Nassau County Office of Emergency Management

FEMA is now in the process of updating the flood maps for Nassau County. To asssist you in researching if you are located in a flood zone area or, beacuse of the recent Flood Insurance Study will be located in a flood zone, click on the links below and follow the directions:

http://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1

http://www.nassaunyfloodmap.com
(These maps are a FEMA product)

A Word From The Commissioner

In late 2002, County Executive Thomas Suozzi established The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) with the mission of coordinating the County’s efforts during emergencies and disasters. As stated in the County’s charter revision, OEM is responsible for the mitigation, response, and recovery efforts associated with any natural, technological, or civil hazard that has the potential to affect Nassau County. Through many planning and preparedness initiatives, the staff at OEM remains vigilant in preparing the County’s government and residents should any type of disaster occur.

Each hazard is unique. Thus, it is OEM’s task to continue to analyze hazards, coordinate efforts and foster collaboration among various entities. With this in mind, OEM hosts a number of task force committees including the Storm Ready Task Force, Shelter Task Force, and Citizen Corp Council. These task forces and committees bring together key federal, state, and local agencies in emergency management.

A year ago, the Long Island Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (LI VOAD) was formed, which is a consortium of over 55 humans service agencies in Nassau and Suffolk County that plan for long-term recovery efforts. Agencies such as Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Long Island CARES, St. Vincent de Paul, and many others have come together to plan for the needs of residents after a disaster has occurred. OEM strongly supports the LI VOAD and encourages agencies to get involved and individuals to volunteer with the affiliated organizations.

Another important aspect to emergency management is planning and the use of technology for notification and activation. OEM develops emergency plans, such as the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), to unite the efforts of multi-agencies and has a newly built Emergency Operations Center (EOC) used to coordinate efforts during a disaster. Developed by OEM, the EOP establishes a framework for an effective system to ensure that Nassau County and its municipalities will be adequately prepared to deal with the occurrence of emergencies and disasters. During a disaster, OEM will “activate” the EOC and bring together County, volunteer, community government, and state and federal entities to assist in the response and recovery.

Each resident has an important role to play in preparedness as well. This includes assembling emergency go-kits, having plans in place for your family, being aware of the special needs of frail seniors and people with disabilities, and knowing emergency protocols at your school. Becoming involved also means volunteering in your community. Recently, OEM initiated the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) through Citizen Corps. CERT is a federally funded program that encourages individuals to volunteer in their local community. In Nassau County, CERT teams are being established in local villages. In January, Freeport and Bayville became the first communities to establish CERT and we look forward to bring CERT to many more communities throughout the next two years.

I invite you to read though our web site and refer to the links we have identified in order to assist you in gathering information. Having personal plans in place is not an easy task and is something we hope we will never have to use. However, it is better to be prepared. While OEM will do its part by preparing the County, we encourage you, your family, and local communities in taking the necessary steps towards preparedness and becoming a part of the effort. As always those actions are admirable, deeply appreciated and commendable.

Latest FEMA Flood Maps

A Word From The Commissioner