AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Hurricane Matthew Stalks Florida, U.S. Prepares, Haiti Death Toll Rises

Emergency and disaster management briefing for October 7, 2016: Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida as officials order more than 2 million to evacuate, various regions in southeastern U.S. make emergency declarations in anticipation of maybe the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. in 10 years, the death toll in Haiti associated with Matthew rises sharply, investigators determine that the speed of the New Jersey commuter train was twice the legal limit when it crashed, firefighters make quick progress on a big Colorado blaze, and Russia warns the U.S. not to intervene in Syria.

  1. Hurricane Matthew [link url=”http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article106500877.html#pt0-627922″ title=”stalked the coast of Florida”] early this morning as it was downgraded to a Category 3 storm. Southern parts of the state were spared from the worst as the hurricane heads toward Central Florida’s east coast. Officials [link url=”http://www.voanews.com/a/hurricane-matthew-bears-down-on-florida/3540591.html” title=”ordered the evacuation of more than 2 million”] people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and more than 240,000 had no power with the massive storm approaching the East Coast. Forecasters now say that Matthew could actually [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/weather/florida-hurricane-matthew-hit-twice/index.html” title=”hit Florida twice this week”].
  2. The governors of four states — Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina — all [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/governors-issue-states-emergency-hurricane-matthew-approaches-42579643″ title=”declared a state of emergency”] yesterday in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew reaching the southeast region on the U.S. Additionally, President Barack Obama [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/card/president-obama-declares-state-emergency-florida-n661076″ title=”declared a state of emergency in Florida”] and in [link url=”http://www.voanews.com/a/hurricane-matthew-bears-down-on-florida/3540591.html” title=”Georgia and South Carolina”] yesterday, as [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/10/06/hurricane-matthew-intensifies-as-florida-governor-orders-1-5-million-to-evacuate/?utm_term=.d421f58c30f5″ title=”the strongest storm system to threaten the U.S. in a decade”] headed directly toward the state. Florida Governor Rick Scott [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/10/06/hurricane-matthew-intensifies-as-florida-governor-orders-1-5-million-to-evacuate/?utm_term=.d421f58c30f5″ title=”urged millions of Floridians to evacuate”].
  3. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/hurricane-season-begins-whats-in-store-for-the-2016-season/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/hurricane-season-begins-june-1st-are-you-prepared/”]

  4. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) [link url=”http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/FEMA-Opening-Emergency-Operation-Centers-Ahead-of-Matthew-396161151.html” title=”set up operational locations”] in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia yesterday with Hurricane Matthew on a path to the U.S. Some shelters [link url=”http://www.wtoc.com/story/33326878/south-carolina-emergency-shelters-now-open” title=”opened early”]. The total number of [link url=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/10/05/airlines-cancel-nearly-1600-flights-matthew-nears/91644472/” title=”flight cancelations due to Matthew”] neared 4,000 through Saturday, and the number of total cancelations [link url=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/10/05/airlines-cancel-nearly-1600-flights-matthew-nears/91644472/” title=”grow even further”] depending on the exact path of the historic storm.
  5. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/evacuees-and-resource-management/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/media/natural-disasters-the-dangers-of-forecasting/”]

  6. Haitian officials dramatically increased death toll figures due to Matthew yesterday, saying that [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/americas/haiti-hurricane-matthew-rescue-effort/index.html” title=”more than 250 people died”] in the storm. [link url=”http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37579399″ title=”Nearly half of the deaths”] occurred in one town in particular, Roche-a-Bateau, and authorities stated that at least 350,000 Haitians are in need of assistance. Haiti is [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/04/world/haiti-disasters/” title=”no stranger to deadly natural disasters”]; in 2010, up to [link url=”http://time.com/3662225/haiti-earthquake-five-year-after/” title=”160,000 died”] in a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
  7. Investigators stated yesterday that New Jersey Commuter Train [link url=”http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/06/496947717/new-jersey-commuter-train-was-speeding-before-crash” title=”was speeding before it crashed”] in Hoboken, NJ, killing one and injuring more than 100 others. According to data recovered from the wreckage, the train was traveling at 21 mph at the time of the crash — [link url=”http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/06/496947717/new-jersey-commuter-train-was-speeding-before-crash” title=”more than twice the legal limit”]. NJ Transit is [link url=”http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/10/nj_transit_makes_big_change_for_conductors_in_wake_of_fatal_crash.html” title=”reportedly making big changes”] in policy for on-train personnel in the wake of the fatal crash.
  8. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/infrastructure-critical-to-americas-continued-economic-success/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/infrastructure-how-bad-is-it-really/”]

  9. Firefighters made quick progress battling the Beulah Hill Fire in Pueblo County, CO, [link url=”http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/wildfire/beulah-fire-hill-no-containment-yet-at-pueblo-county-fire” title=”reaching 50 percent containment”] by Thursday. On Wednesday morning, authorities estimated the size of the fire at more than 4,800 acres and had zero percent containment. [link url=”http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/wildfire/beulah-fire-hill-no-containment-yet-at-pueblo-county-fire” title=”More than 300 fire personnel”] fought the fire at its height, along with at least three helicopters and air tankers.
  10. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/wildfire-risk-to-shift-from-west-to-east-this-fall/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/wildfire-season-begins-with-a-vengeance/”]

  11. The Russian military [link url=”https://gma.yahoo.com/russia-warns-us-not-intervene-syria-threatens-shoot-181512495–abc-news-topstories.html” title=”strongly warned the U.S. against striking the Syrian army”] and threatened to shoot down any potential air attacks. [link url=”http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-issues-stern-warning-to-us-against-striking-syrian-army/” title=”High tensions”] remain between the White House and Moscow with the disintegration of the truce that the U.S. and Russia agreed to months ago. Russia touted sophisticated air defense missile systems that could take down any aircraft over the country.
  12. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [link url=”https://www.epa.gov/arc-x” title=”launched a new online portal”] to help local communities across the U.S. increase resilience to climate change. With an estimated [link url=”https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/new-epa-web-portal-helps-communities-prepare-climate-change” title=”$357 billion in direct costs”] during the last decade due to wildfire and extreme weather, the EPA developed a [link url=”https://www.epa.gov/arc-x” title=”self-guided format”] for leaders in more than 40,000 communities to find ways to effectively manage efforts as the climate changes.
  13. [relink url=”http://edmdigest.com/adaptation/kids-are-the-future-start-teaching-climate-change-early/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/climate-change-adaptation-and-infrastructure/”]

  14. FEMA [link url=”http://www.alaskapublic.org/2016/10/06/fema-to-fund-landslide-mapping-for-sitka/” title=”announced funding”] to help the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys to complete landslide mapping in Sitka region. The goal of the program, labeled “FEMA RiskMap,” is to create a comprehensive map of landslide risk in that region of Alaska. [link url=”http://www.alaskapublic.org/2016/10/06/fema-to-fund-landslide-mapping-for-sitka/” title=”FEMA put forth $110,000″] for the project.

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