AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Wednesday Briefing: Italy Earthquake, Wildfires, North Korea, Severe Weather, Gas Leak, Explosion

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 24, 2016: A strong earthquake hits central Italy overnight, firefighters battle wildfires in California and Washington, North Korea fires a ballistic missile, Baton Rouge weather watches and warnings are under scrutiny, severe weather impacts Kansas and Colorado, a gas leak prompts an evacuation in California, a possible explosion ignites a substation fire in Florida, and eyes are on the Atlantic for tropical weather developments.

  1. According to the USGS, a [link url=”http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006g7d#executive” title=”6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Italy”] at 3:36 a.m. local time Wednesday morning about 10 km southeast of Norica, and [link url=”http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/europe/italy-earthquake.html” title=”near Amatrice and Accumoli”] in central Italy. The area is approximately 66 miles northeast of Rome. The [link url=”http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37171953″ title=”depth of the quake was very shallow”] at only about 6 miles deep, and buildings were reportedly shaking for at least 20 seconds in Rome. People are reportedly “trapped under rubble” in Amatrice, Italy, where, according to the city’s mayor, [link url=”http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/europe/italy-earthquake.html” title=”half the town no longer exists”]. Strong aftershocks caused buildings to topple, and so far, Italian officials are reporting [link url=”http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/europe/italy-earthquake.html” title=”approximately 38 casualties”]. Rescue crews are enroute, but some of the towns have been cut off due to the loss of roads and bridges.

  2. A [link url=”http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006gbf#executive” title=”6.8-magnitude quake”] also struck the country of Burma (Myanmar) at a depth of about 52 miles, according to the USGS. The earthquake struck about 15 miles outside the city of Chauk near 6:30 a.m. local time. The city has a population of approximately 185,189 people, and reports indicate that shaking was also felt in Dhaka, Bangladesh and India. 

    3. https://twitter.com/BeingFarhad/status/768402382602371072 

  3. Early Tuesday morning, [link url=”http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-idUSKCN10Y2B0″ title=”North Korea fired a ballistic missile”] launched from a submarine that traveled just over 300 miles and entered the air defense identification zone of Japan. Japan condemned the act, noting that the act was unforgivable and [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/23/world/north-korea-missile-launch/index.html” title=”significantly damaged the peace and stability of the region”]. North Korea has [link url=”https://amuedge.com/qa-analysis-of-recent-events-in-north-korea/” title=”been under strict sanctions”] from the United Nations since February, when it launched a long-range rocket, and after conducting its fourth nuclear test in January.
  4. The [link url=”http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article97325312.html” title=”Chimney Fire in San Luis Obispo, California”] is now approximately 35 percent contained, but over 38,900 acres have been burned. Tuesday evening saw the fire destroying nine homes and four outbuildings, with another 1,898 structures still threatened, although [link url=”http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-updates-wildfire-season-hearst-castle-remains-closed-as-chimney-1471982720-htmlstory.html” title=”firefighters believe Hearst Castle is safe”]. Evacuations for communities that are located north and south of Lake Nacimiento are still in place, while 3,983 firefighting personnel work to contain the blaze.

    5. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/wildfires-how-to-prepare-and-protect-homes-and-families/”]

  5. In the aftermath of the historic flooding in Baton Rouge, [link url=”https://amuedge.com/warnings-for-baton-rouge-rainfall-scrutinized/” title=”questions are being asked as to the timeliness, urgency, and effectiveness”] of the issued watches and warnings. Who is responsible for advising the public depends on what type of weather system is threatening an area or region. The National Hurricane Center believes that local WFOs should always be consulted for the best information about local area impacts.
  6. Severe weather impacted several states across the middle of the country on Tuesday, [link url=”http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Severe-weather–380710901.html” title=”prompting tornado warnings in the several counties in Kansas”]. Late Tuesday night, storms were producing hail, heavy rains, frequent lightning, and strong winds, with some gusts being reported at approximately 62 mph. Flooding has also been reported in several cities, and the tornado warning was in effect for a large area in the central portion of the state until 2:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
  7. Officials in Fremont County, Colorado warned residents of [link url=”http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Major-flooding-near-Hayden-Pass-burn-scar-in-Fremont-County-391102051.html” title=”potential flash floods”] possibly occurring along the Hayden Pass Fire burn scar, and residents should be prepared to seek higher ground if necessary. Flash flooding was reported along the Little Cottonwood Creek, [link url=”http://www.chieftain.com/news/region/5079351-120/county-creek-flash-fremont” title=”according to the National Weather Service”], and bridges along County Road 40 reportedly were washed out.

    8. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/estimating-the-influence-of-climate-change-on-extreme-weather-events/”]

  8. A [link url=”https://www.rt.com/usa/356795-gas-leak-evacuations-san-diego-ocean-beach/” title=”gas leak caused the evacuation of over 200 people”] in the neighborhood of Ocean Beach in San Diego, California at around 6:50 p.m. on Monday evening. Officials used a helicopter circling above the area to make public announcements to warn residents to evacuate and to not to use candles, light matches, or barbecue due to the risk of an explosion. Repairing the leak that caused the overnight evacuation took about 12 hours, and [link url=”http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Evacuations-Underway-for-Ocean-Beach-Gas-Leak-390983251.html” title=”residents were being escorted back”] to their homes by officials on Tuesday so they could check the air for any pent-up gas before allowing the residents back inside.
  9. All eyes are on the Atlantic Ocean as Tropical Storm Gaston is set to become a hurricane on Wednesday, according to weather officials. TS Gaston, situated to the west of the Cabo Verde Islands by about 900 miles, has at least a 60 percent chance of strengthening into a hurricane. Currently, forecasters believe the hurricane will pose no threat to land, but [link url=”https://amuedge.com/hurricane-season-begins-june-1st-are-you-prepared/” title=”officials urge residents to have a hurricane plan”] in place.
  10. An [link url=”http://www.local10.com/news/explosion-reported-at-fpl-plant-in-miami-dade-county” title=”explosion at an electrical substation”] in Miami-Dade County, Florida on Tuesday left thousands of residents without power in the surrounding area. Witnesses described at least two explosions, and then a large fire with thick black smoke engulfing two transformers. A foam truck from nearby Miami International Airport helped fire fighters bring the fire under control. Power was restored to all customers by Tuesday evening, and [link url=”http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Possible-Explosion-in-Northwest-Miami-Dade-391076022.html” title=”the cause of the fire”] is currently under investigation.
  11. Washington Governor Jay Inslee [link url=”http://www.ktvz.com/news/the-latest-washington-governor-declares-state-of-emergency/41331518″ title=”declared a state of emergency in 20 counties”] as a result of wildfires burning in the state that are threatening natural resources and area homes near Spokane. Multiple blazes east of the Cascades have burned at least 25 structures, and are currently being battled by firefighters. The fires have [link url=”https://amuedge.com/fort-mcmurray-wildfires-evacuation-planning-and-the-percentages/” title=”prompted evacuations”] and forecasted weather conditions over the next several days are [link url=”http://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-declares-emergency-20-counties-due-multiple-wildfires-extreme-fire-conditions” title=”not favorable for fire containment”].

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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