AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Passenger Jet Crash-Lands in Water; Huge Earthquake and Tsunami In Indonesia

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for September 28, 2018: A major 7.5 earthquake struck Indonesia on Friday and triggered a tsunami that hit Palu City, officials announced Thursday that the FBI and DHS were investigating a ransomware attack on the Port of San Diego, the NHC has issued warnings ahead of Tropical Storm Kirk for St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, two people are dead following the crash of a mid-size business jet in South Carolina, Hurricane Rosa is now a Category 4 storm churning in the Pacific Ocean, San Diego County is hoping the remnants of Rosa will bring rainfall relief to the area, mob-style robberies continue at Apple stores in San Francisco’s Bay Area, and an Air Nuigini flight trying to land at the Chuuk Airport in Weno, crash lands in a lagoon.

  1. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck along the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday, about 48 miles north of Palu, at at depth of just 6 miles and triggered a tsunami. The tsunami struck after officials, who originally issued a warning for a tsunami of up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet), later withdrew it. The major quake followed a smaller, [link url=”https://www.npr.org/2018/09/28/652489085/strong-quake-hits-along-indonesias-western-sulawesi-island” title=”6.1 quake which occurred just hours earlier that killed one person”], and occurred in the midst of other numerous temblors Friday–all with magnitudes of at least 5.0. Initial reports from the nation’s [link url=”https://www.localnews8.com/weather/earthquakes-hit-indonesia-75magnitude-tremor-near-palu/800638721″ title=”emergency management officials state that numerous buildings have collapsed”] in the Donggala region of Sulawesi, in Palu City and the airport is closed until at least Sunday.  

  2. City officials announced Thursday that the Port of San Diego was hit with [link url=”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-port/port-of-san-diego-hit-by-ransomware-attack-idUSKCN1M72WZ” title=”a ransomware attack that has disrupted public services”] related to park permits, public records requests, and business services. Officials noted that [link url=”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-port/port-of-san-diego-hit-by-ransomware-attack-idUSKCN1M72WZ” title=”the attack has not impacted boat and ship traffic, public safety or port operations”], as it was mainly an administrative issue. The attack, payment for which is being requested in bitcoin, is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security.  

  3. [link url=”https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT2+shtml/281153.shtml?” title=”Tropical Storm Kirk”] is producing heavy rainfall and flooding as it churns its way across the Caribbean and approaches near St. Lucia. The National Hurricane Center issued a [link url=”https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tropical-storm-kirk-caribbean-hurricane-rosa-pacific-latest-track-path-models-forecast-today-2018-09-27/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a” title=”tropical storm watch for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and a tropical storm warning for St. Lucia”], as wind speeds of up to 50 mph extend outward to about 140 miles. Kirk is expected to gradually weaken over the next couple of days, becoming a trough of low pressure by Sunday.  

  4. Two people died when [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/27/two-dead-after-jet-runs-off-south-carolina-runway.html” title=”a mid-size business jet ran off the end of the runway”] and broke in two in Greenville, South Carolina on Thursday. The aircraft, a Dassult-Breguet Falcon 50, was carrying a total of four people–two pilots and two passengers–when it landed, could not stop, and ran off an embankment and down a hill before hitting a fence along the road. The crash split the plane in two and trapped one person, who [link url=”https://www.foxcarolina.com/news/pilot-co-pilot-dead-couple-in-critical-condition-after-greenville/article_93598f62-c27e-11e8-9d06-138137bceef7.html” title=”had to be extricated by first responders”].  

  5. Hurricane Rosa is now [link url=”https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPEP5+shtml/280837.shtml?” title=”a Category 4 storm churning in the Pacific Ocean”] with maximum sustained winds of about 145 mph and a minimum central pressure of 940 MB or 27.76 inches of mercury. Hurricane force winds extend out 40 miles from the eye, with tropical storm force winds extending out 115 miles, but the storm is forecast to gradually weaken before making landfall. Although currently a major hurricane, the [link url=”https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDEP5+shtml/280838.shtml?” title=”National Hurricane Center (NHC)”] points out that the system is set to encounter decreasing ocean temperatures and southwesterly shear as it turns northward and then northeastward in the coming days.  

  6. Rain may be a welcome relief for many in San Diego County, California early next week as the [link url=”http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/weather/sd-me-rain-next-week-20180927-story.html” title=”remnants from Hurricane Rosa”] drift toward the southern portion of the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) noted that the remnants could bring anything from a sprinkle to heavy rain showers, depending on the amount of moisture that has already been squeezed out of the system. [link url=”http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/weather/sd-me-rain-next-week-20180927-story.html” title=”San Diego is nearing the end of its second driest year on record”], with its last significant rainfall–0.27 inches–occurring on March 17, but weather officials caution that forecasting tropical systems is difficult, and the city might not see any rain at all from Rosa.  
  7. [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/09/27/apple-store-robberies-continue-in-bay-area-with-9-stores-hit-this-month.html” title=”Six Apple stores were robbed at least nine times in the span of a month”] in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, in mob-style robberies. Merchandise, including phones, computers, and electronics worth $107,000, was stolen in just two days at a store in Palo Alto. Police announced Wednesday that they had [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/09/27/apple-store-robberies-continue-in-bay-area-with-9-stores-hit-this-month.html” title=”arrested eight people who were allegedly connected to at least 45 of the robberies”], but officials in the area remain concerned about the crimes.  

  8. [link url=”https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/asia/air-niugini-micronesia-intl/index.html” title=”A commercial airplane missed the runway”] and landed in a lagoon in the ocean off a remote island in Micronesia on Friday. The flight, carrying 47 passengers–including 12 crew and 35 passengers and operated by Air Nuigini–was [link url=”https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/asia/air-niugini-micronesia-intl/index.html” title=”attempting to land at the Chuuk Airport on Weno, in Micronesia”].  Severely deteriorated weather conditions were reported as the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 approached the runway, and it is unclear if the aircraft arriving from Papua New Guinea [link url=”https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45674786″ title=”overshot the runway, or ditched in the water”].  

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.

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