FEMA Activates National Response Coordination Center in Preparation of Hurricane Lane

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), activated its National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) today in Washington D.C. to Level II, bringing select federal agencies together, including liaisons from the National Weather Service and Department of Defense, to easily coordinate information, resources, and planning.

FEMA, its partners at the NRCC, and those in the Regional Response Coordination Center in Oakland, California, are poised to coordinate any requests for assistance from the state. Last night, President Trump granted Hawaii's request for an emergency declaration.

FEMA liaison officers are deployed to Emergency Operations Centers across all counties in Hawaii to help coordinate any additional requests for federal assistance. FEMA staff are working closely with state and local officials on the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Oahu. FEMA Mobile Emergency Response Support personnel and equipment are in Honolulu, Hilo and Kauai to support the state with secure and non-secure voice, video and information services to support emergency response communications needs.

A FEMA Region IX Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) is already deployed to Hawaii. Additional teams are on alert and staging in California, ready to move into the area as soon as the weather allows.