The Disaster Center-- Oct. 31, 2011 - 8:07 PM EDT -- First Nationwide Test of Emergency Alert System is set for November 9, 2011 at 2:00 PM EDT. The test is estimated to last three minutes and a half minutes, which makes it longer than the standard warning by three minutes. Once the test is completed, regular programming will resume. Officials are urging the public to take the opportunity to review and update their emergency plans and replenish their emergency supplies. They may also wish to use the test as a chance to test their family's emergency plans.

The Disaster Center-- Oct. 26, 2011 - 10:03 PM EDT -- Rainfall from Hurricane Rina is expected to have an impact on southern Florida the 29th to the 30th, about 3 inches of rainfall is now forecast.

The Disaster Center-- Oct. 25, 2011 - 10:12 PM EDT -- Hurricane Rina is expected to become a major hurricane tonight is not now forecast to have a direct impact on Florida, except as a tropical storm or as a source of light rainfall.

The Disaster Center-- Oct. 23, 2011 - 3:23 PM EDT -- CRED, reported today that for the first half of 2011 (PDF): 108 disasters, killed 23,638 people, affected people 43,784,902 worldwide, and caused economic damages of 253,230 million $US. Most of the economic damages (210,000 million $US) and people killed (20,319) were as a result of the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster that affected Japan. In third place for number killed and economic damages was the April storm that affected the US.

The Disaster Center-- Oct. 22, 2011 - 11:15 AM EDT 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment Issued
According to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment released by the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC), approximately 1.4 million gang members belonging to more than 33,000 gangs were criminally active in the U.S. as of April, 2011.

• Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crime in most jurisdictions and up to 90 percent in several others, according to NGIC analysis.
• Gangs are increasingly engaging in non-traditional gang-related crime such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, and prostitution. Gangs are also engaging in white-collar crime such as counterfeiting, identity theft, and mortgage fraud.
• Gangs are becoming increasingly adaptable and sophisticated, employing new and advanced technology to facilitate criminal activity discreetly, enhance their criminal operations, and connect with other gang members, criminal organizations, and potential recruits nationwide and even worldwide.

It is the policy of many police departments not to talk about gang activity, because that gives the gangs public recognition that they reportedly crave. But how can a threat to public safety be solved without public involvement? Not talking about the problem leaves its solution in the hands of law enforcement alone. With 1.4 million gang members responsible for half the violent crime in the US, law enforcement doesn't seem to be doing a good job of it, without public involvement.

Map -- Number of gang members by US Counties