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Emergency and disaster management briefing for March 19, 2021: Severe weather swept through the Deep South and spawned at least two dozen tornadoes; the need for multiple alternate sources of weather alerts was highlighted during an outage of NOAA weather radio transmitters during severe weather; relics of the bygone sugar plantations, century-old dams pose significant threats in Hawaii; San Onofre forms a new coalition to restart the national nuclear waste management program for long-term spent nuclear fuel storage; the USGS recorded more earthquakes under Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano; the MS-ISAC outlines low or no-cost steps that can help protect government agencies from cyberattacks; aerial drone use by terrorists poses serious future threats across multiple platforms; and NCSU is seeking current and past firefighters to participate in a new study to inform the design of HUDs for first responders.

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1. Wednesday and Thursday saw severe storms with multiple reports of tornadoes that touched down across the Deep South. Alabama and Mississippi received the brunt of the storms, which touted strong winds, hail, heavy rainfall and tornadoes. Preliminary information indicates there were a total of 18 tornadoes that touched down in Alabama, including at least one EF-2, and widespread damage from the twisters was recorded throughout the state.

2. Amid the storms that rolled through the South on Wednesday, three weather radio transmitters were out of service in Middle Tennessee. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made the announcement early Wednesday and cautioned residents that their weather radios would not work. The transmitter outage is a good example of the need for alternate and multiple sources for individuals to receive severe weather alerts.

3. Flooding swept through the Hawaiian Islands in early March following torrential rainfall across the state. On the Big Island of Hawaii, floodwaters overtopped Kaupakalua, an earthen dam that is 138 years old, prompting evacuations of homes downstream. Relics of bygone sugar plantations, the state has at least 68 dams — the majority of which are privately owned and/or abandoned — with documented issues, some of which pose serious threats. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials rated 76% of the dams in the state as high-hazard dams in poor condition.

4. Southern California Edison (SCE) has devised a plan to relocate spent fuel from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The spent fuel was transferred to a total of 123 dry storage containers that are currently onsite at the facility. The plan formed a new coalition to restart the stalled national nuclear waste management program, meant to establish a location for disposal of spent nuclear fuel for long-term storage.

5. Increased activity continues under Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, which is considered to be the world’s largest active volcano. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported a swarm of earthquakes under the volcano on Thursday. The uptick in activity from the volcano since January prompted the USGS to urge residents and visitors to be prepared for quick evacuation, encouraging the packing of “go bags” and preparing an evacuation and communication plan in the event of an eruption.

6. In light of the recent uptick in cyberattacks and high-profile hacking incidents, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) outlined basic measures that can be taken to help protect government agencies from attacks. Steps to keep networks secure include frequent “patches” of software and operating systems with updates, frequent data backups, ensuring firewalls and antivirus software are updated, and implementing strong passwords, with the possible inclusion of two-factor authentication requirements. The majority of these steps are low or no cost options that can help protect operating systems, even amid limited funding or low staff levels.

7. Aerial drone use by terrorists poses serious future threats across multiple platforms. Weaponized drones could potentially be used to spread chemical or biological weapons and threaten critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, electrical grids, fuel and water storage facilities, and dams. Multiple and simultaneous attacks undertaken from a distance are also possible, and limited protection at many critical infrastructure facilities leaves them vulnerable to attack.

8. North Carolina State University is seeking current and former firefighters who are over the age of 18 for a new study. The participants will take part in a virtual emergency response where virtual heads-up displays (HUDs) will be used. The study will help inform the design of HUDs for first responder use during an incident response, with the goal of improving task performance and interface usability while reducing mental workloads.

  

By Jeffrey V. Gardner

Terrorism is no longer just an external threat. With a sharp rise in homegrown extremists, individuals working (or aspiring to work) in law enforcement, homeland security, or intelligence professions must advance their understanding of what might lead an average American citizen down the path of radicalization. Here's how you can learn more.

By Erik Kleinsmith
The attack in San Bernardino, California highlights the role of female terrorists. The presence of women in a terror group is neither a new phenomenon nor limited to any one type of group or role. Female terrorists should NOT be considered an anomaly and they are, in fact, quite common as are some of the particular trends and patterns that can be associated with their presence. Here are tips for the intelligence analyst and police investigator to help them understand the unique aspects of female terrorists and assist with their predictions of future actions of a terror group.