AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Wednesday Briefing: Marysville, FEMA Region 10 Hosted First-Ever Emergency Preparedness Youth Camp

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youth camp Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 28, 2019: A youth emergency preparedness summer camp was held in FEMA Region 10; Tropical Storm Dorian is forecast to move over or near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by late Wednesday; President Trump has approved the disaster declaration issued by Puerto Rico ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian; a teenage girl infected with EEE fights for her life in Kalamazoo, Michigan; two children are dead and 10 others injured after after a stabbing suspect crashed a stolen police SUV into a van in Dayton; nearly 100 firefighters battled a fire at an historic 115 year-old church in Philadelphia; Japan officials warn of flooding and landslide threat after torrential rainfall inundated the southern island of Kyushu; evacuation readiness levels have been elevated for communities near the erratic Swan Lake Fire in the Kenai-Kodiak Area of Alaska.

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1) In an effort to build a culture of preparedness across the country, Marysville and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hosted an emergency preparedness youth summer camp. The camp was held from August 18-23 at Camp Killoqua in the Lake Goodwin, Washington area. Youth from FEMA Region 10 learned skills related to fire suppression, basic first aid and cribbing — a method of moving heavy debris in the event of a house collapse. The goal was to help young people to be prepared for a disaster and to equip them to take care of themselves, their families and neighbors, as well as provide basic medical treatment.

2) The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows Tropical Storm Dorian heading for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with a northwest movement at about 13 mph. The center of the storm is expected to move over or near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands this afternoon; current maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts, with a minimum central pressure of 1003 mb or 29.62 inches of mercury. Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Culebra, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Vieques, among others. Officials are cautioning anyone in the projected path to monitor the storm and be prepared.

3) Ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency, a move which President Donald Trump has approved, releasing federal aid to the territory. The declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts for the U.S. territory, which is still recovering from hurricanes Maria and Irma that devastated the island in 2017. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is also predicting up to six inches of rain from Dorian, and forecasters warn that the storm could trigger life-threatening flash floods.

4) A fourteen-year-old girl is now fighting for her life after she contracted the rare Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) — a mosquito-borne disease. The Kalamazoo County, Michigan girl is one of three suspected cases in two counties. State health officials also confirmed EEE in six horses that died; however, the animals were not vaccinated against the disease. State health officials are cautioning residents to take precautions against mosquito bites, including wearing long pants and sleeves, using a repellent that contains DEET, and dumping standing water, which acts as a breeding pool for mosquitoes.

5) Two children are dead and 10 others are injured after a stabbing suspect stole a police SUV and crashed it into a van in Dayton, Ohio. The suspect, Raymond Walters, Jr., allegedly stabbed his father and stole his pickup, which he later crashed. When Riverside Police responded to that incident, he stole the police SUV. Walters, whom police suspect was on methamphetamine, was reportedly driving about 97 mph through city streets when he hit a van full of people, five of whom were reportedly children.

6) Firefighters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were called to a major fire that broke out in an historic 115-year-old church on Tuesday afternoon. The three-alarm fire brought nearly 100 firefighters and almost 40 pieces of equipment to the scene to help put out the blaze at the Greater Bible Way Temple in the Parkside section of the city. Fire was shooting out of the roof and steeple when firefighters arrived. Part of the church collapsed on itself, with some of the building collapsing onto the street before firefighters were able to gain control of the fire shortly after 6:00 p.m.

7) At least two people are dead, and authorities in Japan have issued evacuation orders for more than 900,000 people as torrential rainfall triggered landslides and flooding. The southern island of Kyushu was hit with more than double its normal rainfall for August in just 48 hours, washing away roads, overflowing river banks and forcing the suspension of train service. In Saga, a reported 17 inches of rain fell in a 48-hour period, flooding homes and businesses as people awaited rescue by first responders and the military from the rising floodwaters.

8) The Swan Lake Fire continues to burn in the Kenai-Kodiak Area of Alaska, and local residents have been warned to be at various stages of evacuation readiness due to the erratic and unpredictable behavior of the fire. The wildfire, which was ignited by lightning on June 5, has burned over 158,000 acres. It is being fought by 671 personnel and is only 20 percent contained. Active fire is occurring in all fuel types, and fire crews are working to protect structures in Cooper Landing as weather conditions continue to challenge firefighting efforts.

 

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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