rob woodward is our "washington journal" just monday at 7 a.m. eastern talking about his new book "fear: trump in the white house." >> about 9:30 a.m. eastern time fema administrative gave an update on preparations for hurricane florence. comparing it to hurricane hugo and floyd in the late 1990s. we also hear from officials with the epa, the army corps of engineers and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration. >> to make meaningful improvement to make sure we run programs and policies according to regulations and bottom line is we will continue to fully cooperate with any investigation that goes on and on up to any

mistakes and push forward and keep going, keep moving on. regardless of an article, right now i'm when it was focus on floyd and that's exactly where attention is to be from the standpoint of the life safety mission so with that will invite inner federal partners. florence, excuse me. >> do you feel confident you are following the law as it relates -- >> we'll get to floyd -- florence, excuse me, we'll get to floors and will push forward and concentrate on the life safety issues, thank you. [inaudible] >> linda? all right. so in regards to florence, just

because the wind speeds came down, the intensity of the storm came down to a category two, please do not let your guard down. the storm surge forecastle social with the storm has not changed. it has remained the same. here's why. as the system has been encroaching on the coast of the winfield is expanded. what you will see an matter of hours is these when bands are perceived the circulation going to start pushing water up against the coast but more importantly up the backbench inland areas. storm surge is not a problem just along the coastline. it's going to be a major problem way up into the streams and tributaries that come out of sound areas to push up into the sounds. this is a very dangerous storm. storm surge is why you then place under come many of you been placed under evacuation. we are asking citizens to please heed the warning. your time is running out. the oceans going to start rising

along the coast and in the backbench inland areas and the sound areas within a matter of hours. your time to get out of those areas is coming to a a close. i cannot emphasize that enough. with that, the other thing that could happen is that whatever going to see high winds, when into my lower sustained winds coming upon the coast, the wind shield is large. there the hurricane force windst extend far out from the center of circulation that will not only in a difficult but you will see some high infant winds as the storm starts to come in and pushed into the coast. coupled with that is copious amounts of rainfall as the system is pulling a lot of moisture out of the ocean, you are rinsing rain bands come along the carolina shoreline and, unfortunately, these rain bands are going to be with us for several days. we are going, the forecasters are basically indicating feet of rain, not inches in portions of the carolinas and into virginia. so this is a very dangerous

storm. inland flooding kills a lot of people and that's what we're about to see. please keep that in mind. the other thing is that i want everybody to know that fema under federal partners have fully pre-positioned in support of our state and local partners. here again we are here to help our governors achieve their response and recovery goals, emergency measure is a team sport. his whole community effort. as the system pushes through right now we're focused largely on life safety, supporting evacuation will become supporting mass care of it as the system pushes through, starts to exit the carolinas and virginia and the threat ceases, will be focused on stabilizing what we call community life lines. for example, we've got to quickly understand the damage that's been done to the transportation system, the communication systems, power systems and we are positioning and have been position for multiple days to be ready to get

those critical lifelines back up and stable as quickly as we can. but let me set the expectations. this is a dangerous storm. we called in disasters because they break the the infrastructure going to break. i will go out to get to go out for a number of days. it could go out for many weeks. it's hard to say so not only that but many of you who have evacuated from the carolina coast lines are going to be this place for a while, take away the areas receive the highest amounts of storm surge. so we need people to get the mindset right that disasters a very frustrating and it takes time to get the infrastructure back up and running that were going to do everything that we can to push forward as quickly as we can to get things back up and working along with our state partners and the private sector who owns a large portion of the critical infrastructure that's going to be impacted. so with that i want to quickly turn over to our partners over at noaa, steve goldstein.

take it away. >> good morning. florence is a category two hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles an hour. it is moving northwest and is presently centered 170 miles east southeast of wilmington, north carolina, and 220 miles east of myrtle beach south carolina. florence is a very large hurricane. hurricane force winds extend outward 80 miles on the center and tropical storm force winds extend nearly 200 miles from the center. florence is forecast to slow down as it approaches the coast so even today as we see outer rain bands moving to the outer banks of north carolina, landfall is not expected for another 36 hours sometime friday afternoon, friday evening or even early saturday morning. this slow-moving very large hurricane will bring and long-term extreme rain storm

surge and hurricane force wind threat to eastern north carolina and south carolina into the weekend. in north carolina where our particularly concern about the rivers that are 9012 feet of storm surge are forecast. and the beaches on the outer banks to the wilmington area six to nine feet of storm surge are forecast, over several astronomical high tide cycles. as far as rainfall we are still forecasting 20-30 30 inches possibly 40 inches or more especially in eastern north carolina and northeastern south carolina. in addition to all of that there's also a tornado watch in effect for eastern north carolina today and tomorrow. the next advisory from the national hurricane center will be issued at 11:00 eastern time. >> i would just like to take an opportunity to emphasize that the expanse of the storm, so the

