AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Excessive Heat Warnings Issued in California

By
heat warnings Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for September 4, 2020: The remnants of Nana have dissipated but torrential rainfall from the system led to flooding and mudslides in Belize and Honduras; a Cleveland police officer was shot and killed Thursday in the line of duty; the West Coast and Desert Southwest are bracing for another round of excessive heat forecast for Labor Day Weekend; California has issued a Flex Alert for Friday through Monday and is asking residents to help conserve electricity to prevent rolling blackouts; Portland and other area law enforcement agencies have encrypted radio communications to help protect first responders; the NHC is watching three new areas in the Atlantic Basin for potential development; the Army Corps of Engineers has ordered the owners of a 116-year-old dam to halt repairs amid an environmental disaster; and efforts to fight the four largest wildfires in Colorado have cost the state at least $77 million.

Start an Emergency & Disaster Management degree at American Military University.

1) The remnants of Tropical Storm Nana dissipated at around 10:00 p.m. on Thursday night, as the system moved over the Guatemala-Mexico border. The storm made landfall in Belize very early Thursday morning, quickly moved inland and rapidly weakened once it moved over Guatemala. The storm brought torrential rainfall that caused widespread flooding and mudslides in Belize and Honduras, including on Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras.

2) A manhunt is underway after a veteran police officer was shot and killed late Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio. The officer, reportedly identified as 53-year-old James Skernivitz, was riding in a patrol car that was fired upon several times, causing the vehicle to crash. An investigation has been launched into the incident that occurred on the city’s west side — an incident that allegedly also killed another person.

3) Record high temperatures are forecast this weekend for the Desert Southwest and the West Coast, including California’s Great Valley. Daytime highs are expected to be anywhere from 100-115 degrees in Los Angeles and are expected to be even higher across inland locations. The excessive heat is set to begin on Friday and will continue through Monday, likely impacting the multiple wildfires burning throughout the state.

4) A Flex Alert has been issued for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday during the time period of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., asking residents to take measures to conserve power in California as another heatwave is forecast for most of the state. The Excessive Heat Watch was upgraded to an Excessive Heat Warning for extensive regions around the San Francisco Bay Area. Power companies throughout the state are working with local officials to help preserve electricity and prevent rolling blackouts across the region and the state.

5) A number of police departments have begun encrypting officers’ radio communications, including Denver, which began encryption in July of 2019. Other cities have now followed suit, including Portland, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and Gresham police in Oregon. Citing safety and information security concerns, a memo from a joint Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Capital Region Threat Intelligence Consortium noted that unencrypted radio communications identify the locations of emergency personnel and law enforcement officers, potentially placing them in harm’s way and possibly allowing them to be physically attacked.

6) The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring several systems in the Atlantic Basin for potential development. Peak hurricane season has begun, and several storms have already formed, including Nana and Omar, the latter of which has become a post-tropical depression and is expected to dissipate later Friday. Current predictions forecast low percentages of development for the three systems being monitored by the NHC, but that could change quickly if weather conditions become more favorable for storm development.

7) As part of aging infrastructure across the nation, the Electron Dam on the Pullyaup River in Washington is 116 years old and in need of major repairs, including a broken fish ladder for endangered Chinook salmon. After being purchased by a new company in 2014, major repairs have been underway. However, artificial turf was used as an underlayment for a liner, much of which broke into bits and washed downstream just hours after it was put in place on July 29. Now, the Army Corps of Engineers has ordered the company to conduct an environmental cleanup from the spill of the rubber debris, halt repair work until next summer, fix the inoperable fish ladder, and prepare the dam for winter and spring water flows.

8) Firefighters continue to gain ground on containing the four major wildfires burning in Colorado. Efforts to contain these four major fires have so far cost the state $77 million. Soaring temperatures, gusty winds and drier conditions are expected throughout the holiday weekend, which could increase fire activity. Drones are being used to monitor the interior activity of wildfires and check for hot spots within 1,000 feet of fire lines. Damage and repair assessments have begun in some burn scar areas.

 

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

Related Posts

Comments are closed.