The National Hurricane Center  has declared a "Hurricane Watch"  (scroll down page) for the Carolinas as Ernesto gains momentum.

Then, about 6,500 nautical miles west, Hurricane John  continues its assault on Mexico's Pacific coast.

The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies  operates at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center. CIMSS develops techniques to improve forecasting tornadoes and hurricanes. The scientists there play "a major role in the transfer of new technology into operational practice," according to their Mission Statement.

Jen O'Leary adds, "SSEC is helping out as one of the US geostationary weather satellites moves to Latin America...the satellite is in such a position that we can see Ernesto dissipating along the seaboard with one minute imagery. Usually we get imagery every three hours. It's really amazing." 

The work they do is daily, ongoing and dedicated to making all the complicated gear tell us something. As scientists, they also get the opportunity to do groundbreaking stuff—satisfying to them and valuable to us. In sum, they do cool stuff that makes property more secure and helps saves lives, darn it.

But enough formality—let's look at cool science! (CIMSS helps you enable JAVA for their rippin' movies here .) Here's Ernesto (image  and movie ) and here's John (image  and movie ).

And meet Kristy (image  and movie ). She's on her way...

Posted by Charles at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Ernesto, Experts, Hurricanes, Wells Fargo Bank

My parents and two of my mom’s sisters are enjoying a trip to England  right now. The four of them go on a trip about every four years, the last time to Italy. What’s different is that right up until they got out of the car at the airport , my parents were reminding me where the keys to the safe deposit box are located.

Maybe it was the recent terrorist scare in London , or just the worries that come as they near their 60th birthdays , but never before have they been so concerned with preparing themselves and my sisters and me for what to do in the event of their untimely demise.

Before they left I went down to their bank and was added as a signer to their safe deposit box . Why me and not one of my sisters? I live the closest, and it was the easiest thing to do. But it was necessary in case something should happen so I could get the life insurance documents and other papers out without having to wait for everything to go through probate .

They also left a list of everything in the safe deposit box, their will, their insurance policies, and how much each of us owes them—to be deducted from any inheritance—in a file in their desk drawer, which my dad told me about a half dozen times. My aunt did her part in preparing for the trip by talking to a lawyer about updating her will  before she left. A widow with four kids and eight grandkids, she wanted to be sure everything was covered.

They did all of this plus cancel their newspaper, hold their mail , have my sister take care of the cat, and remind me to water the plants and put out the garbage cans (which I did obediently).

All of these things are good to do, but I’d suggest not waiting for an impending vacation to push you into action. Think about safekeeping documents, updating a will, and communicating all this with your family. Although I did just realize that if something were to happen to mom and dad, we have no idea where they'd want to be buried. Something we’ll have to discuss when they get back .

Posted by Megan at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Perspective, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

One year after Katrina  overtook the Gulf coast region and submerged New Orleans, media are rabid to do Anniversary pieces. (Guided By History was first with the story last week. Ahem.) As everyone seeks the high road, the upshot of all this reporting is the courage of the people and their rebuilding efforts , and the singular importance of preparedness .

New Orleans and the other Gulf areas slammed by Katrina a year ago get two anniversary visits this week   as the cameras roll. While the president appears there, Ernesto is expected to arrive in Florida by Wednesday .

Maybe all the attention is our best gift to Katrina survivors. It reminds us to keep an eye out for our neighbors as a major part of our preparedness kit. We simply can't let this happen to each other. It also reminds us that our situation is precarious, wherever we live—on the fault line, in tornado alley, at the base of a volcano. We all could be the next New Orleans with little warning.

Posted by Charles at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in At Home, Ernesto, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Severe weather hit southwestern Minnesota  yesterday—hail, winds and tornadoes . My colleagues in the Wells Fargo History Museum in Minneapolis report that the damage was outside the metro area, and no one they know was affected. Good news.

Above the storm clouds—some 4,583,000,000 miles, that is—Pluto is now looking for planetary work elsewhere after an unappreciated career  in our solar system . This has to be one of the greatest moments in the whole history of hubris . (And how!) We have people arguing about what the truth is about the universe, and we can't even agree on whether or not cars are melting the North Pole. I'm not sure if Pluto knows—or cares —it was laid off by scientists  and is not a planet anymore. If Pluto knows, it would have every right to give us the raspberry as it passes every few hundred years, or whatever.

Let's admit it, we're stuck in an intellectual rut. S.F. Chronicle columnist Mark Morford  writes as much today and has some suggestions as to how to push our tired minds in a new direction. I myself have a better suggestion. We do disaster preparedness as Zen .

Repetition of simple acts is relaxing to the mind and keeps a person centered. That's the gist of yoga, zen and boot camp. So my suggestion is: pick a weekend morning and check your preparedness kit and facilities every week. Do the same things in the same order, every time—check the water, the batteries, the canned goods, the seals on containers. Oil hinges, and clean floors and containers. The same way every time.

And have a mantra. I recommend humming Three Dog Night  tunes (you'll thank me for this, I'm certain) as you care for your preparedness. Who knows, it just might move world karma  toward a new paradigm.

Regardless, you'll sure be on top of an emergency when it happens. Which is better than worrying and arguing about planets, no?

Posted by Charles at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Get Involved, Prepare, Tornadoes, Wells Fargo Bank

Tropical Storm Debby  is gaining strength out there in the Atlantic. News and weather agencies are watching it, as they tend to do. nola.com  is on it as well, with links to evacuation and preparedness right there with storm tracking. New Orleans is justifiably antsy—no other North American place is a better study in the hows and whys of being ready.

I can't get over New Orleans. After a year of being knocked about by storms from the ocean and from various capitals, the city is doing everything it can to put itself back in place, step by step . It's a real study in the resiliency of people, too. Lots of people from outside the Big Easy are coming in, as we've posted. And a lot of evacuees from last year are staying away for whatever reason—a chance to start fresh , or maybe no other option . New Orleans, nevertheless, rolls on .

The city was so completely savaged by Katrina  and the aftermath . And while it will take time, rebuilding is going on daily: People live in New Orleans and are working to get their home in order. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the next "Big One"  is a long way off.

And when it comes, we'll all be prepared and ready for it.

Posted by Charles at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Thunderstorms  are predicted for Hatch, New Mexico , as last week's floods are abating. The community pulled together  in an impressive way, pouncing on cleanup duties.

Our own Wells Fargo people did their part as well. Patrick from Albuquerque reports:

"We had team members out last Saturday cooking hot dogs and handing out water to residents of the devastated community. We are also offering low-interest disaster loans in this and three other communities we serve, Alamogordo, Anthony and Santa Teresa."

Michelle, a business banker in las Cruces, wrote:

"It was such a great feeling helping them out. The people were so grateful, we saw tears and cheers when we came around. Anyone can write a check, but the people that needed the food and water physically got it. When a check is written, who gets the money? Not the ones that need it immediately. The volunteers were so grateful, too."

I know what you're thinking—or even hollering: This is supposed to be a blog by Wells Fargo, but about Preparedness. As usual, you're right. But as I have written before here and here, preparedness is about being a community, one household at a time. And when you've got a bigger household (Wells Fargo has over 100,000 team members) your preparedness has a wider field.

Wells Fargo is committed to being an integral part of the communities where we do business. This is motivated by a couple of key points. First, regular people have jobs with the company in their home areas—it's not so much Wells Fargo helping out as it is local people helping their neighbors while wearing Wells Fargo T-shirts. Second, when you're part of the community, people might trust you with business more than they might trust some heartless monolith. Whatever the difference, Wells Fargo would rather do the decent thing and contribute.

It's not all cynicism, you know. Sometimes people really do help out. Bank of America  has a similar program of involvement, as do Microsoft , Sears , and Liberty Mutual . Whether you believe their sincerity or not, these mega-corps still have the programs in place that connect with communities. While size certainly limits the direct, face-to-face involvement that neighbors have, it also means greater resources committed to the programs.

At root, though, you'll see people out there in the mud after a flood, picking up shards of roofing after a twister, and hammering a floor joist at house building programs. Regular folks on the case, no matter who is buying the hot dogs and pop.

Posted by Charles at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, First-hand Accounts, Floods, Get Involved, Participate, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

Is New Orleans becoming a frontier?

Reuters has a story today  about regular folks moving to New Orleans to help the city rebuild. But it's not just Good Samaritans. They are entrepreneurs, people with a sense of adventure, and value hunters. These people are moving there to carve out a little piece of the future for themselves.

"The largest contingent of new Reuters piece continues, "are Latino workers who are ... doing much of the city's renovation work." And if these new residents generally conform to statistics , they are young men with families, ready to work hard and get a piece of the "American Dream."

Ernie the Attorney  writes about this also—bloggers (and other important New Orleanians) are gathering this week for the Rising Tide Conference . The conference is an event for organizing people, to help them connect via the blogosphere and within neighborhoods. The people of New Orleans—native AND new—are putting the city back together in two important ways: structurally (natch) and through the creation of an organic, self-generated voice. The voice will try to take back the story of New Orleans' tragedy and heroism, and have it be the first resource.

Posted by Charles at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in First-hand Accounts, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Participate, Wells Fargo Bank

Nationwide Insurance won a federal court case yesterday  that frees the industry from paying certain claims against damage by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The gist of the ruling(PDF) is that the damages were from flooding, and the plaintiffs did not have flood insurance. The plaintiffs argued that their policy covered wind damage, and the flooding resulted from a wind storm—a hurricane. The judge decided a flood's a flood, no matter how it gets to you.

Opinions  will certainly run the gamut . For now, both sides claim victory: Nationwide for saving money and the plaintiffs because the judgment concluded that provisions for denying coverage are ambiguous. Judge Senter , who ruled in the case, is presiding over a huge number of suits brought against insurers by Katrina's victims.

(One of the more interesting pieces of Leonard v. Nationwide is the Leonards' complaint that the insurance agent told them they didn't need flood insurance. Good advice or bad, the guy is on the hook for keeping their premiums down.)

Whatever the outcomes that follow, it is imperative that you get knowledge about insurance in general, as much as getting knowledge about the insurance you need for your situation. Insurance Consumers  has a very helpful website to help you look deeper and ask the right questions. It reminds us that it's not just about cheaper rates.

And governments might actually help you . The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (yes, really) has this contact map  to help you find the people whose job it is to look out for your interests.

Posted by Charles at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Wells Fargo Bank

How have you spent your summer vacation? We want your stories—post 'em here.

After last week's heroic terror nab  by British authorities, everybody was on high alert, particularly at airports. Only four days later, British authorities have scaled back the state of alert . My compliments to the renowned British proficiency.

One of my kids is in Europe this summer. He emails that he is already chucking everything he knows will create problems in line at Heathrow. For a person his age, tossing all that hair gel is very serious. I admire his sacrifice.

For travelers, it will be tough going for a while longer, though. A plane in Los Angeles was ordered cleared  after a suspicious package was found, and authorities have made it clear  that security checks for travelers will involve carrying less stuff  and waiting in longer lines.

All in all, this summer has proved to be a bad time to take a summer vacation. Maybe a tropical isle  in November is better than Carlsbad Caverns with the whole family in August. Just remember to pack your goggles and mask .

Posted by Charles at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Experts, Participate, Perspective, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

The U.S. Coast Guard  is conducting an exercise in San Francisco Bay, testing responses to potential oil spills . A couple years ago, an oil pipeline leaked  thousands of gallons into Suisun Bay , which joins San Francisco Bay. Before the spill was controlled, marsh and wildlife environments were dramatically impacted.

Protecting the environment we all live in is the priority, certainly. But there are economic repercussions as well, as the Alaska oil pipeline shutdown  is showing us at present. Gas prices are going through the roof  in the short term as a result. Oil emergencies have big effects.

It’s good to see macro agencies like the Coast Guard and San Francisco’s "Homeland Security" offices cooperate to protect our environment  as well as our safety. If we all stock up and prepare as households and neighborhoods—micro agencies—we’re darn near covered.

That’s what preparedness is: having a stockpile of normal if anything weird happens.

Posted by Charles at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Events, Experts, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

Apparently, bed bugs are real and coming back by the mattress-load, the AP reports . Never mind that wind storm—bed bugs are a total disaster.

So what are these bed bugs? For me, before reading this terrible news, they were the star in that rhyme:

Good Night
Sleep tight
Don’t let the bed bugs bite.

At some point, about the same time you hear that "Ring Around the Rosey" is about bubonic plague , I learned bed bugs were actual living things, not just clever lyrics. Childhood dies hard.

Now, it turns out, they are back after a layoff of about 75 years. And the reasons are various, if not downright unclear. It’s not exactly known why they’re back, but it has to do with international travel and decrease in pesticide use, among other things. So far, the loudest trouble comes from hotels and dorms, where turnover is constant. (Note to self: Use this to reduce student loans somehow ...)

Science, however, is on the case (Harvard: "Where do bed bugs occur? Favored hiding sites include the bed" ). Professor Susan Jones  of The Ohio State University Extension Entomology tells me the inquiries about bed bugs have noticeably increased, along with the incidence of problems.

