Yes, it's early for this. But it looks like the El Nino system will dissapte. So we're starting to see Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) in the Atlantic's Main Development Region (MDR) for hurricanes were at their highest February level on record last month, according to the UK Hadley Center. The MDR is between the coast of Africa and Central Americaand virtually all African waves originate in this region that account for 85% of all Atlantic major hurricanes and 60% of all named storms. When we have higher SSTs, we can anticipate increased tropical activity.

The Census Bureau does not send emails about participating in the 2010 Census

The Census Bureau never:

-        Asks for your full social security number

-        Asks for money or a donation

-        Sends requests on behalf of a political party

-        Requests PIN codes, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

You are encouraged to take the following measures to protect yourself from scammers:

- Review available information about the 2010 U.S. Census on the website.

- Familiarize yourself with what information the U.S. Census Bureau is collecting on the census form.

- Do not follow unsolicited web links of attachments in email messages.

- Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.

- Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on social engineering attacks.

What is spyware?

Because of the extra processing, spyware may cause your computer to become slow or sluggish. There are also privacy implications:

• What information is being gathered?
• Who is receiving it?
• How is it being used?

How do you know if there is spyware on your computer?

• you are subjected to endless pop-up windows
• you are redirected to web sites other than the one you typed into your browser
• new, unexpected toolbars appear in your web browser
• new, unexpected icons appear in the task tray at the bottom of your screen
• your browser's home page suddenly changed
• the search engine your browser opens when you click "search" has been changed
• certain keys fail to work in your browser (e.g., the tab key doesn't work when you are moving to the next field within a form)
• random Windows error messages begin to appear
• your computer suddenly seems very slow when opening programs or processing tasks (saving files, etc.)

How can you prevent spyware from installing on your computer?

• Don't click on links within pop-up windows - Because pop-up windows are often a product of spyware, clicking on the window may install spyware software on your computer. To close the pop-up window, click on the "X" icon in the titlebar instead of a "close" link within the window.

 

• Choose "no" when asked unexpected questions - Be wary of unexpected dialog boxes asking whether you want to run a particular program or perform another type of task. Always select "no" or "cancel," or close the dialog box by clicking the "X" icon in the titlebar.

 

• Be wary of free downloadable software - There are many sites that offer customized toolbars or other features that appeal to users. Don't download programs from sites you don't trust, and realize that you may be exposing your computer to spyware by downloading some of these programs.

 

• Don't follow email links claiming to offer anti-spyware software - Like email viruses, the links may serve the opposite purpose and actually install the spyware it claims to be eliminating.

 

• Adjust your browser preferences to limit pop-up windows and cookies - Pop-up windows are often generated by some kind of scripting or active content. Adjusting the settings within your browser to reduce or prevent scripting or active content may reduce the number of pop-up windows that appear. Some browsers offer a specific option to block or limit pop-up windows. Certain types of cookies are sometimes considered spyware because they reveal what web pages you have visited. You can adjust your privacy settings to only allow cookies for the web site you are visiting (see Browsing Safely: Understanding Active Content and Cookies and Evaluating Your Web Browser's Security Settings for more information).

How do you remove spyware?

• Run a full scan on your computer with your anti-virus software - Some anti-virus software will find and remove spyware, but it may not find the spyware when it is monitoring your computer in real time. Set your anti-virus software to prompt you to run a full scan periodically (see Understanding Anti-Virus Software for more information).

 

• Run a legitimate product specifically designed to remove spyware - Many vendors offer products that will scan your computer for spyware and remove any spyware software. Popular products include Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, Microsoft's Window Defender, Webroot's SpySweeper, and Spybot Search and Destroy.

 

• Make sure that your anti-virus and anti-spyware software are compatible - Take a phased approach to installing the software to ensure that you don't unintentionally introduce problems (see Coordinating Virus and Spyware Defense for more information).

Suspicious Holiday Cards, Letters, and Packages

During this holiday season, it is reasonable to expect that some Emergency Service Sector (ESS) departments and agencies may receive cards, letters, and packages recognizing the service and sacrifices of local emergency responders.  Unfortunately, the possibility exists that the season’s greetings could contain explosives, chemicals, or biological agents.  Although there is no known threat against ESS organizations, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) shares the following typical characteristics of mail and packages that should trigger suspicion:

·         Sent by an unexpected or an unknown person or source.
·         Contain no return address or an address that cannot be verified as legitimate.
·         Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors or stains.
·         Show a city or state in the postmark that does not match the return address.
·         Are of unusual weight given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
·         Marked with threatening language.
·         Labeled in an inappropriate or unusual manner.
·         Include excessive postage or packaging material, such as masking tape and string.
·         Contain misspellings or common words.
·         Addressed to someone no longer with the organization or used other outdated information.
·         Titled incorrectly or without a name.
·         Are not addressed to a specific person.
·         Have hand-written or poorly typed addresses.

