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In addition to the 50 Iowa counties that have already received a Presidential disaster declaration, 29 more were added on August 15, 2010. This order will support more state and local recovery efforts that are helping residents clean-up after the aftermath of the severe summer weather that began on June 1, 2010. Iowa residents have had to endure tornadoes, severe storms and floods, and this recent declaration will bring much-needed relief.

With fears of impending large-scale natural disasters, top climate scientists from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), UK Met Office and US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will meet in Boulder, Colorado during the week for the first full session of ACE, the Attribution of Climate-related Events.

A look at the weather map shows three storms swirling in the Atlantic Ocean today: Danielle, Earl and the latest, Fiona. Danielle, once just a tropical storm, is now a category 4 hurricane—the first major one of the season. Hurricane Danielle is reported to have 135 mph winds and a path that leads it east of Bermuda at the moment.

“LARGE HURRICANE EARL CONTINUES RELENTLESSLY TOWARD THE NORTHWEST…POSES A THREAT TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST…” This statement tops the National Hurricane Center’s section on Hurricane Earl, the latest tropical storm to hit the U.S. Hurricane Earl is expected to make landfall on the East Coast within the next 48 hours, promoting thousands of residents and tourists in the coastal areas North Carolina and the surrounding states, such as Virginia, to evacuate.

September is National Preparedness Month and 2010 marks the seventh anniversary of this campaign. This year the Ready Campaign and the Ad Council, the companies that produce PSAs (public service announcements), are focusing on FEMA’s second step to being prepared, “Make a Plan.” The thought is that if families and businesses make an emergency preparedness plan, they will then take the steps to prepare an emergency disaster kit.