AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Monday Briefing: Tropical Storm Warnings for Georgia and South Carolina

Emergency and disaster management briefing for June 28, 2021: Record temperatures set across the Northwest as an unprecedented heatwave continues; Hurricane Enrique is churning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico; strong storms knocked out power to thousands and caused widespread flooding in Michigan; two separate mudslides that originated from the Grizzly Creek burn scar inundated I-70 in Glenwood Canyon; Dole issued a recall for its Fresh Blueberries over concerns of cyclospora contamination; the NHC warned residents of coastal Georgia and South Carolina that tropical storm warnings could be issued today on short notice; power outages hit 6,300 Portland residents amid an extended heatwave; the Telegraph Fire is now more than 90% contained, but area communities still remain under the evacuation status “Ready.”

1. A large swath of the northwestern United States, including the majority of Western Canadian provinces, are experiencing an unprecedented heatwave. Canada recorded its highest-ever temperature in Lytton, British Columbia, on Sunday when it reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit/46.1 degrees Celsius. An extended heat dome is responsible for the extreme temperatures that are to continue at least until Tuesday.

2. In the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, Enrique became the first hurricane of the 2021 season. The Category 1 hurricane is moving to the north-northwest at 6 mph, and it has wind speeds of 90 mph and gusts of up to 115 mph. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast calls for the storm to gradually weaken on Monday, likely becoming a tropical storm in the next 24-48 hours.

3. Strong storms and heavy rain moved through Michigan over the weekend, leaving at least 15,000 people in the metro Detroit area without power. The storms also caused widespread flooding, which prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency in Wayne County. The flooding stranded motorists and floodwaters inundated homes, including sewage-laden wastewater.  Additional storms are forecast for the state on Monday, which may delay power restoration and/or increase outages.

4. Heavy rainfall prompted a 70-foot wide mudslide that shut down I-70 through Glenwood Canyon on Saturday in both directions. The mudslide originated in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar, a wildfire that scorched 32,631 acres before it was fully contained last September. Although the highway reopened around 10 p.m. Saturday night, another mudslide that also originated in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar inundated I-70 through Glenwood Canyon again on Sunday. The highway was closed again in both directions. As of Monday morning, the interstate remained closed with a published detour that is at least two hours long.

5. Dole recalled its Fresh Blueberries in two Canadian provinces and four states over possible cyclospora contamination. The blueberries being recalled were distributed to Illinois, Maine, New York, and Wisconsin, as well as the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cyclospora infection can cause symptoms such as watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and fatigue.

6. A tropical disturbance about 190 miles off the coast of Hilton Head, South Carolina, has at least a 70% chance of development by this evening. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is cautioning residents in coastal Georgia and South Carolina that system development could lead to the initiation of Tropical Storm warnings for affected regions with short notice. Currently, the system is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms to the west of its center, which is likely to cause a few inches of rain to fall on the immediate coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina.

7. Power outages on Sunday affected at least 6,300 residents in Portland, Oregon, amid an extended heatwave that set new temperature records in the United States and Canada. Portland hit 112 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday afternoon, breaking the previous record set in 1965 of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Although no explanation was given for the power outages, Portland General Electric (PGE) noted that the majority of the outages were resolved by 11 p.m.

8. The Telegraph Fire continues to burn southwest of Phoenix, Arizona, in the Tonto National Forest. The blaze is now about 91% contained and has scorched a total of 180,755 acres. Multiple communities remain on evacuation status “Ready,” and forecasts call for heavy rainfall that have increased the risk for flash flooding and hazardous debris flows from the fire’s burn scar. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the Telegraph Fire is just one of the large fires that are actively burning in nine regions, with 50 large fires having burned a total of 667,397 acres in 2021.

  

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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