NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, September 30, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-612 - Southeast Region - Hurricane Georges

Reports have been received from several parks which have been or are being
affected by the hurricane:

o     Gulf Islands NS (FL/MS) - The park has been hard hit by storm surge and
      heavy rains.  The governor of Florida has designated the western part
      of the state a disaster area and has made a formal request for federal
      assistance from FEMA.  The Mississippi District is without power;
      utilities are out at Fort Pickens and Santa Rosa.  Santa Rosa Island
      was under a curfew at the time of the last report Monday evening.  Most
      park employees have been contacted; damage to homes and personal
      property appears to be minimal.  A quick survey of the Florida District
      on Monday revealed that all buildings are still standing, but that the
      hurricane had inflicted significant damage to roads and parking lots. 
      The Fort Pickens Road, Predido Key Road and Highway 399 are all in bad
      shape and will remain closed for the near future.  Costs estimates will
      not be possible until the water totally recedes and engineers can
      survey the roads.  An overflight of the Mississippi District was
      tentatively scheduled for yesterday.  Florida District staff were asked
      to return yesterday and the park hoped to reopen Naval Live Oaks and
      Fort Barrancas by Thursday.

o     Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP (LA) - Park staff returned to
      work yesterday and both areas should reopen today.  Employees report
      only sporadic and minor damage to personal property.  A damage
      assessment of park areas is underway.  Tropical force winds of 50 to 65
      mph struck the area, but there was very little rain.  

o     Everglades NP (FL) - Park staff cleared and opened the two-lane road to
      Flamingo on Sunday, allowing park and concession employees to return to
      their homes.  Over 100 trees were blown down in the Flamingo area. 
      Thirty people have been assigned to the cleanup of that area.  The park
      also reports some roof damage, loss of a wall in a bathroom in Flamingo
      campground, and loss of about 60% of park-maintained channel markers.

o     Big Cypress NP (FL) - The hurricane caused only minor damage and the
      park has resumed normal operations.  A critique of the hurricane
      preparedness operation will be held on Thursday.

o     Biscayne NP (FL) - All employees are safe and report little damage to
      their homes.  A preliminary assessment of damage in the park revealed
      blown-out screens, downed trees, a damaged boat trailer, damaged carpet
      throughout headquarters (due to failed adhesive) and other relatively
      minor impacts.  The park will schedule air, land and underwater surveys
      to assess resource damage.

o     DeSoto NM (FL) - The hurricane caused only minor damage to the park - a
      few tree limbs down and some flooding of the trail system.  The park
      reopened on Sunday morning.  

The NPS is also providing critical incident stress counseling for employees
at Caribbean National Forest in Puerto Rico.  The hurricane caused major
damage to forest resources and facilities and affected numerous employees. 
The Forest Service requested a Spanish-speaking CISM team.  Four NPS peer
supporters, most of whom speak Spanish, are en route; Gus Martinez of Big
Bend NP is the team leader.  [JR Tomasovic, GUIS, 9/27-28; Brian Loadholtz,
DESO, 9/28; Pat Buccello, CISM Coordinator, NPS, 9/28; Ken Garvin, SERO,
9/28; Kris Stoehr, EVER, 9/28; Larry Belles, BICY, 9/27; Jim Carson, JELA,
9/29; Monika Mayr, BISC, 9/30]
 
98-622 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Search; Death of Ranger's Daughter

