AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Texas Officials Say Grid Was Just Minutes from Total Failure

By
Texas power grid Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for February 26, 2021: A Boeing 777 makes an emergency landing at Russia’s Sheremetyevo’s International Airport due to an engine problem; officials say the Texas power grid was just minutes away from a catastrophic total failure; the recall of fresh cheeses produced by El Abuelito has been expanded; the HVO observed 271 earthquakes over the past week at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Volcano; Pennsylvania health officials have allegedly linked turtles to its latest outbreak of Salmonella; the NTSB investigation into the uncontained engine failure of an United Airlines 777 aircraft continues; the FBI WMDD-CBCU is offering an online presentation training for triggers and tripwires for the Emergency Response Sector; and a toolkit to help ensure first responder readiness is available at Ready.gov.

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1. A Boeing 777 had to make an emergency landing in Moscow when a problem with an  engine control sensor was detected. A cargo flight operated by Rossiya Airlines made an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow after the pilot reported an issue with the controls of the left engine. The Russian-operated Boeing 777-300ER has General Electric GE90-115B engines, not the Pratt-Whitney PW4000, which were the type of engines involved in the uncontained engine failure on an United Airlines plane last weekend.

2. Reportedly, the power grid in Texas was just minutes away from a total catastrophic failure during the recent winter storm that impacted the state. According to grid officials, at the height of the power loss, ERCOT had lost 48.6% of its power generation ability. Had the dip continued, remaining generators likely would have tripped offline, crashing the system and leading to what is known as a “black start.”

3. A recent recall for soft cheeses that were produced by El Abuelito, Inc. and linked to a multi-state listeria outbreak have been expanded to include all fresh cheeses produced by the company. Public Health Officials in Connecticut are warning consumers to discard any fresh cheese products produced by the company with expiration dates through March 28, 2021. The products were distributed to Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, under different brand names to supermarkets, retail stores, and wholesalers.

4. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded 271 small-magnitude earthquakes at Mauna Loa over the last week. Of the quakes, 226 were on the summit and along the upper elevation flanks, all of which occurred at shallow depths of approximately four miles. Along with the slightly elevated  seismic activity, a slight rate of increase of the summit with magma inflation continues, although the Alert Level remains at Advisory.

5. Health officials in Pennsylvania have allegedly linked a salmonella outbreak to turtles. The outbreak has affected mostly children under the age of 10, and a total of nine cases of salmonella were reported primarily in Philadelphia and Delaware counties. One adult death is noted as having salmonellosis as a contributing factor, and health officials are continuing their investigation into the nine laboratory-confirmed cases.

6. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the uncontained engine failure that occurred last week on the United Airlines 777 aircraft. Preliminary findings indicate that fuel was turned off to the engine, so an investigation into what propagated the ongoing engine fire is underway. Officials noted signs of metal fatigue along the wing and damage to the wing and body fairing were also observed, although there were no signs of structural damage to the aircraft.

7. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), through its Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD) Chemical and Biological Countermeasures Unit (CBCU), developed an online training presentation to address Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) triggers and tripwires for the Emergency Response Sector. The online presentation addresses key factors including information sharing, capacity building, and situational awareness capabilities that exist across all states and territories. Registration is required for the online presentation that will be held on March 24, 2021 from 1-2:30 p.m. ET

8. First responders offer critical assistance during disasters; therefore, ensuring first responder disaster readiness helps protect communities. Online toolkits are available from Ready.gov for all first responders, including fire, EMS, public health workers and utilities, which provides resources and guides to help first responders ensure their homes and families are prepared when disasters occur. The toolkits provide samples and planning templates for organizational, individual and family preparedness planning that will help encourage first responder readiness, so these individuals are able to assist others when called upon during a disaster.

 

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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