Emergency Managers

National Situation Update: Monday, September 20, 2004

Orange (HIGH) for Financial Services Sector of New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Washington, DC.
Yellow (ELEVATED) for the rest of the country. (FEMA HQ)

Reports on Hurricane Ivan
Teleregistrations for Individual Assistance as a result of Hurricane Ivan are 31,549 as of 5:00 pm, September 19, 2004. A total of $5,583,409 has been disbursed. These totals include Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Fatalities attributed to Ivan are now 48: Alabama (4), Florida (18), Georgia (4), Louisiana (2), Maryland (2), Mississippi (3), North Carolina (9), Pennsylvania (4), Tennessee (1), and West Virginia (1).

As of 10:00 pm, Sunday evening there were 84 Red Cross shelters serving 3,592 occupants and 10 other shelters serving 798 occupants. Shelters are open in Florida (13), Pennsylvania (45), Alabama (5), Ohio (5), West Virginia (15), and North Carolina (12). Five special needs shelters are serving 345 occupants in Florida.

Four Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) teams are in the Pensacola area assisting with damage assessments. Estimates for temporary repairs to the Florida I-10 Bridge in Pensacola at Escambia Bay are to restore two-way traffic using the west-bound lanes within seven days and to complete repairs to and restore traffic flow on the east-bound lanes within 90 days. Detour routes are now in place for emergency vehicles and disaster responders. All traffic may use designated detour routes connecting I-10 traffic to I-65 and to I-10 at Mobile. The US 90 Bridge over Pensacola Bay is now open to emergency vehicles and is anticipated to be opened to light vehicular traffic Monday.

Eight miles of railroad track is washed out east of Pensacola and eleven bridges are affected along this section. Trains are operating by rerouting around the Pensacola area. Freight and other rail service to Pensacola are pending further damage assessments.

Two self-contained call centers are en route to the Panhandle at the request of the State Emergency Operations Center. Widespread outages, mostly due to power outages, with the local carriers continue.

Significant items in affected Florida Counties are as follows:

Escambia County:

• Estimate is that 85 percent of the county is without power.
• No one is allowed in coastal areas and most roads are impassable due to sand, debris or road surface damage.
• An estimated 50-75 percent of structures along coastline are severely damaged or destroyed, and roughly 20,000 residents are unable to go home due to lack of access and infrastructure.
• There is major infrastructure damage throughout the southern half of county.
• Six sites in Pensacola are open and distributing ice, water, and food from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.
• Gasoline and diesel fuel are critical consumable commodities. Little or no fuel is available for retail sales.
• National Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces' activity has been completed, but more vehicles may have been lost when the I-10 Bridge was damaged.
• 66 percent of wells are back on line and pumping. Sewer service is slowly coming on line.
• 150 miles of electric line have been repaired. 21 substations are repaired and ready to go online.

• All shelters are closed.
• Approximately 30-40 percent of the western county is without power and power is expected to be out for two to six weeks.
• Ponce De Leon water/sewage facility will fail if requested generators are not installed soon. Ponce De Leon schools will not open unless generators are installed. All other schools will open Monday.
• Major roadways have been cleared of debris.
• About 24,000 Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MREs) have been provided and 12,000 - 15,000 people have been provided with emergency supplies of water and ice.
• The Red Cross and Salvation Army served meals to approximately 500 people.

• Two shelters at Fort Walton Beach have approximately 30 occupants.
• Power is being restored, but approximately 70,000 are still without power.
• Inventory of fuel for retail sales is low.
• Schools will reopen on Wednesday, September 22, 2004.

• A County boil water order in effect.
• Majority of the County is without power
• Schools and government buildings will remain closed until further notice
• The Salvation Army is gearing up to serve three meals daily at several feeding stations and mobile sites.
• The Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Hospital has lost power and the facility has been evacuated.

• National Guard asked to "stand down" yesterday, Sunday, September 19, 2004, at mid-day. American Red Cross and fire personnel are running the distribution centers.
• No additional MREs, water or ice are needed.

• There are no orders for water, ice, or MREs and there are no food, water, ice, or fuel issues.
• All shelters in the county are closed.