topical storm force winds extend out 200 miles and hurricane force winds extend out 80. this is a tremendously large storm and when it slows down what you see is expansive wind field will pile up water along the coast in form in the form m surge but in addition to that there will be a tremendous amount of rain. as the storm slows down to read lots of coastal flooding and with the combined with onshore flow will be very hard on this water to evacuate. you will see a committed about of inland flooding. i would also like to thank the noaa corps officers were flying several flights into in the stm collecting data to improve the forecast skill and models. addition to adults alike to to thank the air force for providing reconnaissance flights as well. >> next we have our partners with the american red cross, charley english to give us an update on effort underway. >> thank you, administered alone. we certainly appreciate your leadership and your inclusiveness of our faith-based

and private nonprofit partners on the team, so thank you very much for that. -- administered administrative. the red cross and other nonprofits continue to pre-stage resources in the theater of operation idiomatic. just like to set expectations, if the public has not experienced staying in the shelter in the past, you will be safe but conditions are sparsely ask you to bring your toothbrush, your pillow, other comfort items with you and we will keep you safe until the storm passes and then post landfall and post impact it will be more comfortable situation for you. but also would like to take the opportunity to say that this storm is a a significant event. our resources will be stretched. if you're fortunate enough not to be impacted we would like to have you considered being a volunteer. you can do that at redcross.org

or any of the of the other fine agencies that you choose to volunteer with your thank you. >> and folks, one of the most powerful arms of the whole community is the nongovernment organizations like the red cross and here again when this storm passes this is about a neighbor helping neighbor all the way up to the federal government. if you're looking to get involved and are not in the carolina but looking to get involved to help out the situation once this passes go to redcross.org. so thank you again. next up we have our partner at the army corps of engineers, mr. >> thank you administered alone. good morning. the army corps of engineers is prepared and ready to respond to hurricane florence with with our federal family members and state and local partners. to date with over 200 personnel engaged with over 6 million in

mission assignment dollars and over 13 million in federal coastal emergency dollars. in the pacific ocean division continues to assess and respond to the effects from the typhoon and hurricane out in the pacific while here in the atlantic under r stafford act authorities we are postured to provide temporary power support, temporary roofing, housing and conduct infrastructure assessments in the carolinas, virginia and elsewhere where needed. as far as dams, or five corps of engineers dams in virginia and north carolina. all have sufficient flood control capability to accept the effects of precipitation from florence. we're working with the armies installation management command to ensure that the dance on fort bragg north carolina fort jackson south carolina, any effects of florence to those dams are mitigated.

in terms of navigation we are closely working with our partners from noaa and the coast guard and prepared to rapidly open federal channels and other navigations. and finally flight response, we're integrated with state and local county governments to provide technical assistance and flood fighting both before the storm and after. thank you. >> thank you. next up are partners with the coast guard, where admiral meredith austin. >> thank you mr. long for the sake of the people in hurricane florence's path for his own coast guard men women and the families are a top priority. we're working a close concert with fema and of the federal, state and local partners in preparing for this storm. in preparation for the string the coast guard is taken the following actions. the ports of wilmington and morehead city north carolina as well as the chesapeake bay entrants has been closed. in preparation also for the term

with pre-stage shallow water response boats as well as bring in additional search and rescue aircraft in savannah georgia and we haven't aircraft out of the air station elizabeth city to come in behind the storm as soon as it is safe to fly those mission. coast guard is pre-staging other deployable specialist forces the additional law enforcement, security and oil and hazardous materials response resources to be ready at all coast guard small boat and cutter crews will be outside the storm every to move in as soon as it is safe to do so. for those in the path of us when we urge you to do phone. stay off the water. coast guard search and rescue resources will be degraded or unavailable before during and immediately after the storm. remember that social media is a great way to stay informed but please don't use social media in order to call for help. please call 911 or channel 16 in order to reach out to get help. finally once the storm has passed the areas most of the hazardous so please state in a safe location of all coast guard

the partners assess the damage and will let you know when it's safe to do so. thank you. >> next up we have the office of disability integration equitation fema, ms. linda mastandrea and it's incredibly important for fema to our partners everything that we can to render the highest level of access needs that we can, not only during the response phase but also after the recovery phase. so linda, please, would say a few words? >> thank you. good morning. so as the disability cordoning of the director of the office of disability integration and coordination, our responsibility to ensure that our programs and services are available to an accessible to people with disabilities before, during, and after disasters. and in terms of florence in particular we're working very closely with our partners at the state and local level, at the territorial and tribal levels, with our federal partners and agencies like the red cross and

