Homeland Security – New Disaster Shelter System Announced

Federal officials on Tuesday announced a new national shelter system to help locate temporary housing for victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The shelter system is a key part of preparations for hurricane season, which begins June 1.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Craig Fugate, the new director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, called for the public to help prepare for storms, mostly by devising family evacuation plans.

“We are only going to be as successful as the public is prepared,” Fugate said. “There are a lot of folks who are going to need very specific help that should not have to compete with the rest of us.”

Fugate was sworn into office on Tuesday.

He and Napolitano briefed governors and emergency-management officials from more than a dozen hurricane-prone states via video teleconference. They plan to tour federal facilities in Miami on Friday to assess emergency preparedness.

The shelter system will form a nationwide database of thousands of places to go in an emergency. It includes a variety of housing, including trailers.

“Often times in a really big disaster, people may have to leave the area while housing is rebuilt,” Napolitano said.

FEMA also is developing a security communications system to allow officials to communicate with many states and jurisdictions at the same time.

via New disaster shelter system announced – Los Angeles Times.

Japan Firm Says Nuke Shelter Sales Up

A retailer of nuclear fallout shelters in Japan said Monday that sales soared in the lead-up to North Korea’s rocket launch as jittery residents took their safety into their own hands.

Osaka-based Shelter Co said it received 12 orders in just two months ahead of Sunday’s launch — more than double the number it usually sells in an entire year.

Pyongyang said the rocket it launched over Japan on Sunday carried a satellite into orbit, but Washington, Tokyo and Seoul believe the launch was a cover for a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Most orders for the Swiss-made 2.8 million yen (28,000 dollar) “household nuclear shelters” came from northwestern Akita and Iwate prefectures, located under the rocket’s path, said company president Seiichiro Nishimoto.

“This is a record in the 30 years I’ve been in this business,” he told AFP, adding that he had also received about 150 enquiries.

“Japanese want to be prepared. I expect the number of orders to increase.”

Other retailers said they saw no dramatic rise in orders.

“Japanese people are not that worried about North Korea. They are watching the situation calmly,” said Nobuko Oribe, an executive of Oribe Seiki Seisakusho, a fallout shelter manufacturer based in Kobe city.

Japan, despite being the only country to have suffered atomic attacks, has very few nuclear shelters.