Ivan update for North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey and New York
In North Carolina, Tropical Storm Ivan impacted over 200 roads. Approximately 119 roads are closed or impassable. Interstate 40 is closed in Haywood County from Exit 451 in Tennessee to Exit 20 in North Carolina due to a washout near mile marker 4. Sections of U.S. Highways 64 and 69 in Jackson and Macon counties are also closed. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is sending additional crews to western North Carolina to assist with clearing efforts. DOT engineers are developing a restoration plan.

The Rocky Knob Dam in Macon County, North Carolina has failed. The Fisher Pond Dam in Macon County has received substantial damage and possibly failed. The Starnes Cove Lower Dam in Buncombe County is in emergency status. These are minor dams and will have negligible impact on their communities. Repair times are unknown at this time.

The Commonwealth of Virginia reports that in the aftermath of Ivan's passage on Friday and Saturday there is some minor flooding but the State has no outstanding requests from local governments. The damage totals are 12 homes, one business and one public building destroyed. Five businesses, one public building and 93 homes suffered major damage. Lesser damage has been reported for 444 homes and eight businesses. The damage is concentrated in Fairfax, Fauquier, Fredrick, Greene, and Henry Counties.

Rain from Ivan and the runoff are causing the Delaware River to flood in New York and New Jersey. Cresting was expected to occur in various locations yesterday evening. In New Jersey, the Governor declared a State of Emergency for Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, and Mercer. The State EOC is activated. There are 115 people in Red Cross shelters in ARC shelters. Estimates are that 900 people have evacuated about 300 homes and 180 nursing home patients were moved to other facilities.

FEMA Region II has contacted both New York and New Jersey Emergency Operations centers and will continue monitoring. No Federal assistance has been requested at this time. (FEMA Regions II, III, IV, and VI, FEMA-1554-DR-NC, FEMA HQ, and Various Media Sources)

Hurricane Frances Situation
As of close-of-business on Friday, September 17, 2004 (declaration+14 days), teleregistrations for FEMA-1545-DR-FL total 238,388. Under the Individuals and Household Program (IHP), 70,820 applications have been approved and $106,752,757 million disbursed. The eligibility rate is 75 percent. To date, 77,585 inspections have been returned to FEMA. A total of 59,626 inspections are outstanding.

Currently, 25 regular and three diversity Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are operational for 1539/1545-DR-FL. A Strategically Targeted Area Recovery Center (STARC) is located at the Stay-N-Play in Sarasota County with an air-cooled tent and phone banks. Six additional fixed DRCs are in the development phase. Due to the large population of Spanish speaking applicants, there is a need for additional bilingual staff.

Total fatalities current as of Sunday, September 19, 2004 are 30 (All casualty data is confirmed with the Florida Medical Examiner's Office). Fatalities by county: Alachua: 3, Broward: 1, Lee: 1, Highlands: 1, Volusia: 4, Flagler: 1, Seminole: 1, Hillsborough: 2, Marion: 3, Palm Beach: 3, Martin: 1, Indian River: 1, Putnam: 1; Polk: 4, Collier: 1, Osceola: 2. No missing or hospitalized.

Fatalities reported outside of Florida: 3 in Georgia, 4 reported in Ohio, and 1 reported in South Carolina. Six persons are reported missing in South Carolina.

Ice Mission information is as follows: Reefers, or refrigerated trucks and trailers, required - 500; Reefers ordered - 503; Reefers received - 503; Reefers released for distribution - 403.

Water Mission information is as follows: Liters of water required - 10.8 million; Liters of water ordered - 10.8 million; Liters of water received - 10.8 million

Power Mission information is as follows: Total assessments requested and completed - 379; generators installed - 35; generators being installed - 6; generator de-installs requested - 94; generators de-installed - 7; generator de-installations in progress - 10.

Currently, 91 contractor crews are working on Roofing Missions. One hundred eighty-five roofs were completed on September 18, which brings the total to 644 with 7,152 Rights of Entry (ROEs) collected. As of September 17, 2004, there are 109 travel trailers on private sites and 505 travel trailers on commercial sites for a total of 614 trailers occupied.

PDAs are 100 percent complete for 54 participating counties. There are 1,362 inspectors are in the field. The turnaround time is four days.

There have been 99 registrations indicating funeral needs. Two cases are complete for a total of $7,973.