hhs too much of the people with have what they need during evacuation, during sheltering, pre- and post-landfall. so part of our coordination efforts are to ensure that we are in close communication with our state and local partners, to ensure that any unmet needs that people with disabilities have during evacuation or sheltering and in terms of response and recovery are met and will continue to closely coordinate with our state and local and federal partners to ensure that people with disabilities are impacted by the storms have with the need to safely if i could come at him with the need in the shelters and that they can effectively respond to and recover from the effects of the disaster. >> appreciated that. and then finally, our next up environmental protection agency rggi cheatham. >> thank thank you, administeree and good morning. i'm director of the epa. epa is lead federal agency for in land release of oil and

hazardous substances through emergency support function can under the national response framework. in addition to request for assistance from our states, tribes and local government, partners come some of things epa is currently doing prior to hurricane florence is to determine the status of preparation at chemical, oil and production facilities may be in the path of a storm and identify any releases and discharges of hazardous substances or oil caused by the storm. the agency has identified sites under superfund risk management program and the facility response plan program for oil that may be in the projected path of the hurricane and were trying to assess any pre-landfall concerns. in addition we are working with the states, try to look of its identify drinking water and wastewater come infrastructure that may be in the current path of the storm. epa has issued four fuel waivers

in north carolina, south carolina, georgia and virginia. the purpose of the waivers is to help ensure that there's adequate supply and gasoline in the affected areas. until the normal supply to the region can be restored. currently epa's a bitter at headquarters in washington, d.c. and epa region three philadelphia and epa region four atlanta, georgia, are all activated. we have teams on scene coordinators and equipment ready to deploy. we will continue to coordinate with and support our federal-state, tribal and local government partners as the needs arise. thank you. >> and then last of our fema spanish-language update, daniel. take it away. >> grassi us -- [speaking spanish]

[speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish]

>> questions in regards to florence? yes, ma'am. >> you have estimates yet? do you all have an estimate yet of what sort of damage this hurricane will do? >> no. we don't have that, but the storm is almost a combination of hurricane hugo and hurricane floyd, you know. it brings elements of both. hugo brought high winds and floyd brought tremendous amounts of inland rainfall that caused a lot of problems, and so if you want to look at the disaster dollars connected to either one of those events, this one has the potential by all means to line up with that. yes, ma'am. >> this this is a question for . cheatham. staffing wise and resource wise, the epa has been targeted by the

trump administration. how was this impacted your ability to do your job? >> i think the easy answer to that is that we are staffed at the levels we were during last years response season in 2017 were harvey, irma and marie in the california wildfires invited us and we are prepared. >> you guys have talked a lot about how well relationships for state and local officials are special in the carolinas. are there any noticeable vulnerabilities that you've noticed or voice in that relationship or in terms of services ahead of this that you say this is a problem we need to address before the storm hits level? >> no. the capabilities of north and south carolina and virginia are very strong and they have some very strong and experienced local agencies as well. as i've been saying, the successful emergency response

and recovery, you can equate it to the chair you're sitting in with four legs. the forelegs represent different things. one leg is the federal government, that's us and the response we would forfeit the cyclic is a state and local governments. the third leg is her ngo partners, nongovernmental organization partners and the private sector that owns a lot of the infrastructure and the fourth lake is the citizen. so anytime you all of those lakes present going into disaster, things are going to go fairly well. people will get frustrated because it's a disaster and stuff is broken. let's set that expectation but i feel confident that all four of those legs are going into this event, unlike other events seen in the past. so when that occurs look, we had some problems, have trouble shooting gaps that pop up but we have solid communication with all the governors, solid relationships with the state directors, our regional partners, everybody involved. we are truly pre-position pre-s best we can be based on what we

know and the forecast provides us. all right, folks, thank you. >> administrator, , can ask youo follow up beyond -- you brought this up at the very beginning and you want to get you on record because you brought it up. do you feel confident that all of the laws and statutes were followed for the government -- >> good question. i would never intentionally run a program incorrectly. bottom line is that we made mistakes on what the program was run, we work with the oig to get those corrected. doing something unethical is not part of my dna and is not part of my track record and my whole career. we work with the oig to speed his thank you, everybody. that's all the time we have time today. as always any additional questions you can reach us at fema. please be safe and download the fema app.