The 17-year-old daughter of district ranger M.B. was found dead
early on the morning of Sunday, September 27th, following an extensive, all-
night search of the Woolum area of the park.  The search was begun on
Saturday night when L.B. failed to return home from a day hike
near the family's residence within the park.  Rangers, state police, deputy
sheriffs and game wardens searched for her through the night.  Tracking dogs
followed a trail to the top of a large bluff, but were called off during the
night due to the dangerous cliffs in the area.  The search was resumed after
sunrise on Sunday morning and searchers soon found her body atop a bluff
overlooking the Buffalo River.  A small caliber handgun was found at her
side.  The body and handgun have been sent to the state medical examiner's
office.  No suspects are being sought at this time.  The investigation has
been turned over to the state police.  Critical incident stress debriefers
are en route to the park from other areas to help staff and family cope
with this loss.  A memorial service will be held this morning at 11 a.m.
at the Roller-Coffman Funeral Home in Marshall, Arkansas.  Condolences
may be sent to the family.  Donations in her name may be made to L.B.'s
favorite charities: World Wildlife Fund (PO Box 96555, Washington, DC
20077-7795), Defenders of Wildlife (1101 14th Street. NW #1400,
Washington, DC 20005), and/or The Nature Conservancy (1815 North Lynn
Street, Arlington, VA 22209).  [Bob Howard, LES, BUFF, 9/28-29]

98-623 - Jefferson National Expansion NM (MO) - Fire; Employee Injuries

An electrical fire occurred in the mechanical room at the Arch just before 7
p.m. on September 28th.  Park personnel were working on a 6,000-amp, 480-volt
electrical panel when a short circuit started the fire.  Maintenance
employees J.G. and J.C. received second degree burns - J.G.
on his leg and arm, J.C. on his arm.  They were held overnight in a local
hospital for observation.  Five other employees were examined and treated for
smoke inhalation and released the same night.  The Arch is currently closed
and without electrical power and will remain closed until a complete damage
assessment can be completed.  The fire apparently was caused by a failed
electrical switch inside the room which did not disconnect as required when
the power was turned off.  During the time this incident was taking place,
rangers were also responding to a mugging near the north end of the park and
a domestic violence incident in the parking garage.  [Rod Danner, CR, Ken
Schaefer, Deputy Superintendent, JEFF, 9/29]

98-624 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Bus Accident with 29 Injuries

On September 23rd, two Frontier tour buses traveling together collided at the
junction of Big Oak Flat Road and Highway 140 when the first stopped at a
stop sign and the second ran into it.  The buses carried a total of 86
people, and 29 of them were injured.  Twelve were taken by park ambulance to
the park's medical clinic and a local hospital; another eleven with lesser
injuries were taken to the clinic on a park concessioner tour bus.  The
remaining six visitors were treated at the scene and released.  A total of 30
people, three ambulances, two rescue trucks, two fire engines, and two
concessioner tour buses were dispatched to this accident.  [Mark Harvey, IC,
YOSE, 9/28]

                       [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE/INCIDENT ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Thu      Mon    %  Est
State      Unit             Fire/Incident     IMT    9/24     9/28  Con Con
-----      ----             -------------     ---    ----     ----  --- ---

WA   Colville NF          * Hubbard            T2       -      320   35 10/3

PR   Roosevelt Roads NB     Hurricane Georges  T1    Distribution center
     Caribbean NF           Hurricane Georges  T1    Clean-up operations

FL   Jacksonville           Hurricane Georges  T1    Distribution center

AL   Montgomery             Hurricane Georges  T1    Distribution center

LA   Camp Beauregard        Hurricane Georges  T1    Distribution center

                                  Heading Notes

Unit        Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
            or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
            district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire        * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT         T1 = Type I; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team; FUT = Interagency
            Fire Use Management Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown
Est Con     Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
            containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total
                    ---    ---      ---     ---    ------   ----     ----
Saturday, 9/26       0      2         4       0       34     10        50
Sunday, 9/27         0      2         3       0       55     11        71
Monday, 9/28         0      0         3       0      133     12       148
Tuesday, 9/29        0      4         8       2       44     13        71

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead
                  ----      -------    -----------    ----------   --------
Saturday, 9/26      25         81           6             4           201
Sunday, 9/27        15         77           9             2           239
Monday, 9/28        15         86          12             2           256
Tuesday, 9/29       21        105          15             2           249

CURRENT SITUATION

Fire activity remains minimal.  

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in Nebraska,
Oregon, Texas, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado and Kansas.

No fire weather watches or warnings have been posted for today.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/29]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

Submission pending.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Submission pending.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

Submission pending.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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