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Hey! Go to ezines.com to view the article one of my friends is referring to! El Nino: What Is It and Why Is It So Important?

Lizbeth Tomke posted on your timeline
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Lizbeth Tomke
September 7 at 3:52pm
Hey just finished your piece on EL Nino great article and enlightening…keep.them coming.. how did i not know after being friends for 35 plus years that you were a great writer? Seriously i am so impressed…really, You are on a good roll,..keep it going my friend..
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Disaster Recovery Manual: A Self Help Guide to Receive the Most Disaster Funds is out now in bookstores!

As a 25-year veteran #FEMAinspector, I’ve heard this thousands of times, “I paid my insurance company for 40 years and never knew I wasn’t cover for this!” Don’t find yourself in a similar predicament when part or all of your personal property and home is destroyed by a disaster.

Disaster Recovery Manual: A Self Help Guide to Receive the Most Disaster Funds provides little known tips and tricks on how to receive assistance as fast as possible along with other information your insurance company doesn’t want you to know about. It also provides helpful information to assist you in choosing an insurance policy BEFORE a disaster occurs.

If you live in a disaster prone area, pick up a copy of this tell-all book that guides you through the process of handling FEMA and your insurance company after a disaster. It’s now available on Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, Apple, Barnes & Noble and other online bookstores.

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Is FEMA Ready for the Next Katrina?

Is FEMA Ready for the Next Katrina?

 

Everyone remembers the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and all of the deaths and issues that followed. While it’s impossible to stop hurricanes and other natural disasters, it is possible to improve the way that the government responds to and handles them. Without a doubt, they handled #HurricaneKatrina poorly. The country and FEMA vowed that they would not let something like that happen again by putting in place a better infrastructure and better logistics to ensure that it doesn’t. They started to develop a new and better system in hopes to improve their response time and start getting help to victims as quickly as they can.

FEMA Still Floundering

The new system was supposed to take care of issues they faced a decade ago. They’ve had 10 years to work on the problem with other disasters to test them along the way. Yet, they admit that the new system is still undergoing work. There’s the chance that the new system might not work as well as hoped.

Thus far, they’ve spent close to $250 million on revamping the plan, trying to make sure they have enough supplies and a fast enough system of getting help to people to reduce the effects if a disaster-sized Katrina occurred again. Now it’s said they’re not certain their plan will be effective. This comes directly from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general.

FEMA, part of the Department of Homeland Security, was the center of controversy after Katrina. They couldn’t handle the amount of help required of them for residents in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Their new system was supposed to automate and make the distribution of relief easier. The hope is that they will be able to deliver emergency supplies faster, which can help to save lives and make survivors’ lives a little easier.

The system tracks more than just supplies that are coming from FEMA though. The system will track those from other agencies as well as state, local, and even tribal governments. It can even track supplies from nongovernment organizations and those that come from the private sector. Ideally, this would give them an idea of what they had and where it was going at all times. In theory, it would make handling larger disasters easier.

Here’s the rub though. The officials from FEMA said that the system was up and in place, and even running smoothly in January of 2013. The auditors who looked into this did not find that. In fact, they saw that the system was close to 19 months behind schedule – more than a year and a half!

It doesn’t do anything that they claimed. Namely, it isn’t able to work with the logistics management system of those aforementioned partners, so they have no real-time information about supplies nor where they might be.

The system is still not up and running. This means if another disaster the size of Katrina happened, or even a smaller one, they will not be able to handle it. Chances are they’ll need more money in order to complete the project.

You Might Be on Your Own

When you’re facing a disaster, there’s a chance you’ll be on your own for a while. Help from the government might be some time in coming, and maybe it just won’t come at all. You need to be ready to fend for yourself and your family. After Hurricane Iniki, many people in Kauai swore they’d never live like that again after a disaster, so they built bomb shelters with weeks of supplies and generators.

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Resouce: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ig-says-fema-cant-be-sure-new-logistics-system-will-work-in-next-katrina/article/2555000

 

 

Second Edition of Dust in the Wind just released!

I’m grateful to all of the readers out there who purchased my first book. Now, due to its success, a second edition was just released last week that contains more photos than the original book. It can be purchased on this website, on Smashwords.com, Apple and in Barnes & Noble bookstores. Thanks to everyone for your support! Robert Winter

 

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Hanamaulu Park and the roots of #C4DR charity

After Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai in September of 1992, there were many families left homeless because their homes had been entirely destroyed. Many of these folks spent months in temporary spots and then in tents. They were forced to use outhouses and eat from campfires or at the disaster relief centers. And believe it or not, come December, I was still going to visit tent cities to search for people in order to complete FEMA inspection ht_tent_city_jef_110810_wgpaperwork. This is how I found myself at the Hanamaulu Park tent city one morning. It had been raining for days and days and 100 or so households remained at this site because they had nowhere else to live.

