RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           Ranger Activities Division Information Network

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 15, 1992

Release:   0800 EDT

INCIDENTS

92-642 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Winter Storm 

Damage reports from last week's winter storm have been received from a
number of parks along the Eastern seaboard.  The brunt of the damage
occurred in North Atlantic Region, and the regional office has established a
team to coordinate response activities.  The following information was
received yesterday; daily updates will follow:

* Gateway (New York/New Jersey) - Major damage to both property and
resources was inflicted on all of the park's units.  The superintendent's
initial damage assessment places the cost figure in excess of $14 million. 
Although there were no injuries to any staff members, a number of employees
suffered personal losses as a result of storm damage to government quarters. 
Trees have been uprooted and debris has covered all units; specific damages
were as follows:

- Staten Island - Hangar 38 was flooded with three and a half feet of water,
  which damaged maintenance vehicles and equipment.  The headquarters
  building and athletic fields were also damaged.

- Great Kills - Major erosion occurred along the beach, and the bathhouse
  was severely undermined.  All beach centers were overwashed by seawater,
  electric vaults were submerged, marina docks and electric facilities
  were damaged, and roads and parking lots were overwashed and damaged.

- Sandy Hook - The park was closed due to major flooding; employees and
  occupants of government buildings were evacuated.  Access to the unit
  is limited to four-wheel-drive vehicles during periods of low tide.
  Building 102 was severely damaged, two-thirds of Fort Hancock was
  submerged, all houses along Officer's Row and government quarters
  suffered water damage (interior plaster walls collapsed in two residences
  that were unoccupied), the North Maintenance Building was submerged and
  maintenance equipment was damaged, the concession restaurant was damaged,
  and the new horse stables were destroyed.  The new beach bathhouses
  survived the storm, but windows and doors were damaged.  Large amounts of
  pavement were ripped up and/or covered with sand in beach parking lots. 
  The park roadway is covered with sand.  About 100 feet of beach remains;
  major damage occurred to the beach replenishment project which was
  finished last year.  Electricity has not yet been restored, and
  communications are limited to cellular phone contact with the
  superintendent. The overall cost estimate has been placed at about $2
  million.

- Jamaica Bay - Major beach erosion occurred in the area.

- Floyd Bennett Field - Damage was inflicted on Blue Hangar, Hangar B,
  Hangar D, Ryan Hangar, Building 70 and Building 97.  Fencing along
  Flatbush Avenue is down.

- Breezy Point - Reese Point Beach was severely eroded, and the parking lot,
  pedestrian tunnel, bathhouse and concession facility were all damaged.

- Wildlife Refuge - The roof of the visitor center and government trailers
  used for offices were damaged.

- Fort Tilden - Buildings 100 and T-149 and the maintenance warehouse roof
  were damaged, as were the recently repaired Park Police docks.  The 
  concessioner's dock system was destroyed.  Major erosion occurred on
  Surf Club and Silver Beaches.

Park staff conducted air reconnaissance of facilities with the assistance of
the Coast Guard.  The superintendent will continue his damage assessment and
provide further details as information becomes available.   

* Statue of Liberty (New York) - Liberty and Ellis Islands were closed on
the morning of the 11th and did not reopen until the afternoon of the 13th
due to tides which were too high for the Circle Line ferries to dock.  The
islands also closed for two hours during high tide on the 14th.  Flooding
reached park residences on Liberty Island, submerged the docks and walkways,
and flooded the basements of the maintenance shops, the administration
building on Liberty Island, and the main building on Ellis Island.  Damage
included moderate to major erosion of topsoil, a seawall breach, loss of
seawall fencing, a retaining wall breach, loss of trees, roof leaks, loss of
portions of the main docks, and loss of a floating dock.  The Statue of
Liberty and park vessels rode out the storm without damage.  Clean-up
started on the 12th and is expected to continue for about a week.  Liberty
Island went on generator power on the 11th, but electricity has since been
restored.  Total damage to grounds and facilities is estimated at $35,000.

* Fire Island (New York) - It is presently estimated that up to 100 homes
within the park have been severely damaged, including the superintendent's
quarters.  From 50 to 70 feet of the dune line has been lost, and all dune
crossings need repair or replacement.  Structural damage occurred at the
Sailor's Haven marina; Watch Hill is still underwater, so the extent of
damage to facilities there remains unknown.

* Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Truro and Provincetown have been severed from
the rest of the cape at high tide due to overwash through Ballston Beach,
thereby opening the Pamet River system to the ocean.  Structural or water
damage occurred at the Highland House (which lost over 200 square feet of
roof), Cable Hut, Cranberry Bog House, headquarters, Penniman House, Race
Point ranger station and garage, Provincelands Visitor Center, Three Sisters
lighthouses, and the Old Harbor lifesaving station.  Between 30 and 50 feet
of beach has been eroded, most snow and safety fencing is gone, and four
sections of boardwalk at Coast Guard Beach were damaged.  Access to Marconi
Beach is gone, and access routes to Nauset Light and Coast Guard Beaches
were damaged.  The bridge on the Nauset bike trail was damaged.  The Carns
archeological site, which was exposed during last year's October storm and
partially excavated last spring, was overwashed and significantly scoured. 
Eight pilot whales that were grounded in the Pamet River were rescued,
transported to Herring Cove Beach by truck, and released.  At least five of
the whales survived.

* Assateague Island (Virginia/Maryland) - Heavy surf conditions coupled with
extreme high tides were still causing damage to the seashore yesterday, even
as the park staff worked to assess the storm's impacts:

- Maryland District - At this time, the off-road vehicle zone is closed,
  with major damage to the boundary marking system and the 13 miles of sand
  trail that runs parallel to the markers.  The trail allows access to
  retained rights properties and to the park's hunting zone, both of which
  are now accessible only by boat.  The duck hunting program scheduled to
  begin today has been temporarily suspended.  The dune line that was
  constructed after last January's storm held and protected the developments
  on this end of the seashore, but the dune line that the state park had
  constructed failed at three locations, causing overwash on a portion of
  the seashore's entrance road.  If the breaks are not adequately repaired
  immediately, major damage could occur to the road in the near future.

- Virginia District - The dune in front of the visitor center and district
  office washed away, and surf is currently breaking against and flowing 
  around this structure.  The staff has removed sensitive equipment from the
  building and is preparing to order temporary office trailers.  Plans
  already in place to move the visitor center and district office and
  relocate parking are being accelerated.  Large amounts of sand and water
  cover portions of two major parking areas.  The off-road vehicle zone is
  closed due to overwash.

* Castle Clinton (New York) - Flooding in the basement has affected
electrical and heating systems, and the site remains without power or heat.

* Salem Maritime (Massachusetts) - A cabin cruiser crashed into the park's
wharf and caused some damage.

* Sagamore Hill (New York) - Trees which were planted by Teddy Roosevelt
were badly damaged, as was a dock.

[John Lynch, RAD/NARO; Jim Rienhart, CR, GATE; Scott Pfeninger, CR, STLI;
Brion Fitzgerald, CR, ASIS; Tony Bonanno, CR, CACO; 12/14]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady at Branch of R&VP annual planning meeting (12/15-12/16).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: All staff at annual planning
meeting (12/15-12/16); Kreis on annual leave (12/15-1/7).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Update pending.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5572/5573 or 202-208-5572/5573

Telefax:    Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977

CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO

cc:Mail     Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation