Video Transcript

The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration's Disaster Preparedness Program recently celebrated five years of helping NOS, our partners, and coastal communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from both human-caused and natural events. Their critical mission includes emergency planning, disaster coordination, and recovery operations from hurricanes, oil spills and other threats.

To enhance preparation efforts, the team supports training for NOAA field responders and staff, partners, and emergency managers, and ensures that response plans are reviewed and tested regularly.

To manage response activities, the program oversees NOS’s Incident Management Team, which provides situational awareness, and incident coordination for any disaster that threatens our mission, personnel, and infrastructure.

Since 2017, they have responded to over 25 major disasters including the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently Hurricane Ian.

To ensure that commerce, communities, and natural resources recover as quickly as possible, the team coordinates with federal, state, and local partners to assist impacted areas with resources and expertise.

The DPP team has supported many recovery operations, including seven, such as Hurricane Ida, that have required long-term, sustained engagement with federal recovery coordinators.

I am grateful for their continued hard work and contributions to help reduce disaster impacts.

As coastal disasters become more frequent and severe, the need for timely and accurate information has never been greater. NOS and its programs, like the Disaster Preparedness Program, will continue to lead the way in the science and practice of preparedness.