EM Update: The best source of information for Virginia’s emergency management community. Check back often to see new stories, or subscribe to the RSS feed to receive stories as soon as they are published. EM Update also can be delivered to your inbox every two weeks by signing up here. Tumblr (3.0; @emupdate)http://emupdate.tumblr.com/<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tX6LH_l3P3Y?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><b>Dual Pol comes to Virginia</b><br/> The National Weather Service offices in Virginia are getting new technology that will help improve weather forecasts in the commonwealth. The new technology, called Dual Polarization, will improve total precipitation estimates, ability to track heavy rainfall, ability to differentiate precipitation types and provide new severe thunderstorm and tornado signatures. The radar at NWS Wakefield has already been upgraded. Work at NWS Sterling is underway.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/Zlc_PB29g2g" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/Zlc_PB29g2g/18069564044http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/18069564044Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:13:30 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/18069564044FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute has launched a new online course for senior officials...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/3YxZKlLWJu8" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/3YxZKlLWJu8/17768737071http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17768737071Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:04:07 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17768737071<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzg69yZryb1qzifc3o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><b>Lynchburg receives StormReady recognition and promotes preparedness</b><br/> During a Feb. 14 appearance before city council, the National Weather Service presented the City of Lynchburg with its StormReady Community designation. In addition, staff with the city’s Department of Emergency Services are spreading the word about the March 20 Statewide Tornado Drill and encouraging residents to participate. They have sent articles to local publications to help publicize the event and also plan to visit schools and do additional media outreach. Last fall, DES staffed a booth at a popular citywide festival and invited a Radio Disney crew to help them share preparedness information with families through fun games and handouts.</p> <p>Picured above left to right:<br/> David Wert - NOAA Meteorologist<br/> William Aldrich- Lynchburg Dept. of Emergency Services Director <br/> Jennifer Maul - Lynchburg Dept. of Emergency Services Assistant Supervisor <br/> Phil Hysell - NOAA Warning Coordination Meteorologist</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/jsFaZOUarOw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/jsFaZOUarOw/17664642270http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17664642270Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:34:46 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17664642270FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute has added three new independent study courses geared for...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/VcW3rb9ac3Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/VcW3rb9ac3Y/17664265415http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17664265415Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:23:50 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17664265415The 2012 Virginia Emergency Management Symposium will cover many diverse subjects, but not...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/1jaZ22D9P4s" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/1jaZ22D9P4s/17658941538http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17658941538Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:37:51 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17658941538On Feb. 13, FEMA published the first ever State of FEMA report. The document provides an overview of...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/98Rtlvm_408" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/98Rtlvm_408/17658548387http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17658548387Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:24:33 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17658548387A Citizen Corps public outreach effort in Hampton Roads has successfully lead to an increase in the...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/groTSF5upVk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/groTSF5upVk/17657297027http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17657297027Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:38:43 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17657297027There is help out there for Virginia emergency managers interested in learning about and using...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/rZkwES7JwkE" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/rZkwES7JwkE/17216961799http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17216961799Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:26:35 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17216961799Google is now displaying relevant emergency message information when users search on Google Maps....<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/DehZNF_-D9E" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/DehZNF_-D9E/17216542150http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17216542150Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:14:55 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17216542150FEMA is offering two Benefit Cost Analysis classes for local Virginia communities interested in...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/UUSvHsqVc3I" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/UUSvHsqVc3I/17215934387http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17215934387Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:57:43 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17215934387Residents in the counties of Albemarle and King George are now eligible for federal disaster...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/rbwR9X_ianw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/rbwR9X_ianw/17215198346http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17215198346Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:36:27 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/17215198346The Virginia Emergency Mangement Association is now accepting nominations for several annual awards....<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/Japob8pa4V0" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/Japob8pa4V0/16759778774http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16759778774Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:19:18 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16759778774More than 200 families have received assistance totaling almost $817,000 from the Virginia Disaster...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/Hce6ujVBxxk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/Hce6ujVBxxk/16759596409http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16759596409Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:12:04 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16759596409Due to budgetary constraints, VDEM must cancel a class if a minimum of 15 students have not...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/3wI2I4IzCIg" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/3wI2I4IzCIg/16473057092http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16473057092Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:42:43 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16473057092This new online course will help students learn how to build a prepared and engaged community. The...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/05lQz7xQ5oU" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/05lQz7xQ5oU/16407732347http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16407732347Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:44:11 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16407732347Registration is now open for the March 20 Statewide Tornado Drill at www.ReadyVirginia.gov. ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/3fcRsTu0nmI" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/3fcRsTu0nmI/16179681604http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16179681604Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:47:16 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16179681604Dozens of destructive tornadoes, an historic earthquake, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee all...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/yQVY7RMT7IM" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/yQVY7RMT7IM/16179630724http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16179630724Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:45:58 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16179630724So far, more than $25 million in disaster aid has been approved for earthquake recovery in...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/2W0gndjuVEc" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/2W0gndjuVEc/16008511623http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16008511623Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:28:35 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/16008511623The City of Fairfax and the National Weather Service have partnered to develop a series of video...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/btfXfeoQh4k" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/btfXfeoQh4k/15724388796http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/15724388796Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:40:49 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/15724388796Like Virginia Department of Emergency Management Training on Facebook for updates on upcoming...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/emupdate/~4/rb-F7TVEMT0" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/emupdate/~3/rb-F7TVEMT0/15673640499http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/15673640499Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:19:25 -0500http://emupdate.tumblr.com/post/15673640499