"So what do I do?" you ask. According to the preponderance of resources I have checked, you’ll need some modern additions to your preparedness kit for an age-old problem. It comes down to laundry and petroleum jelly . Washing with hot water destroys the varmints, and petroleum jelly inhibits their relentless march up the bed post. Finally, a constant vigil by your most trusted pest control professionals  will take up where your efforts might leave off.

Posted by Charles at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Get Involved, Participate, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

San Diego County has begun mailing a booklet entitled Family Disaster Plan and Personal Survival Guide  to its 1.4 million resident households. Columnist Logan Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune  is not so sure that this is money well spent, but it seems he is mostly miffed at the expenditure of money toward something that common sense is supposed to provide to each and every one of us.

Regardless of Jenkins’ non-dismissal of the guide, one thing in his column  does bear repeating. While the guide suggests that folks should not go "sightseeing," Logan writes, "When disaster strikes, we’re all reporters, taking notes."

He agrees that we shouldn’t get in the way of emergency personnel. But as the guide notes, one of our jobs during a crisis is to "Check on the neighbors." If it isn’t obvious by now, when it comes to the “Big One” it is likely that you will have to take care of yourself for awhile.

Does preparedness require your common sense alone? Or are you better served with lists, instructions and plans that everyone knows? What works best for you and your neighbors?

Posted by Allan at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in At Home, Get Involved, Museums, Natural Disasters, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

The National Weather Service has a pretty benign set of warnings  today. Watch out for fires in the Northwest and in the Plains, it’s hot in central regions, and there are thunderstorms expected in many areas. All in all, just another day across our continent .

So why prepare?

The obvious is, well, obvious. You can save your own life by having the right implements and the right knowledge. The right tools and supplies  will get you through the days without access to food, water and shelter. First Aid  is critical if trauma happens and access to care is impeded because of disaster conditions. You prepare to get through The Big One.

Keep in mind, though, that preparation lasts longer than the event and its aftermath. Preparedness is an important feature in community response to crisis. When you are prepared, and prepared as a group, your community gets through it better and recovers faster.

New Orleans might never get back on track, or take a long time getting there, but it will be only because of physical changes to the place. Many people have returned after a long year away and those who have not returned are still part of that city. "Voices of Katrina" from the New Orleans Times-Picayune  displays letters of support and affection between neighbors far and wide. The spectrum runs from bittersweetness  to dogged persistence , but it’s all the same thing. A city getting its life back.

Posted by Charles at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, At Work, Earthquakes, Events, Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, Natural Disasters, Prepare, Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Wells Fargo Bank

Back East where it's been broiling, relief is finally on the horizon .

The blistering summer punished the whole world—see this  and this . (Post your heat wave story today and help your neighbors around the world. It's what makes blogging important!) What really makes the story human, more than just sensational, is the number of deaths that heat claims. Older people are particularly vulnerable—not just because of various health conditions, but also because of their independence. They might not be inclined to reach out for help.

Many cities have developed services  to help their denizens negotiate the long, hot summer . Chicago Housing Authority staff visit and telephone people to keep tabs, while Philadelphia sends out "Home-Visit Field Teams" and maintains a "Heatline" for people at risk.

Looking around the web, virtually ALL prevention sites have the same instructions:

"Check regularly on infants and young children, people aged 65 or older, and mentally or physically ill people. Visit people at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke."

Posted by Charles at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

Meanwhile, back at the National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade, Chris Landsea will publish an article in Science  this week that challenges the connection  between climate change and hurricanes. Basically, Landsea claims, the changes in hurricane strength reflect changes in measuring hurricanes. In short, maybe the planet isn't so crazy as all that, and some years are just worse than others.

Good, bad or in-between, storms affect the environment where they hit. Last year's 'canes affected birds to be sure, which has an effect on those microbial environments that ride aboard migrating and displaced birds. Spread of the dreaded West Nile virus is affected in turn , and the recent heat might make this a bad year for it . But the good news is that bird flu, which had newscasters in a tizzy last winter, might not be so bad after all . Turns out a little bug spray is a strong personal act in disaster response.

Ah, balance . ...

I myself am more concerned with reactions to events by human organisms. Heat, displacement, and too much TV takes its toll after a while. Or maybe we are just the strangest creatures in the habitat! 

Posted by Charles at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in At Home, Experts, Hurricanes, Wells Fargo Bank