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General Security and Resilience

Lincoln, Nebraska’s Water System Flooding Response

The City of Lincoln, Nebraska has posted a webpage providing an overview of the impacts and threats to the Lincoln Water System as a result of the historic flooding that occurred in mid-March across much of the eastern part of the state. Heavy rain, snowmelt, and ice jams brought flood conditions that resulted in power outages in and around wellfields and a temporary loss of water production capacity. This triggered water use restrictions to be enacted to preserve the water supply.

Videos and Slides from Recovery Conference Available; Includes Materials from City Water System

Earlier this month, the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) hosted a 2-day Regional Disaster Recovery Conference in Portland, Oregon for attendees to learn about how urban areas have recovered from catastrophic disasters and to discuss their city’s current plans for disaster recovery. Part of the event focused on critical infrastructure preparedness and resilience, and one panel featured a representative of the Portland Water Bureau who spoke about his organization’s efforts regarding seismic risks.

Overview of Homegrown Violent Extremism in the U.S. in 2018

The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness has published an infographic depicting homegrown violent extremist incidents and plots in 2018. For each of these cases, the product identifies the perpetrator, the location and date of arrest, and group affiliation, among other details. It also provides statistics for violent extremist activity in 2018, which include the genders of the perpetrators, whether they had traveled overseas or not, and the kind of activity they engaged in.

Updated National Inventory of Dams Now Available

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently made available the 2018 National Inventory of Dams (NID), the latest version of a tool that was first published in 1975. This online database contains charts, queries, and maps of over 91,000 dams across the country; it can serve as a useful resource to inform water and wastewater utilities, other critical infrastructure assets, and emergency managers about the dams in their areas.

NOAA Predicts Historic, Widespread Flooding to Continue through May

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its Spring Outlook today, which notes nearly two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. faces an elevated risk for flooding through May, with the potential for major or moderate flooding in 25 states. According to the Outlook, additional spring rain and melting snow will prolong and expand much of the flooding that has already occurred, such as the historic and far-reaching events currently affecting parts of the central U.S.

“A New DHS for a New Age:” Secretary Nielsen Delivers State of Homeland Security Address

Yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen delivered the 2019 State of Homeland Security Address, providing her assessment of the security landscape, operational challenges, and a look forward at DHS’s forthcoming strategic plan. Among other highlights, she emphasized the gravity of the threat of nation states targeting individuals and enterprises in the U.S. “America is not prepared for this. Your average private citizen or company is no match against a nation-state such as China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. It is not a fair fight.

Large-Scale Terrorist Attack on the West Would Catapult al Qa’ida to Forefront of the Global Jihadist Movement

Colin Clarke, a terrorism expert with the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Soufran Center, has written an article describing how al Qa’ida could reassert itself as the dominant force in the global jihadist movement. According to Colin, the most important factor determining the group’s trajectory is what it has learned over the past five years, while it was “quietly and patiently rebuilding,” and how it seeks to implement change. One way al Qa’ida seeks to change is in terms of its tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for attacks.

U.S. Records Wettest Winter Capped by a Cooler, Wetter February

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that the contiguous U.S. experienced its wettest winter on record with the present season, with a steady march of snow and rain storms across the country between December and the end of February. The wet weather last month also made February 2019 the second wettest February on record. Given the wet weather, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 11.9 percent of the contiguous U.S. to be in drought, down from 16.5 percent at the end of January. The current season also made records in terms of temperatures and snowfalls.

Next Flu Pandemic “A Matter of When, Not If,” Says WHO with Release of New Strategy

The World Health Organization released its Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2013, the goals of which are to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic. “The threat of pandemic influenza is ever-present.” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The on-going risk of a new influenza virus transmitting from animals to humans and potentially causing a pandemic is real.   The question is not if we will have another pandemic, but when.

Interview with Islamic State Biological and Chemical Weapons Expert Reveals Scale of Program

The Islamic State was able to recruit a corps of scientists interacting in person and online to support the creation of biological and chemical weapons, as corroborated by the statements of a 36-year-old man who holds a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry and drug design and who was part of the group. The man’s retelling of his experiences while working for the Islamic State reveal the group was much more methodical than its predecessor and competitor terror groups when it came to developing these weapons.

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