Supporting Hurricane Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Hurricanes and severe storms present significant challenges for fire and emergency services, from protecting personnel and maintaining operational readiness to coordinating emergency response and supporting community recovery.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) connects fire service leaders with trusted situational awareness resources, emergency management tools, and guidance to support planning, response coordination, and informed decision-making before, during, and after a storm.
Explore federal and state resources, mapping tools, and emergency management information designed to help fire departments monitor developing threats, coordinate resources, and strengthen community resilience.
Ready to get involved?
Our Emergency Management Committee is the IAFC’s point of contact for fire service emergency management issues, including mutual aid and state-to-state coordination.
Featured Hurricane Resources
Start with the national tools that fire and emergency service leaders use to follow a storm.
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Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness – Virtual Louisiana
Virtual Louisiana serves as a common operational picture for the state of Louisiana.
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South Carolina Emergency Management Division GeoPortal
South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) webmap and apps for information on ESF25 and Tropical Systems impacting the state.
Hurricane Resources by State
Open your state’s emergency management maps, apps, and data.
Use the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Open Data Portal.
Open the GEMA/HS ArcGIS Online GeoPortal for live disaster maps, data, and information.
Virtual Louisiana serves as a common operational picture for the state.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency website has maps of shelters, power outages, and weather.
North Carolina Emergency Management offers maps and apps for disaster preparedness.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) offers a web map and apps on ESF25 and tropical systems affecting the state.
Use the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s situational awareness resources.
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Common questions about hurricane preparation and response
Quick answers for fire chiefs and emergency managers, with links to the full resources.
IAFC curates the most relevant and authoritative situational awareness resources for fire and emergency service leaders. National tools include the FEMA Geospatial Resource Center, NOAA hurricane forecasts and advisories, and the Search and Rescue Common Operating Platform. State emergency management portals are listed on this page, too.
A fire department’s hurricane checklist typically covers a continuity of operations plan (COOP), mutual aid agreements, an incident action plan, and predesignated safe havens for crews. It also sets a no-go threshold, the point at which crews stop responding, and plans for medical evacuees. Use the resources on this page to track the storm and its impact.
Situational awareness means knowing what is happening around you so you can make sound decisions. During a hurricane, that includes storm forecasts, flood and wind maps, shelter locations, power outages, and where other crews are working. The resources on this page bring that information together in one place.
The Search and Rescue Common Operating Platform (SARCOP) gives urban search and rescue (USAR) teams real-time situational awareness. IAFC launched it in 2016 with the NAPSG Foundation, Esri, and FEMA. State, local, tribal, and territorial assets share near real-time data on the platform.
Start with the IAFC event calendar for upcoming training. The Fire and Life Safety Section offers a one-hour webinar, Response to Electric Vehicle Battery Incidents After Hurricane Incident. IAFC Academy offers online courses, and members can ask peers for advice in KnowledgeNet.
Email the IAFC GIS Programs team at GISPrograms@iafc.org with questions about these resources or to suggest new ones. For mutual aid and state-to-state coordination, contact the Emergency Management Committee through its IAFC page.