Hurricane and tornado seasons are in full force, bringing storm surge and flooding. Drinking water contamination is a major concern after a storm. Storm water is littered with paper, plastics, chemicals, trash, fertilizers, detergents as well as surface waste and excess sediment. You cannot assume that the water in the storm-affected area is safe to drink. Water supplies tested after Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, as well as floodwaters in Mississippi and Tennessee, all found that the drinking water supply had extremely high levels of sewage bacteria.  Consuming contaminated water may cause a variety of illnesses, some potentially deadly.  Listen to local announcements on safety of the water supply. If your public water system loses pressure, a boil water notice will likely be issued for your area. People in areas affected by storms should take precautions to avoid direct contact with potentially contaminated water. The level and depth of the storm water pollution depends on many factors, ranging from the length of time and quantity of rain, the cleanliness of the streets and land areas, use of chemicals, and even the type of vegetation on or near the land. The storm water contamination impacts sea life, plants, animals and humans. Always have an emergency plan and an emergency kit. Having an EcoloBlue would alleviate your water quality concerns. Visit www.EcoloBlue.com for more information.

Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space or the space from the Sun's atmosphere to the Earth's atmosphere. It is distinct from the concept of weather within the Earth's planetary atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere). Space weather is the description of changes in the ambient plasma, magnetic fields, radiation and other matter in space. Much of space weather is driven by energy carried through interplanetary space by the solar wind from regions near the surface of the Sun and the Sun's atmosphere (chromosphere and corona).  The term space weather is sometimes used to refer to changes in interplanetary (and occasionally interstellar) space.

NOAA monitors space weather, check on the most recent forecast:

Shelter in place is intended as a short-term strategy for dealing with disaster. As such, recommendations from the American Red Cross and other disaster management agencies are for individuals to be prepared to shelter for a matter of hours in a safe place should such a strategy be implemented. The Red Cross suggests a number of steps to prepare for a shelter in place. They encourage those preparing to develop and be familiar with emergency procedures and shelter in place plans both at home and at their place of work or school. These plans should include the selection of a room with access to a water supply and few or no windows, and creation of an emergency kit that includes food and water. The room chosen should have a minimum of 10 square feet (0.93 m2) of floor space per person to allow people to stay inside for at least five hours when sealed without dangerous buildup of carbon dioxide. A radio, flashlight, duct tape, and first aid supply should also be included.

Residents of an affected community might be informed that shelter in place is being implemented through the news media, Emergency Alert System, Reverse 911, warning sirens or horns,National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather reports, and announcements from vehicles equipped with public address systems. In the United States, facilities like nuclear power plants are required to be equipped with audio alert systems that can be heard within a 10-mile (16 km) radius.

Water is essential for life, health and human dignity. In extreme emergency situations, there may not be sufficient water available to meet basic needs and in these cases, supplying a minimum level of safe drinking-water for survival is of critical importance. Insufficient water and the consumption of contaminated water are usually the first and main causes of ill health to affect displaced populations during and after a disaster. This technical note considers the minimum quantities of water that are required for survival in emergencies. Water is essential for life, health and human dignity. In extreme emergency situations, there may not be sufficient water available to meet basic needs and in these cases, supplying a minimum level of safe drinking-water for survival is of critical importance. Insufficient water and the consumption of contaminated water are usually the first and main causes of ill health to affect displaced populations during and after a disaster. This technical note considers the minimum quantities of water that are required for survival in emergencies. (World Health Organization, 2013)

Residents of an affected community might be informed that shelter in place is being implemented through the news media, Emergency Alert System, Reverse 911, warning sirens or horns,National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather reports, and announcements from vehicles equipped with public address systems. In the United States, facilities like nuclear power plants are required to be equipped with audio alert systems that can be heard within a 10-mile (16 km) radius.

Today, February 21, 2013, "...a colossal sunspot on the surface of the sun is large enough to swallow six Earths whole, and could trigger solar flares this week, NASA scientists say. The giant sunspot was captured on camera by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory as it swelled to enormous proportions over the 48 hours spanning Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 19 and 20). SDO is one of several spacecraft that constantly monitor the sun's space weather environment." Read complete article at Space.com NASA Sees Monster Sunspot Growing Fast, Solar Storms Possible, by Tariq Malik, www.SPACE.com

Forum Objectives

• Describe space weather, why it matters, and its potential impacts.
• Discuss critical infrastructure protection, mitigation, and response.
• Describe the Unified National Space Weather Capability (UNSWC), and highlight the improvements this interagency initiative has fostered.
• Describe how space weather science benefits the public.
• Improve public understanding of and access to space weather services.

The Earth Day Network is working towards A Billion Acts of Green, visit the website and share your commitment. There is so much more to do to protect and preserve our earth, the only real home we have.