Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition
Resources
Helpful information and links to important resources both locally and nationally.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them.
The Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center (DRC) is an NOAA facility located in Mobile, Alabama, and establishes an unprecedented regional presence for the Gulf of Mexico region. Working under OR&R’s Disaster Preparedness Program, experts at the DRC use tools and science to advise decision-makers.
Over the past decade, the Gulf of Mexico has faced both natural and human-caused disasters, including hurricanes, oil spills, tornadoes, droughts, harmful algal blooms, and wildfires. While we cannot prevent these severe events, we can reduce their impacts. The need for timely and accurate information has never been greater. Recognizing this, OR&R continues to lead the way in the science of preparedness.
The DRC expands the federal capacity to plan for and respond to hazards of all types in the five states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The facility is designed to survive up to Category 5 hurricane winds; contains a Force-5 tornado shelter, and has backup power systems to continue operations in the midst of severe weather. Intended to serve as a safe and ready command center during major disaster responses in the Gulf, the DRC also offers the facility for exercises, trainings, workshops, and other preparedness activities.
This facility brings together NOAA-wide resources to improve preparedness, planning, and response capacity for natural and human-caused disasters along the Gulf Coast. Dedicated in 2012, the DRC has since become the bedrock for NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program — a program that builds on the DRC’s existing operational capabilities and knowledge to ensure that commerce, communities, and natural resources can recover from disasters as quickly as possible.
National Integrated Heat Health Information System
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Prior to opening a healthcare facility that has undergone extensive water and wind damage, inspections need to be conducted to determine if the building is salvageable. If the decision is made to proceed with recovery and remediation, building and life safety inspections must be completed before any restoration work is done to the facility. Parts I – IV describe those activities that need to be completed. Parts V – VII provide guidance for infection control review of facilities to be done before the hospital can reopen.
Prior to opening any portion of a facility such as emergency rooms or clinics, adequate support services need to be available to provide quality care in a safe environment. Contracting with outside services could be considered.
Certification for occupancy must be obtained prior to reopening the facility. Regulations regarding healthcare facility certification and licensing differ from state to state. Refer to specific state and local government resources for more information.
Hurricane Evacuation – HURREVAC
HURREVAC is the decision support tool of the National Hurricane Program, administered by FEMA, the USACE, and the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
HURREVAC (short for Hurricane Evacuation) is a storm tracking and decision support tool. The software combines live feeds of tropical cyclone forecast information with data from various state Hurricane Evacuation Studies (HES) to assist the local emergency manager in making evacuation decisions based on the timing and potential severity of storm effects such as wind and storm surge.
Software access is restricted to officials in government emergency management. As a general rule, if you are the Emergency Manager for a county in the hurricane prone states (Texas to Maine), in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, state Emergency Management Agency (EMA), a FEMA office, Corps of Engineers office, or National Weather Service office, you are eligible to use the HURREVAC program.
National Hurricane Center, Interagency Coordinating Committee on Hurricanes, National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Policy Subcommittee on Response and Recovery, and the Subcommittee on Hurricanes all give recommendations on how to improve HURREVAC.
HURREVAC is a web-based tool.
WeatherSTEM
The most localized weather forecast is now available to you! Find the closest WeatherSTEM unit in our growing network and make it your own.
NowCOAST
NowCOAST is a web mapping portal that provides spatially referenced links to thousands of real-time coastal observations and NOAA forecasts of interest to the marine community. The portal serves as a “one-stop” website to real-time coastal meteorological, oceanographic, and hydrologic observations from a variety of Internet sites within and outside of NOAA, along with NOAA forecasts. NowCOAST is designed as a planning aid for recreational and commercial mariners, coastal managers, HAZMAT responders, marine educators, and researchers, who can discover and display real-time information for their particular needs and geographic area of interest. NowCOAST covers all U.S. coastal waters including the Great Lakes.
nowCOAST™: NOAA’s Web Mapping Portal to Real-Time Coastal Observations, Forecasts and Warnings
Mike’s Weather Page
Mike’s Weather Page has been acknowledged by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It has served as a source for weather analysis by hurricane hunters, meteorologists, state emergency management entities, The Weather Channel, and government officials. Veteran meteorologist Jim Cantore once called Boylan’s site a “one-stop shop for weather.”
Windy (Windy.com)
Windy.com is an extraordinary tool for weather forecast visualization. It’s fast, intuitive, detailed and most accurate weather app trusted by professional pilots, paragliders, skydivers, kiters, surfers, boaters, fishermen, storm chasers and weather geeks, and even by governments, army staffs and rescue teams.
Whether you are tracking a tropical storm or potential severe weather, planning a trip, pursuing your favourite outdoor sport, or you just need to know if it will rain this weekend, Windy provides you with the most up-to-date weather forecast around.
Windy: Wind map & weather forecast
National Hurricane Center (NHC)
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States’ NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th parallel north in the northeast Pacific Ocean and the 31st parallel north in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The agency, which is co-located with the Miami branch of the National Weather Service, is situated on the campus of Florida International University in Westchester, Florida.
National Hurricane Center – NOAA
NOAA Extreme Weather Information Sheets (NEWIS)
Online Weather Radio for Naples
Online Weather Radio for Tampa
What to Do Before the Tropical Storm or Hurricane
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches, Warnings, Advisories and Outlooks
Heat Safety Tips and Resources
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