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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, August 16, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Hawaiian Parks Park Reopens After Hurricane Flossie Passes All park facilities, roads, and trails reopened yesterday except for the Na‘ulu Trail and Napau Trail east of Pu‘u Huluhlulu and Hilina Pali Road at the Mauna Iki Trailhead. The threat of severe weather - wind, rain, and surf - prompted the park's closure late Tuesday afternoon and the release of those employees not essential to emergency operations. Hurricane Flossie loomed 150 miles southeast of the island of Hawai‘i, moving west-northwest at about 8 mph. Flossie packed sustained winds near 100 mph. High winds and thunderstorms were expected as Flossie passed south of the island, and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued both a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning. In response, Hawai‘i Volcanoes put ICS into effect. Rangers swept and closed roads, trails, and campgrounds; maintenance crews taped plate glass windows and secured items easily airborne; and interpreters posted signs informing visitors of the impending hazards. At 5 a.m. yesterday morning, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center cancelled the tropical storm warning for the island of Hawai‘i. The park suffered no apparent weather damage. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer] Hawaii Volcanoes NP Substantial Quake Rocks Park A magnitude-5.4 earthquake located beneath the south flank of Kilauea Volcano rocked the park on the evening of Monday, August 13th. The quake occurred as park staff were gearing up for the arrival of Hurricane Flossie. The quake was located about 25 miles south of Hilo at a depth of six miles and was felt throughout the island. Several aftershocks were recorded, with the largest having a preliminary magnitude of 3.2. The largest previous earthquake on the south flank was a magnitude 5.0 that occurred on August 27, 2003. Eleven earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5.0 have occurred in this part of the island since 1975, when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near Kalapana. Although the quake gave park and area residents a serious shaking, no significant damage was reported. For eruption updates and information on recent earthquakes in Hawai‘i, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at HYPERLINK "http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov" http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov. [Mardi Lane, Public Affairs Specialist] Hawaii Volcanoes NP Coastal Areas Closed Temporarily Due To Tsunami Warning All coastal backcountry trails and campsites were closed yesterday afternoon due to the threat of a tsunami issuing from the magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Peru. All visitors were also evacuated from Chain of Craters Road and the road was closed at Kealakomo Overlook. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami advisory for the state of Hawai‘i following the quake, as a tsunami signal on the deep ocean gauge off northern Chile indicated that a tsunami had been generated. The advisory was lifted later in the afternoon and all areas were reopened. [Mardi Lane, Public Affairs Specialist] Yosemite NP Body Of Missing Woman Found The search for a missing woman in ended on Tuesday, August 14th, when her body was located in the Echo Creek drainage, a rugged wilderness area southwest of Tuolumne Meadows. O.B., 80, was reported missing by friends when she failed to return to the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp after a day-hike on July 30th. Over 150 searchers from the National Park Service, counties throughout California, and DNC Parks and Resorts in Yosemite, Inc., participated in the search effort. Dog teams and helicopters were used as well. The cause of death is still under investigation. [Adrienne Freeman, Public Affairs Specialist] Zion NP Injured Canyoneer Extricated Via Difficult Technical Rescue Canyoneer J.T., 47, of Salt Lake City, sustained serious injuries when he fell about 40 feet while completing the last, 100-foot rappel on the popular Pine Creek route on Monday, August 13th. J.T.'s brother rappelled down to him, determined that he was too injured to make it out on his own, and hiked out to report the incident, making contact with rangers just before 8 p.m. While a team was assembled to undertake the lengthy and highly technical 400-foot raising required to extricate J.T. from the canyon, ranger/paramedic Rob Wissinger hiked to J.T.'s location and determined that he was stable enough to survive the night with additional treatment and supplies. A second medic and other rangers hiked to Pine Creek and spent the night with J.T.. Rescue plans were modified to assure that a safer, daytime rescue could be completed the following morning. The SAR team employed a Norwegian reeve highline to lower the litter and raise J.T. and his attendant. He was lifted 400 feet to a window in the side of the Mount Carmel Tunnel, pulled through the window, then taken by park ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center, where he was found to be suffering from a fractured back, a bruised lung, and strained pelvic ligaments. The extrication was completed around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Plateau district ranger Ray O'Neil was the operations chief. [Bonnie Schwartz, Chief Ranger] Rocky Mountain NP Seriously Injured Hiker Rescued From East Inlet Trail On the morning of Saturday, August 11th, C.P., 25, of Seattle, Washington, was seriously hurt while bouldering alone about two miles up the East Inlet trail. She initially fell 10 to 15 feet, then rolled another 20 to 25 feet down loose talus rock and scree. Fortunately, a hiker along the trail heard her fall and called for help via a cell phone. C.P. suffered numerous serious injuries and contusions. A number of park staff, with assistance from Grand County Search and Rescue, conducted a low-angle rescue and evacuation over the difficult terrain. The carryout took more than three hours. C.P. was flown to St. Anthony's Hospital in Denver by Flight for Life. [Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer] Baltimore-Washington Parkway Traffic Stop Leads To Significant Drug Seizure While working traffic safety enforcement on the parkway during the early morning hours of Sunday, August 5th, USPP officer Ryan McDermott stopped a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. During the traffic stop, he detected a strong odor of marijuana and also saw that a small child in the truck was not in a child safety seat. A search of the vehicle revealed a large quantity of narcotics, including about four pounds of marijuana, 23 grams of cocaine, and ecstasy pills with an total estimated street value of $22,000. McDermott also found and recovered over $1,800 in cash and other drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested and later charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer] * * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828). --- ### --- |