(TLP:CLEAR) Supplemental General Security & Resilience Highlights – January 30, 2025

The following posts are useful for general awareness of current physical security threats, natural disaster resilience, preparedness resources, mitigation guidance, and other security-related news or updates. These resources have been curated by the WaterISAC analyst team as items of broad relevance and benefit that do not need supplemental analysis at this time.

Natural Hazards/Climate Change

• Severe storms, flooding rain to close out January across the South – AccuWeather
• 2nd wildfire breaks out in Helene-ravaged North Carolina county as “significant progress” made in Crooked Creek Fire, officials say – CBS News
• Warmth is weakening the polar vortex. Here’s what it means for extreme cold – Washington Post
• Rain douses wildfires in Southern California without causing serious mudslides – AP
• LA gets rain, but also risk of flooding and debris flows from wildfire burn scars – a geologist explains the threat – Conversation
• The planet had 58 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2024, the second-highest on record – Yale Climate Connections
• Research reveals hurricane impact on water resources – Smart Water Magazine
• We are absolutely confident that some expected La Niña impacts will bust this winter – NOAA

Operational Resilience

• What Should Water Utilities Take Away From The L.A. Wildfires? – Water Online
• Water infrastructure funds seemingly unscathed by executive orders – AMWA
• Risk Report: Concern that World Leaders Are Unprepared for Political, Economic, and Societal Challenges – Security Management Magazine
• WEF panel explores AI driven approaches to water scarcity – Smart Water Magazine
• Too little, too late: Residents say they were in the dark as fire spread with no evacuation order – AP
• Army Corps approves controversial Mississippi Delta water pumping project – Smart Water Magazine
• NextEra partners with GE Vernova to build ‘gigawatts’ of gas generation – Utility Dive
• Trump pumps coal as answer to AI power needs but any boost could be short-lived – AP
• Floating Solar Panels Could Support US Energy Goals – National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Extremism/Terrorism

• Man arrested near US Capitol allegedly intended to kill prominent Republicans – Guardian
• Two Tucson Men Sentenced for Conspiring to Travel to the Middle East to Fight for ISIS – DOJ
• Suspects in killings of Vallejo witness, Vermont border patrol agent connected by marriage license, extreme ideology – Open Vallejo
• ‘Orchestrated attack’ on Portland elections office shatters dozens of windows: Police – ABC News
• Antifa launches attack on Portland ICE detention center – Post Millennial
• Belgium: Teen arrested over alleged plan to attack mosque – DW