DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska Podcast

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska – Earthquake early warning with Dr. Natalia Ruppert of the Alaska Earthquake Center Dr. Natalia Ruppert of the Alaska Earthquake Center joins Get Ready Alaska to talk about earthquake early warning. Earthquake cannot be predicted, but once they occur electronic messages can give people a few critical seconds of warning. Earthquake early warning is a technology used by o...

Dr. Michael West, Director of the Alaska Earthquake Center and State Seismologist, joins the podcast to discuss earthquakes and the consequences of  living in earthquake country. Alaska is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. The Alaska Earthquake Center has a network of sensors and a team of brilliant scientists to detect and analyze earthquakes. This information helps communi...

Richard Austerman, of Kodiak Alaska, had just returned to the island when the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and tsunami struck. He was quickly deputized by the Chief of Police and asked to perform a variety of law enforcement tasks for the next few day.  The Get Ready Alaska Podcast is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Amazon Music and Podbean. 

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska - Alaska Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters with Jenni Ragland Mixdown. Voluntary organizations are a big part of disaster response efforts in Alaska. We speak with Salvation Army Alaska Division's Jenni Ragland about Salvation Army activities, and her role as co-chair of the Alaska Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters. Alaska disaster response presents...

While a wide range of hazards impact Alaska on a regular basis the most common disaster event is flooding. Break-up flooding, coastal flooding, snow melt flooding, glacial flooding, and flooding from heavy precipitation make every season in Alaska flood season. Claude Denver with DHS&EM Operation Section talks about ways communities can plan and prepare for a flood. Links: United State Geological...

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska – 1964 earthquake and tsunami survivor Linda Dorner joins us to share her 1964 Good Friday earthquake and tsunami experience. Linda recounts the shaking, tidal wave, and how Kodiak has changed through the years.   This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music/Audible, Google Podcast, and Podbean. 

The National Weather Service River Forecast Center and the State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security partners each spring to form River Watch. This program monitors river conditions along ice jam prone river, such as the Kuskokwim and Yukon, and provides seasonal break-up forecast, alerts and warnings, aerial observations, and emergency management assistance if flooding occurs. This spring, th...

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska – 1964 earthquake and tsunami survivor Oliver Holm talks about his experience in Kodiak Alaska. Oliver was in the Kodiak boat harbor in a small boat collecting bait fish in the when earthquake struck on March 27, 1964. Once ashore Oliver helped secure other boats until the tidal wave arrived.  This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music/Audible, Google...

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska – 1964 Earthquake Survivor Marie Lundstrom talks about her earthquake experiences. Marie who taught at West High School, was at home when earthquake struck on March 27, 1964. She describes the weeks that followed and how her students were able to continue the school year and establish a new normal.

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska - Returning Storm Exposed Human Remain with Tom Wolforth. Typhoon Merbok impacted Alaska's west coast in the fall of 2022. During the storm coastal erosion exposed human remains in St. Michaels. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs' Tom Wolforth, an experienced archeologist, was deployed to help St. Michaels to help the community respectfully handle the remains. This...

Alaska has a challenging communication environment. Sending emergency messages to Alaska’s population centers and rural areas requires a reliable and adaptable system. DHS&EM’s Telecommunications Planner Scott Nelson joins use to discuss how the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert system works, the limitations of the systems, and ways the systems are evolving to provide better aler...

We need your help! DHS&EM is updating the State’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and we would like the public to provide information about the threats and hazards in your community. Erin Leaders, DHS&EM’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Manager, joins us to discuss elements of the State’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, why it is essential to Alaska, and how people can contribute. To participate in the survey, go to: http...

Alaska experience a large number of disasters in 2022. We began the year with snow, ice and wind, experienced landslides and wildfires during the summer, and rounded out the year with a massive storm on the West Coast of Alaska. Along the way we experienced other disasters including a sewage lagoon rupture ... gross! In this podcast we talk about the many disaster we have experienced and look at w...

DHS&EM Get Ready Alaska - Hurricane Ian Emergency Management Assistance Compact What can a state do when a disaster overwhelms the state's emergency management capability? Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) state's can request assistance from other states. During Hurricane Ian the State of Alaska DHS&EM sent Public Information Officer Jeremy Zidek to Fort Myers Beach Florid...

DHS&EM Podcast - Individual Assistance with Mike Macans DHS&EM host Jeremy Zidek talks with Mike Macans about the State of Alaska's Individual Assistance program. Alaska is one of a handful of states with and Individual Assistance program. Listen and learn about some of the benefits, and limitations, of IA. 

DHS&EM National Preparedness Month Podcast - Emergency Preparedness DHS&EM host Jeremy Zidek talks with Michelle Torres about emergency preparedness and offers tips to help Alaskans get better prepared.  

DHS&EM National Preparedness Month Podcast - Disaster Response DHS&EM host Jeremy Zidek interviews Mark Roberts about disaster response in the State of Alaska, the treats and hazards we face in AK, and how DHS&EM helps communities when they have emergency events or declared disasters. 

DHS&EM National Preparedness Month Podcast - Critical Infrastructure DHS&EM host Jeremy Zidek interviews Bob Carmichael about critical infrastructure in the State of Alaska, how we work with the private sector to develop resiliency, and what individuals and families can do to get better prepared.