I was walking around meeting up with folks when suddenly it occurred to me that these families would be in this tent city come this Christmas without anything. “Great,” I thought sarcastically to myself, “they’ll all have a delightful holiday season down here!” Suddenly, my inner Klinger-O’Reilly sprang to life. I could do something to improve their Christmas. I just knew I could! The wheels started to turn, and that was the first time it set in motion what would eventually develop into the idea for my C4DR organization.

Along my way, I have crossed paths with a few people who have tons of cash and charitable hearts. It was these people I reached out to in December of 1992, and they were willing to help me put together a Christmas for the families in #HanamauluPark. You can read more about this special Christmas (it is probably my favorite Christmas ever!) in my book.

Skip on over to my C4DR page and see if you’re not inspired to give to those suffering during disaster recovery.

My History with the Media

When #HurricaneIniki hit in 1992 and I headed over as a CFI with #FEMA to Kauai for the major relief effort, I used the local #radio station, KONG radio, to establish myself there on the island. I called in to the show and secured myself a guide and a driver from the airport (cool!). Accommodations were less than stellar— we were jammed ten to a room and sleeping on cots in a hotel conference room (not cool)!

I guess KONG liked my radio voice, because I was invited to the radio station to deliver disaster relief news and advice, which I did gladly. I gave praise to the Red Cross and told listeners about MARS units of portable phone banks that the military would make available.

I talked aboDust in the Wind Fema Book Radio ut some of the things the National Guard’s men could do to help. I informed people that they didn’t have to just sit and wait for help. We had Disaster Assistance Centers that could give them all of the basics—food, water, sleeping bags, lights, MREs and a hot meal at the center. I reminded people about the dangers of candles and the danger of ingesting contaminated tap water.

I consistently used the broadcasts to help the islanders be safe, get support and to get their inspections done. But it was hard for us inspectors to live like sardines, and we were growing more and more fatigued.

The radio broadcasts brought attention from other media outlets, and when I ended up on CNN, I used my airtime to tell the media they were hogging all of the available accommodations and not contributing to the relief effort (You can read more about this in my book).

FEMA heard about this broadcast and told me to stop being a part of any broadcast. They said I had no business giving out information. FEMA wanted to control everything that had their name associated with it, and directly attacking the media was not something they would endorse.

Well, now I’m back on the air, taking a chance and delivering the disaster preparedness message to an audience of over 10 million so far. And telling my stories.

If you haven’t heard my show in your market, you can listen to one of my interviews here, and get a copy of my book. I now have another book out, Disaster Manual for Financial Recovery which includes what you need in case of a disaster to get the most financial assistance from the government. Buy it here for your ebook reader or in paperback.

Have you visited me on Facebook? I’ve got my radio and personal appearances listed there, and there are a bunch coming up. Come say Hi!

 

 

 

Former FEMA Inspector Robert Winter Announces Official Release of Dust in the Wind and Start of Book Tour

Robert Winter, a 25-year FEMA veteran, has officially announced the release of his memoir, Dust in the Wind: Real FEMA Disaster Stories in print and eBook versions

Las Vegas, Nevada, November 25, 2014 – Robert Winter, the contractor turned FEMA inspector, has today announced the official release of his memoir, Dust in the Wind: Real FEMA Disaster Stories in print and eBook forms. The book contains a wealth of stories from the front lines of disasters all around the US over the past 25 years, as well as vital information for anyone who might be potentially caught in an earthquake, flood, the path of a hurricane or other disaster.

“I’ve compiled a tremendous number of stories,” said Winter, “Many are heart wrenching. Others are heartwarming and show the power of community and the indomitable human spirit in the end. However, these aren’t my stories. I might be relating them, but, ultimately, they’re everyone’s stories.”

Dust in the Wind: Real FEMA Disaster Stories is available as an ebook via Amazon’s Kindle platform, Smashwords in all available ebook formats as well as paperback via CreateSpace.

Stories of real people faced with real adversity and tragedy fill the pages of Dust in the Wind: Real FEMA Disaster Stories. Winter went to great lengths to ensure that the book not only accurately portrayed both scenes of devastation and triumph, but that it included information that only comes from years of experience on the front lines of emergency response and management. “I really wanted to create a book that gives people the big picture,” added Winter. “It’s not all about the impact on the lives of those who made it through situations like Katrina. It’s about what others can do to help safeguard and protect their homes, lives and livelihoods. It’s as much about preparedness as it is about awareness.”

To purchase a copy of the book visit http://www.DustInTheWindFEMABook.com.

Winter is also beginning his book tour and a radio campaign. The first book signing will be held December 6th at 12-6pm at Winchell’s Pub & Grill in North Las Vegas.

About Robert Winter: Robert Winter is a 25-year veteran FEMA inspector, bodyguard, world-karate champion and protector, and Dust in the Wind is his eye opening, behind the scenes memoir.

Contact: Robert Winter

Web Address: http://www.DustInTheWindFEMABook.com

Email: dustinthewindfemabook@gmail.com

 

Source: Robert Winter