Brian Kamoie, Senior Director of Preparedness Policy on the White House National Security Staff publicly unveiled "Presidential Policy Directive -8: National Preparedness" at the George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute earlier today. Last week Pres. Obama signed a new Presidential Policy Directive on national preparedness outlining the administrations vision to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to threats such as terrorism, pandemics and catastrophic national disasters.
This Presidential Policy Directive comes in the wake of a powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan that resulted in a significant loss of life and damage to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant on March 11.
Yesterday, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the same area of Japan ravaged in March. The new earthquake resulted in a handful of injuries, continued power shortages and caused a temporary evacuation of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant less than 24 hours after workers began pumping nitrogen into reactor No. 1, in an effort to prevent a buildup of hydrogen that could result in an explosion.