The State of Florida Agency of Workforce Innovation reports that 2,679 Disaster Unemployment

Assistance (DUA) applications have been received to date.

Currently there are seven shelters open housing 609 victims of Hurricane Frances. As of close-of-business September 18, 2004, cumulative meals served total 2,856,529.

National Flood Insurance Program staff attended a DeSoto County briefing. The county is in the process of completing a list of 83 potential substantially damaged properties and has requested FEMA assistance in this assessment. A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for September 21, 2004. Mitigation staff visited Vero Beach (Indian River County) to determine the severity of flooding in that area.

The FEMA Review of Florida County Mitigation Initiatives is being updated to include the counties impacted by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan. The Planning Team is developing a draft planning strategy for the State to incorporate the revision made by the State Hazard Mitigation Officer. A joint review of the Charlotte County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) is complete and review of the DeSoto and Hardee County LMS has begun. The Planning Team began the development of strategies to bring Charlotte County's LMS into compliance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and to develop a planning strategy for the county's long-term recovery. (FEMA Region IV, FEMA-1545-DR-FL, FEMA HQ, and Various Media Sources)

Tropical Storm Activity as of 5:00 a.m. EDT
In the Atlantic:
Tropical Storm Jeanne's center was located near latitude 26.0 north and longitude 71.9 west or 325 miles east of Great Abaco Island. Jeanne is moving towards the north at 8 mph a turn to the northeast is expected during the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast over the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Karl was located near latitude 17.3 north and longitude 45.5 west or about 1055 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Karl is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph a turn to the northwest is expected over the next 24-36 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph with higher gusts. Karl could strengthen to a category 4 hurricane during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Depression Thirteen center was located near latitude 13.5 north and longitude 34.9 west or 750 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands. TD-13 is moving toward the west near 12 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. The Depression could become a Tropical Storm during the next 24 hours. In the Pacific:
Tropical Depression 25W was located near latitude 12.6 north and longitude 143.4 east or 45 miles south-southwest of Guam. The system is moving west-northwest at 10 mph this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast over the next 24 hours. This is the first warning on this system and it is forecast to continue to move away from Guam. (National Hurricane Center, CPHC, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and FEMA Region IX)

Earthquake Activity
There were a number of earthquakes in Alaska in the last 24 hours. The largest measured 6.1 on the Richter scale, and occurred at 1626 EDT, 90 miles south of Attu, Alaska. The quake was centered at 51.6N/172.8E at a depth of 25 miles. The magnitude was such that a tsunami will not be generated. There have been no reports of damages or injuries and no requests for Federal assistance.

Minor earthquakes up to 3.9 on the Richter Scale continue in Central California. (Region X and USGS)

Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs)
Remote Sensing (Preliminary Damage Assessment) delivered to Florida and Alabama State EOCs. (FEMA HQ)

Major Disaster Declaration Activities:

• Pennsylvania Declaration for Frances
  • Effective September 19, 2004, the President has declared a major disaster for the State of Pennsylvania (FEMA-1555-DR) due to the effects of Tropical Depression Frances on September 8 and 9, 2004.
  • Individual Assistance: Beaver, Blair, and Crawford Counties.
  • Public Assistance: None
  • Hazard Mitigation Grant Program: All counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
  • Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation.
  
  
• Pennsylvania Declaration for Ivan
  • Effective September 19, 2004, the President has declared a major disaster for the State of Pennsylvania (FEMA-1557-DR) due to the effects of Tropical Depression Ivan on September 17, 2004, and continuing
  • Individual Assistance: The counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Centre, Clearfield, Cumberland, Dauphin, Indiana, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland, and Wyoming.
  • Public Assistance: The counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Centre, Clearfield, Cumberland, Dauphin, Indiana, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland, and Wyoming for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
  • Hazard Mitigation Grant Program: All counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
  • Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation.
  
  
• Ohio Declaration for Hurricane Frances
  • Effective September 19, 2004, the President has declared a major disaster for the State of Ohio (FEMA-1556-DR) due to Severe Storms and Flooding September 8, 2004, and continuing.
  • Individual Assistance: Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, and Washington Counties.
  • Public Assistance: None.
  • Hazard Mitigation Grant Program: All counties in the State of Ohio are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
  • Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation.