AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Monday Briefing: Brain-Eating Amoeba Found in Water Supplies, Amtrak Derailment

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for July 3, 2017: A brain-eating amoeba has been found in two water supplies in Louisiana, a United Express plane catches fire after landing in Denver, Colorado, several people are injured when an Amtrak train derails in Washington State, four tornadoes touch down in Maine following an historic warning by the NWS, a fiery bus crash in Muenchberg, Germany in Bavaria kills 18, swift-water rescues follow flash-flooding in Cleveland, Tennessee, a suspicious package forces the PATH station evacuation in the World Trade Center, and multiple locations in New York face clean up from flooding and tornadoes following severe weather over the weekend.

  1. Traces of [link url=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brain-eating-amoeba-louisiana_us_5958feeae4b02734df32f396″ title=”a brain-eating amoeba”] were found in two of Louisiana’s public water systems last week, [link url=”http://www.ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/4284″ title=”prompting officials to issue a large list of warnings to residents”] within the two water service areas. Officials at Louisiana’s Department of Health stated that it is okay to drink the water, but to avoid getting water up the nose where the organism can travel to the brain. Ouachita Parish’s North Monroe Water System and the Terrebonne Parish’s Shriever Water System were the locations where [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/Health/brain-eating-amoeba-found-louisiana-water-systems/story?id=48372045″ title=”traces of the single-cell organism, Naegleria fowleri were found”]. [relink url=”http://edmdigest.com/response/health-information-management-video/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/using-lenses-to-tighten-emergency-management-plans/” url3=”https://amuedge.com/what-makes-a-good-leader-in-emergency-management/”]
  2. [link url=”http://kdvr.com/2017/07/02/passengers-evacuated-after-fire-on-united-express-plane-in-denver/” title=”A United Express plane caught fire just after it landed”] at the Denver International Airport on Sunday afternoon. Flight 5869, a CRJ700 operated by SkyWest, originated in Aspen, and upon landing, [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/united-express-crj700-regional-jet-catches-fire-denver-runway-n779226″ title=”the crew reported engine trouble and rapidly evacuated its 59 passengers and four crew members safely”]. First responders were able to quickly contain the fire and passengers were transported by bus to the terminal. 

  3. An [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/train-cars-derail-washington-state-minor-injuries-48411054″ title=”Amtrak passenger train derailed near Steilacoom, Washington on Sunday”], about 45 miles south of Seattle, causing minor injuries to several passengers. The train, Amtrak’s Cascade, [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/02/us/washington-amtrak-train-derails-chambers-bay/index.html” title=”was carrying 267 passengers when four cars derailed”], including the locomotive and baggage car. Booms were deployed to prevent any leaking fuel from entering a nearby body of water. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/initial-hazmat-planning-response/” url2=”http://edmdigest.com/response/train-versus-vehicles/” url3=”http://edmdigest.com/response/train-versus-vehicle-pt-2/”]
  4. The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine issued [link url=”http://wgme.com/news/local/severe-weather-moves-through-nh-maine” title=”seven tornado warnings for western areas of the state on July 1″], the most ever issued in a single day, or within a year in the state. At least [link url=”http://wgme.com/news/local/three-tornadoes-confirmed-saturday” title=”four tornadoes touched down in Maine”], one EF0 and three EF1s, as fast moving and strong thunderstorms swept through New Hampshire and Maine. Flash flood warnings were also issued in parts of Maine as these fast moving systems produced heavy rainfalls in several areas. 

  5. A fiery bus crash in Muenchberg, Germany in Bavaria has led to what police fear are the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/07/03/german-bus-catches-fire-after-crashing-into-truck-31-injured-several-unaccounted-for.html” title=”deaths of at least 18 people, and injured 30 others, some seriously”]. The motor coach was carrying 46 people and two drivers when it rear-ended a truck in the back of a traffic jam. The bus was completely consumed in the fire and [link url=”http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40479021″ title=”so far, police have recovered the charred remains of 11 people”]. 

  6. Strong thunderstorms that produced locally heavy rains on Saturday in Cleveland, Tennessee resulted in flash-flooding throughout the city. The City of Cleveland fire department responded to [link url=”http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/35798878/two-rescued-from-flooding-water-in-cleveland-saturday” title=”two swift-water rescues as a result of the flash-flooding”], where people were trapped in their vehicles. A mere twelve inches of water can float a vehicle, causing it to be quickly carried downstream, and officials urge anyone encountering flooded roadways to follow the motto, [link url=”http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/water/tadd/” title=”Turn Around, Don’t Drown”]. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/flooding-yep-theres-an-app-for-that/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/floods-planning-and-preparedness/” url3=”https://amuedge.com/business-continuity-hazard/”]
  7. A suspicious package forced [link url=”http://www.fox5ny.com/news/265330237-story” title=”an evacuation of the PATH station at the World Trade Center”] on Sunday afternoon in New York City, causing alarm among tourists. Authorities, including the [link url=”http://www.cbsnews.com/news/suspicious-package-evacuation-world-trade-center-path-station/” title=”NYPD bomb squad and the Counter Terrorism Unit”], among others, closed the station to conduct an investigation. An all-clear was issued and the station reopened at around 5:00 p.m. after officials declared there was no threat. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/improvised-nuclear-devices-guide/” url2=”http://edmdigest.com/response/can-we-actually-protect-our-first-responders/” url3=”https://amuedge.com/dynamics-and-the-first-responder-policy-agenda/”]
  8. Several areas across [link url=”http://news10.com/2017/07/02/flood-waters-ravage-significant-portions-of-the-empire-state/” title=”New York are assessing damages”] and preparing to clean up following a line of severe weather that impacted the state over the weekend. The Village of Hoosick Falls, NY, [link url=”http://news10.com/2017/07/01/state-of-emergency-issued-in-hoosick-falls-due-to-severe-flooding/” title=”declared a state of emergency”] following heavy rains on Saturday that resulted in severe flooding, washed out roads, and caused multiple sinkholes across the Village. Broadalbin, NY residents are also preparing to embark on clean up efforts after [link url=”http://www.twcnews.com/nys/capital-region/news/2017/07/1/recovery-effort-broadalbin-tornado.html” title=”an EF1 tornado that occurred late Friday afternoon”] with winds of about 90 miles per hour that cut a quarter mile path, uprooting trees and damaging multiple homes. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/getting-right-resources-disaster-event/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/ethical-considerations-of-resource-management/” url3=”https://amuedge.com/leadership-collaboration-in-emergency-management/”]

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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