EDM Wednesday Briefing: Winter Storm Kayla, Tornadoes in the South, California Water Conservation

Emergency and disaster management briefing, February 3, 2016: Winter Storm Kayla continues to produce blizzard conditions in the upper Midwest and severe thunderstorms that spawned tornadoes across the South, the Flint, MI water crisis continues, California extends its emergency water conservation measures, and a report shows bridges in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island are among nation’s worst.

1. Winter Storm Kayla continues to produce [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/slideshow/winter-storm-blasts-plains-midwest-n509891″ title=”blizzard and winter storm warnings and conditions“] across Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, where periods of whiteouts due to blowing snow are likely to continue today. [link url=”https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-kayla-forecast-feb-2-2016″ title=”Thundersnow was reported in Iowa and Wisconsin“], and snowfall is also likely to be accompanied by gusty winds as officials urge residents to avoid traveling unless necessary.
2. The [link url=”https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-kayla-impacts-0″ title=”winter storm has already wreaked havoc on the midwestern plains states“], including in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, prompting multiple school cancellations and [link url=”http://hb.511.nebraska.gov/#roadReports/eventAlbum/NECARS4-3909?timeFrame=TODAY&layers=allReports%2CroadReports%2CwinterDriving%2CotherStates” title=”causing hundreds of miles of interstate closures“], leaving thousands without power, and resulted in [link url=”http://flightaware.com/live/cancelled” title=”flights being delayed or canceled“] on Tuesday.
3. Snowfall accumulations in [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/colorado-snowstorm-sets-stage-slick-conditions-36659642″ title=”Nebraska saw more than a foot of snow“] in some areas, and roads are expected to remain snow covered throughout the day.
4. Winter Storm Kayla [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/tornadoes-damage-college-church-prison-mississippi-alabama-n510156″ title=”produced severe thunderstorms and spawned multiple tornadoes“] across the south, hitting Mississippi and Alabama especially hard.  One tornado [link url=”http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/tornado_wreaks_havoc_on_west_a.html#incart_river_home” title=”damaged a federal prison and destroyed homes“] in the small community of Aliceville, Alabama, west of Tuscaloosa.  [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/03/dozens-homes-destroyed-after-tornadoes-touch-down-in-alabama-mississippi.html” title=”East Mississippi Community College student housing“] was also damaged by the winter storm, which also downed power lines and toppled trees in the area.
5. On Tuesday, [link url=”http://news.yahoo.com/california-weighs-extending-drought-conservation-orders-072012712.html” title=”water regulators in California voted to extend current emergency conservation measures“] due to the ongoing severe drought.  The [link url=”http://lacrossetribune.com/news/national/the-latest-california-to-extend-water-conservation/article_5a87aae5-9c80-5a96-940e-3e9e5ed38904.html?comment_form=true” title=”state missed its targeted conservation goal for the third straight month“] and caution residents that despite improving Sierra Nevada snowpack conditions, the game is not over yet. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/water-management-too-much-or-too-little/” relink url2=”https://amuedge.com/water-management-in-the-united-states/”]
6. As the Flint, Michigan water crisis continues, a [link url=”https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/examining-federal-administration-of-the-safe-drinking-water-act-in-flint-michigan/” title=”congressional hearing is set to begin Wednesday, February 3“].  State and federal officials are already pointing the blame at one another, with the [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/flint-water-crisis/feds-state-blame-each-other-flint-lead-crisis-n510181″ title=”Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Director, Kenneth Creagh claiming the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacked any urgency“] in addressing the water situation in Flint.  The EPA responded to the criticism by noting the pushback their agency received when strongly suggesting the MDEQ implement corrosion control.  [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/flint-michigan-water-crisis-seeking-an-innovative-hero/”]
7. Michigan Governor, [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/flint-water-crisis/michigan-governor-rick-snyder-plans-30m-credit-flint-water-customers-n510221″ title=”Rick Snyder promises $30 million to help pay resident water bills“] covering a period from April of 2014 until the spring of 2016, when he hopes the crisis will be resolved.  The measure would include [link url=”http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4680cf5022554f4fa4f37e5bc6941633/apnewsbreak-snyder-plans-30m-credit-flint-customers” title=”residents who no longer live in the area, and help avoid water shutoffs to more than 9,000 current residents“] who have refused to pay their bills because of the ongoing problems.
8. Flint, Michigan’s mayor, [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/flint-water-crisis/flint-water-crisis-mayor-says-lead-pipes-have-got-go-n510116″ title=”Karen Weaver insists that removing the lead pipes is the right thing to do morally“], but did not have a plan for how to pay the bill or when the project would begin.  She did argue that the [link url=”http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/5eb5e8b61dcd499d9b23309bced8c628.htm” title=”lead pipe removal should begin in homes with the highest level of risk“], and proposes a plan similar to Lansing that would embrace a public-private partnership.  [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/the-dangers-of-hidden-infrastructure/”]
9. Presidential candidates traveling in [link url=”http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2016/02/01/iowa-pennsylvania-rhode-island-top-states-with-bad-bridges.html” title=”Iowa for the caucuses might have traversed bridges within the state that are structurally deficient“] and in danger of failing.  This is according to a recent report by Transportation for America, a non-profit organization dedicated to wise investments in transportation infrastructure by federal and state governments.  The report indicates that [link url=”http://transportationforamerica.org/maps-tools/bridges/infographic” title=”1 in 9 bridges requires significant attention in the form of repairs or replacement to prevent it from failing“], and cites Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island as the states with the worst bridges in the nation.

[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/the-infrastructure-bill-is-due/” relink url2=”https://amuedge.com/infrastructure-how-bad-is-it-really/”]