EDM Friday Briefing: Hurricane Hermine, SpaceX Explosion, Chicago’s Dangerous Month

Emergency and disaster management briefing for September 2, 2016: Hurricane Hermine weakens as it hits Florida, SpaceX Falcon 9 explodes, Chicago wraps up its deadliest month in 20 years, mosquitoes test positive for Zika in South Beach, FL, the U.S. plans to destroy chemical weapons, authorities arrest two women with 200 pounds of cocaine on a cruise ship, Louisiana lawmakers seek more funding for flood recovery, and an algorithm could boost power grid protection.

1. The [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/us/hurricane-hermine/” title=”first hurricane to hit Florida in 11 years”] made landfall in the Big Bend area [link url=”http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/tropical-storm-hermine-to-aim-for-florida-gulf-coast-bring-risk-of-flooding-severe-thunderstorms/59791044″ title=” late Thursday night,”] but has weakened into a tropical storm. Hermine left 70,000 people without power in the state capital of Tallahassee. Governor Rick Scott [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/us/hurricane-hermine/” title=”declared a state of emergency.”]
2. The [link url=”http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/spacex-falcon-9-explosion-launch-8748195″ title=”SpaceX program”] experienced a major loss when the Falcon 9 Rocket exploded on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, FL on Thursday Morning. SpaceX was conducting a test firing of its unmanned rocket and was preparing to deliver [link url=”http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/spacex-falcon-9-explosion-launch-8748195″ title=”Facebook’s first satellite into space.”] There was no threat to the public, according to Brevard County officials.
3. Chicago police called August the [link url=”http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/09/01/with-90-homicides-august-was-chicagos-bloodiest-month-in-20-years/” title=”bloodiest month in 20 years.”] A young man was killed in a shooting in the [link url=”http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/09/01/with-90-homicides-august-was-chicagos-bloodiest-month-in-20-years/” title=”West Lawn neighborhood”] Wednesday night, which brought the total homicides in the city to 90 for the month of August. Anti-violence meetings were held Wednesday night in an effort for Governor Bruce Rauner to declare a state of emergency.
4. [link url=”http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article99246602.html” title=”Two more people tested positive for Zika”] virus in Miami-Dade County, FL. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam called the finding disappointing but not surprising. Officials also discovered [link url=”http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article99246602.html” title=”three positive mosquito samples”] where the virus is spreading.
5. The United States is planning to destroy the nation’s largest [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/01/us-set-to-destroy-thousands-chemical-weapons-at-colorado-plant.html” title=”stockpile of mustard gas.”] A $4.5 billion plant is scheduled to begin operating next week; the plant will use [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/01/us-set-to-destroy-thousands-chemical-weapons-at-colorado-plant.html” title=”robots to dismantle the shells”] and will use water and bacteria to neutralize the agent. This is to be in compliance with a treaty that bans chemical weapons.
6. Australian authorities arrested two Canadian nationals after a search of their cabin uncovered [link url=”https://www.yahoo.com/news/drug-smuggling-women-took-200-151000425.html” title=”200 pounds of cocaine.”] The two women suspects were taking part in an around-the-world cruise. [link url=”https://www.yahoo.com/news/drug-smuggling-women-took-200-151000425.html” title=”Australian Border Agents”] have not yet ruled out the possibility of more arrests. The suspects are facing up to life in prison if convicted.
7. World-renowned hacker [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/US/romanian-hacker-guccifer-sentenced-years-prison-high-profile/story?id=41800267″ title=”Marcel Lehel Lazar, AKA Guccifer,”] was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison after courts found him guilty of [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/US/romanian-hacker-guccifer-sentenced-years-prison-high-profile/story?id=41800267″ title=”hacking numerous high-profile victims.”] According to ABC News, Guccifer used proxy servers to mask his location, and released private email correspondence, medical and financial information, and personal photographs.
8. More than [link url=”https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2016/08/31/flood-insurance-settlements-texans-top-1-billion” title=”22,000 Texans settled claims”] with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The settlement topped $1 billion in disaster recovery. Recent floods in Texas affected over half the 254 counties in the state. Flooding is the most common natural disaster and yet [link url=”https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2016/08/31/flood-insurance-settlements-texans-top-1-billion” title=”most Texans lack flood insurance.”]
9. After floods pummeled Louisiana recently, Louisiana officials are [link url=”http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/louisiana/2016/09/01/la-lawmakers-seek-more-flood-recovery-money/89644686/” title=”seeking more federal funding”] in order to speed up the recovery of victims involved in the floods. In just five weeks, Congress will be breaking for elections, which puts a time crunch on getting the [link url=”http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/louisiana/2016/09/01/la-lawmakers-seek-more-flood-recovery-money/89644686/” title=”funding needed for the flood victims.”] One hope is to receive the [link url=”http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/louisiana/2016/09/01/la-lawmakers-seek-more-flood-recovery-money/89644686/” title=”Community Development Block Grant.”]
10. Binghamton University in New York claims to have developed a top option for [link url=”http://www.power-technology.com/features/featurewhy-the-ssa-algorithm-could-revolutionise-power-grid-protection-4990014/” title=”detecting power grid failures.”] The [link url=”http://www.power-technology.com/features/featurewhy-the-ssa-algorithm-could-revolutionise-power-grid-protection-4990014/” title=”singular spectrum analysis”] may provide the answer to locating faults quickly in order to prevent outages.
11. [link url=”http://nypost.com/2016/09/01/these-annoying-dirt-bikers-shut-down-times-square/” title=”One man was arrested”] in a busy intersection in New York’s Time Square when a group of motorcyclists performed tricks on their motorcycles. The man arrested was [link url=”http://nypost.com/2016/09/01/these-annoying-dirt-bikers-shut-down-times-square/” title=”charged with disorderly conduct”], reckless endangerment and obstruction of governmental administration.