Disasters are by definition chaotic and it often takes effort to nail down exactly what is happening. This section of the toolbox offers resources for reporters as they attempt to confirm an event, its scope and its impact. The sites listed here show contact information for local police and fire departments, airports and utilities, as well as sites that track specific types of disasters, from hurricanes and tornadoes to wildfires and earthquakes.

General Sources of Statewide Information

• Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency - Keeps a daily log of events around the state, from bomb threats to oil spills to road closings. Postings are made at 11 a.m. for the previous day.
  - County-level emergency management agencies
  - Regional emergency management agencies
• Pennsylvania Department of Homeland Security

Find Pennsylvania Contacts

• Local fire departments, more local fire departments
• Local police departments, Pennsylvania State Police
• Airports
• Railroads
• Utilities
• Nuclear facilities

Track Disasters

• National disasters
• Floods and water levels - national, Pennsylvania
• Droughts
• General weather information - Pennsylvania State Climatologist, National Weather Service
• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Wildfires
• Earthquakes
• Traffic - PennDOT, Pennsylvania Turnpike conditions
• Pandemic
• Bioterrorism