See the following web sites for additional information about suspicious mail:

·        Federal Bureau of Investigation
·        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PDF, 241 Kb)

Winter weather too often catches people unprepared. Researchers say that 70 percent of the fatalities related to ice and snow occur in automobiles, and about 25 percent of all winter related fatalities are people that are caught off guard, out in the storm.

Being aware of the hazards and informed about conditions for your area goes a long way in keeping you safe!

Some simple winter weather tips:

• Stay indoors during a storm.
• If you must go outside, layers of clothing will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Wear gloves or mittens and a hat to prevent loss of body heat. Cover your mouth to protect your lungs.
• Walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks.
• If you shovel snow, be extremely careful. It is physically strenuous work. Take frequent breaks. Avoid overexertion – heart attacks from shoveling heavy snow are a leading cause of deaths during winter.
• Avoid traveling by car, but if you must, keep the gas tank full for emergency use and to keep your fuel line from freezing. Let someone know your destination, the route you are taking, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route.
• If you do get stuck, stay with your car. Do not try to walk to safety. Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna for rescuers to see. Start the car and use the heater for about ten minutes every hour. Keep the exhaust pipe clear so fumes don’t back up in the car. Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so you can be seen. As you sit, move your arms and legs to keep blood circulating and stay warm. Keep one window open to let in air.
• After the storm, avoid driving until conditions have improved. Listen to local radio and television stations for updates. Help a neighbor who may require special assistance, especially families with infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Some Facts

BLIZZARD: Winds of 35 mph or more with snow and blowing snow reducing visibility to less than ¼ mile for 3 hours or more.

BLOWING SNOW: Wind-driven snow that reduces visibility. Blowing snow may be falling snow and/or snow on the ground picked up by the wind.

SNOW SQUALLS: Brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Accumulation may be significant.

SNOW SHOWERS: Snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time. Some accumulation is possible.

SNOW FLURRIES: Light snow falling for short durations with little or no accumulation.

Avalanche: An avalanche is a mass of tumbling snow. More than 80 percent of midwinter avalanches are triggered by a rapid accumulation of snow, and 90 percent of those occur within 24 hours of snowfall. An avalanche may reach a mass of a million tons and travel at speeds up to 200 mph. 

Injuries Due To Ice and Snow
• About 70% result from vehicle accidents
• About 25% occur in people caught out in a storm
• Most happen to males over 40 years old

We're busy with pandemic plans, hazard mitigation plans, and various planning efforts.  We'll be posting some interesting items related to mitigation planning over the next few weeks.

Stay safe.....

As Ida shifts east and north, New Orleans will be on the weak side of the storm. Some possibility of tropical force winds exists for the city but this is expected to be a rain event. 3 to 5 inches of rain are expected here in the next 18 hours or so. This should be easily handled by the city's drainage system. Some flooding and storm surge is still expected on the coast and in areas outside of the hurricane protection zones.  So, I'll be wet and windy later today and tonite but actual impact is expected to be minimal.

More later.

All those along the northern Gulf Coast need to monitor local weather watches and warnings. Be wary of flood prone areas and prepare to leave if needed. As always, have your "go" bags ready and stay prepared.

Nov 7, 2009 10pm: As of the 10pm NHC update, Ida is a 70MPH tropical storm heading NNW at 12MPH.  Ida's future is complex as the Gulf environment is quite a conglomeration of weather.  Ida is being steered between a trough over Mexico and a mid-level ridge over the southeastern US.  Most of the models bring Ida to the Florida panhandle but as an extratropical cyclone and then push it to the southeast as it gets absorbed by a massive cold front. Strong winds and rain should hit the gulf coast Monday nite thru Wednesday. People along the Gulf Coast should exercise caution in flood prone areas and monitor local official information.

For more fun, I'll be in New Orleans as Ida tracks by. it should be wet and windy....