EDM Friday Briefing: Storms in New Orleans, Terror Suspect in North Carolina, Quake Cluster in California

Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 5, 2016: Buildings collapse in New Orleans after severe storms hit the region, the DOJ says a North Carolina man planned to build a terrorist sleeper cell, a cluster of earthquakes shake Northern California, Chicago firefighters find a dead toddler in an abandoned building, and an American woman dies in a stabbing incident in London.

1. Severe storms in New Orleans Thursday afternoon led to the [link url=”http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/08/storm_damage_new_orleans_augus.html” title=”complete or partial collapse of four buildings”]. Emergency personnel rescued two people from one of the buildings, and more than 29,000 people lost power in the storms. The Sewerage and Water Board reassured residents that the [link url=”http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/08/storm_damage_new_orleans_augus.html” title=” drainage system is completely operational”].
2. The Department of Justice announced charges against a North Carolina man for [link url=” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/n-man-arrested-plotting-isis-inspired-attacks-u-s-article-1.2738286″ title=”conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State”]. Erick Jamal Hendricks allegedly planned to build a sleeper cell of terrorists within the United States, and he also [link url=” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/n-man-arrested-plotting-isis-inspired-attacks-u-s-article-1.2738286″ title=”claimed to have 10 fighters within his network”].
3. Moderate earthquakes hit Northern California yesterday in Lassen County. [link url=”http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Series-of-earthquakes-shake-Lassen-County-9121415.php” title=” According to the USGS”], three earthquakes struck with magnitudes of 4.5, 3.4 and 4.4 followed by a magnitude 2.8 temblor. [link url=”http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-northern-california-20160803-snap-story.html” title=”No damage has been reported”] in association with the quakes at this point.
4. Chicago firefighters [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/dead-toddler-found-after-blaze-in-abandoned-chicago-house/2016/08/03/aeabd6b0-59a5-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_story.html” title=”found a toddler dead in an abandoned home”] after extinguishing a fire inside the basement of the home. Firefighters found the body wrapped in a blanket, and Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford stated that [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/dead-toddler-found-after-blaze-in-abandoned-chicago-house/2016/08/03/aeabd6b0-59a5-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_story.html” title=”the fire was intentionally set”]. Authorities have not released the sex of the child and the child’s identity is unknown at this time.
5. In London, a stabbing resulted in the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/08/04/woman-killed-five-injured-in-london-knife-attack-terrorism-not-ruled-out.html” title=”death of an American woman”] and injured at least five others. A law enforcement official stated that [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/08/04/woman-killed-five-injured-in-london-knife-attack-terrorism-not-ruled-out.html” title=”the suspect’s mental issues “] were likely a triggering point with the stabbing, but have found no evidence of radicalization or ties to terrorism.
6. Brazil’s Ministry of Health [link url=”http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/world/brazil-opens-probe-as-cases-of-zika-babies-defy-predicted-patterns/article31268428/” title=”opened an investigation”] into the defects newborn babies in the country have experienced in relation to Zika virus. Officials stated that [link url=”http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/world/brazil-opens-probe-as-cases-of-zika-babies-defy-predicted-patterns/article31268428/” title=”the worst cases are in central parts of Brazil”]. With other areas of the nation not experiencing the same intensity and severity of birth defects, officials are investigating the possibility that [link url=”http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/world/brazil-opens-probe-as-cases-of-zika-babies-defy-predicted-patterns/article31268428/” title=”more than Zika is involved”].
7. Two island nations, Saint Kitts and Nevis, are currently battling [link url=”https://amuedge.com/saint-kitts-nevis-focus-on-disaster-preparedness/” title=”severe drought conditions”] and have historically battled hurricanes and tropical storms. In late July, the St. Kitts and Nevis National Disaster Mitigation Council, comprised of public, private, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), met to [link url=”https://amuedge.com/saint-kitts-nevis-focus-on-disaster-preparedness/” title=”share emergency preparedness plans”] and ensure that when a disaster strikes, the islands will be ready.