S. Southeast Tornadoes

July 11, 2011
It was one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.
Now scientists are organizing a research program to better understand the tornadoes that blew through Alabama and other southeastern states on April 27, 2011.

Scientists at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) are analyzing radar data from that day, then merging the information with detailed storm surveys and other data. They hope to learn more about how the storms formed, what made the storms so powerful and what might be done to make tornado warnings more effective.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds the project through a Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant, which enables support for fast-response research tied to events such as tornadoes.

"Heavily forested rolling terrain and limited public awareness may present unique challenges to tornado detection in this area and to widespread dissemination of and effective public response to severe weather warnings," said Brad Smull, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which funded the RAPID award.

In addition to studying the physics of the storms, the team will look at the psychology and sociology of storm warnings.  Read more

Joplin MO > Three neighboring states offer aid to stricken Joplin, MO

Three neighboring states offer aid to stricken Joplin, MO

Tue, 2011-05-24 09:37 AM

By: Jacob Goodwin

Fans at Kansas Speedway will donate to help relief efforts in Joplin

Because it is located in the far southwest corner of the State of Missouri, the devastated City of Joplin is sitting only short distances from its neighboring states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, all of which have offered immediate assistance.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has activated the Missouri National Guard to respond in the Joplin area. “The State Emergency Management Agency is helping to coordinate the deployment of search and rescue teams, a disaster medical assistance team, communications vehicles, mobile command vehicles, heavy equipment and an incident support team,” announced the Missouri Department of Public Safety on May 23. Full article

Joplin, MO Tornado > Two MO National Guard units assisting in Joplin

[Missouri does not have a State Defense Force; I wonder if the CERT teams have helped out any...stay tuned...-SDFBlogger]
Two MO National Guard units assisting in Joplin

Tue, 2011-05-24 10:07 AM

By: Mark Rockwell

249th Engineer in Joplin

About 140 Missouri National Guard troops are helping local authorities in Joplin, MO, in a number of missions following the killer tornado that hit the city on May 22, according to the Department of Defense and the Missouri National Guard.

The Missouri National Guard soldiers are helping with search and rescue missions at the direction of local authorities, according to a statement by the Missouri National Guard on May 23. They are expected to conduct a number of missions in the upcoming days, including emergency route clearance, communications support, door-to-door safety visits and security, according to the DoD’s Armed Forces Press Service.

Among those responding are soldiers of the 117th Engineer Team, of Monett, and 294th Engineer Company, of Carthage and Anderson, MO. Additionally, a Joint Task Force Communications Kit out of Jefferson City, MO is en route to assist local authorities, according to the DoD.  Full article

L.L.Bean > Emergency Weather Radio with Tone Alert

Stay informed during storms, power outages or trips to remote locations

Stay informed and be prepared during a power outage or an emergency with this portable FR-360 radio, made for L.L.Bean by Eton. Updated with a digital readout and an easier-to-use handcrank, the internal NIMH battery can also charge on solar power. Receives AM, FM and all seven NOAA weather stations (US and Canada only) to help you dial into news and follow storm conditions. NOAA Weather Alert feature can be set to automatically turn the radio on when an alert is broadcast. Features an earphone jack, a built-in LED with emergency flash, and electronic and cellphone charging ports. Can also run on three AAA batteries, not included. Imported.

Dimensions  6½"H x 6¼"W x 2"D.

Weight  1 lb. 5 oz.

Batteries  Three AAA (optional; not included).

Disasters > Swollen Mississippi River to be closed for traffic as of Monday

Swollen Mississippi River to be closed for traffic as of Monday

Landsat comparison images of Mississippi flooding:
Source: esri.com

Swollen by weeks of heavy rain and snowmelt, the Mississippi River has been breaking high-water records that have stood since the 1920s and 1930s; it is projected to crest at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 19 May and break the mark set there during the historic Great Flood of 1927; the crest is expected to reach New Orleans on 23 May; officials with the Port of New Orleans said the Coast Guard may close the river to ships as early as Monday, halting traffic on one of the world's busiest commercial waterways; barges headed south from the U.S. heartland to the Port of South Louisiana at Reserve, upriver from New Orleans, would be unable to reach grain elevators; massive ships that carry U.S. corn, soybeans, and other crops out of the country would be unable to move  Read more

Security for Artisans: A reflective practitioner’s view of today’s security professional and the protection business

Great article, 2 mins read.  KATE HALE (Hurricane Andrew:  “Where the hell is the cavalry on this one?”) wherever you are (Jamestown),  I think the writer must know you and wrote this with you in mind!

Security is receptive to scientific advance, but is no field for scientists to dominate. The exigencies of protection are too fluid and the stakes too high for submitting one's livelihood, assets, or life to rigid metrics and laboratory-grade theories that fall apart on first contact with mortal hazard. On the other hand, security is no long-term home for artists, either. Not that the protective world need be  inhospitable to creativity or innovation – particularly if these produce desired protection on time and within ambient resource constraints. However, the artist's highest aspiration to be and do something unique will find a better home elsewhere. In the protection business, it is not only useful but necessary to be able to replicate and commoditize one's highest achievement, to spread it widely and often without taking credit for it. In this context, die-hard artists will surely look to greener pastures more befitting their egos and temperaments. Where does that leave us, then, if security is neither art nor science and if security welcomes visitors from both camps but offers a home to neither?
Security professionals are as frustrated or stymied as anyone else. They learn to make peace with an imperfect world and navigate the uncertain waters that raise them high one day, only to submerge them the next day. Over time, security professionals learn to take vicissitudes in graceful stride. They learn to anticipate adverse consequences, and this knowledge carries over into organizational life. They see it coming. Ideally, they dodge the blow. When dodging is no option, at least they brace for the punch.  Read more...

Tornadoes > Lessons from the wreckage: How Alabama could help tornado preparedness?

Meteorologists are combing through the damage from last week's historic tornado outbreak in Alabama, hoping to find clues about how to save more lives in the future. -csmonitor.com

A reconstruction of the storm tracks for all the tornadoes that touched down April 27 in the Southeastern United States during the largest one-day tornado outbreak in US history. Bright reds, oranges and yellows show tracks of where rotation was strongest, as detected by NWS Doppler radars.  USDA Farm Service Agency / National Weather Service / NOAA