Disaster Response

The first day of summer is June 20, but summer thunderstorms don’t wait for the solstice. Thunderstorms form quickly and lightning can be deadly. Lightning Safety Awareness Week is an effort by the National Weather Service to help increase lightning safety.

VA is ready for the COVID-19 pandemic, said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie during a White House press briefing March 18. “One of the things we do at VA is that we prepare for national emergencies, be they national emergencies or epidemics,” Wilkie said. VA has four specific missions. Three are Veterans health care, Veterans benefits and running national cemeteries. “Our fourth mission is to support the federal government in times of natural disasters and pandemics,” he said. Wilkie said VA is the “buttress force” if the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs medical professionals for crises.

Registered Nurses Betzi Solla, Lucy Martin and Marguerita Pena-Agressott spent two weeks in Puerto Rico, volunteering through the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) program.

Vet Center counseling and referral services are available at the medical station during its operating hours, which are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. 

Hurricane recovery Hurricane Michael made history Oct. 10 as one of the most powerful and largest hurricanes to [...]